The Origins of Jazz

- By 1808 the slave trade had brought almost half a million Africans to the United States.

- These slaves brought with them strong tribal musical traditions and dances.

- In the southern United States, up until around 1843, the slaves would gather in places like Congo Square in New Orleans and celebrate their culture through dancing and drum playing.

- The white plantation owners would sometimes show up to observe their unique culture.

SpiritualsKeep Your Lamps

Question to think about: How does this song maintain the African culture?

Ain'a That Good News

Question to think about: What is this song about?

The Old Plantation - African Americans dance to banjo and percussion

Field Hollers - a song that expressed religious feelings and hinted at an escape from slavery. A way for slaves to communicate with one another in the work field. - these were coded messages that only the slaves could decode, not the slave owners.

Spirituals - expressions of religious faith. Usually dealt with the after-life.

- Most of these songs made use of a single-line melody with a call-and-response pattern.

Call and Response - a verbal or non-verbal interaction between speaker(call) and listener(response).

Sometimes the response mimics the call.

- European music and harmonic ideas were also an influence to early jazz. Some African-Americans learned these harmonic ideas from singing European hymns, and incorporated it into their own spirituals, which led to the creation of the blues.

Blues - a vocal or instrumental music that uses blues chord progressions and blue notes. The 12-bar blues is the most common.

....Here is an example of the blues

Jailhouse Blues - written by Bessie Smith (queen of the blues)

Question to think about: Listen for the 12-bar pattern. If you count in groups of 4 up to 12 times you'll find the pattern.

...The blues would become a major part of jazz and all popular music in the 20th century, including Rock.

- Along with spirituals, the blues became another way for African-Americans to relieve their burdens, although the blues didn't necessarily have a religious background.

Slavery, Congo Square.mov (10:47)

...Here is a clip showing African-American life in the 1800's

Link

....Here is a great example of what African's would have brought with them to America and shared with each other in Congo Square .

- A great deal of African music here in America was sung during work since the slaves often worked really long days.

Work Songs - a rhythmic a cappella song sung by people working on a repetitive task. Usually sung to reduce feelings of

boredom.Link

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Roots of Jazz

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Roots of Jazz (continued)

Ragtime - (1890-1910's)- after slavery was abolished, many freed slaves were becoming educated, although because of

segregation, there were very few jobs for African-Americans.- African-Americans provided "low class" entertainment at dances, in Minstrel Shows, in

Vaudeville and in bars and clubs where African-American pianists were developing a new style of music called Ragtime.

- Ragtime developed as a result of African-Americans who studied European music and harmonies and combined this with syncopated rhythms. Marching bands also influenced the development of Ragtime.

Ragtime - mostly a piano music, played in bars and clubs by African-Americans. It's rhythmic, syncopated feel made it perfect for dancing.

- Ragtime became increasingly popular with the sale of sheet music and piano rolls.

>>> player pianos became popular for people who did not possess the skills to play a real piano. The sale of piano rolls played a major role in popularizing ragtime and made some ragtime composers a lot of money.

...No other composer contributed to the success of ragtime more than the piano player and composer Scott Joplin.

Scott Joplin (1867-1917)

- became known as the "King of Ragtime"- popularized ragtime music.- he was a classically trained piano player who learned classical forms and structures from his European teacher.- the only recordings we have of Joplin are the seven piano rolls he recorded in 1916, and at that time he was dying of Syphilis.

Maple Leaf Rag

- in 1899 Joplin sold this piece to a music publisher and received a 1-cent royalty for each copy sold.- it is estimated that Joplin made $365 a year for this piece.- this was the first instrumental piece of music to sell over 1 million copies.- this piece put Joplin to the top of the list of ragtime performers and turned ragtime into a popular musical form.

Entertainer - another top hit for Joplin written in the early 1900's.

Food for Thought: Listen for the syncopated rhythms that give this music its feel.

...New Orleans was the birthplace of Jazz and became the center for all that was new...

Ragtime & Blues Intro.mov (10:10)

Link - player piano

Link - piano roll of Joplin Playing. Recorded at the end of his life while he was dying from Syphillis

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New Orleans Music (Dixieland)

- New Orleans became the melting pot for Jazz with all of the different cultures and ethnicities residing in such a small city.

- The Blues and Ragtime were huge influences on the birth of Jazz.- Early Jazz performers played in brothels and bars in a section of

New Orleans called "Storyville".- Numerous Marching Bands played at lavish African-American

funerals. These marching band instruments would be the instruments used in Jazz.

- African-Americans playing in Vaudeville brought Jazz to many western and northern cities.

Performers important to the birth of Jazz

Charles "Buddy" Bolden (1877-1931)

Buddy Bolden

this is the only surviving photo of Bolden

- also known as "King Bolden"- he was a cornetist who was known for his loud sound and constant improvisation.- he left no surviving recordings and

suffered from schizophrenia in his later life.

Improvisation - the act of making it up as you go along, while staying within the structure of the music.

Improv, group playing, birth of Jazz.mov (3:04)

Buddy Bolden.mov (9:22)

The Saints March - an example of a tune that would be played at a funeral with brass and woodwind instruments in a

marching band style. The focus is on the soul going to a better place.

Maple Leaf Rag (Dixieland version) - early Jazz musicians would take ragtime standards and play them in

this new improvised style of Jazz.

Link - funeral procession

Link - modern performers

Examination for insanity report

Certification of insanity

Response to mom's letter

Jelly Roll Morton.mov (8:03)

Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)

- He was a creole with a French/Haitian background, born with the name Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe- Began as a Ragtime pianist, but soon started to develop the new "New Orleans Style" Jazz.- He claimed that he invented Jazz in 1902.- He didn't invent Jazz, but he was the first person to write down on paper his Jazz compositions.- His style stemmed from Buddy Bolden's influence.- He used a lot of "Exotic" rhythms from Spain in his music, calling it the right "flavor" for Jazz.- He traveled around the country in "minstrel shows" bringing his new style of Jazz to new places.

Buddy Bolden's Blues - written by Jelly Roll

Fact or Fiction?: The word "Jazz" which began as the word "Jass", supposedly came from the perfume 'Jasmine' that a lot of prostitutes in Storyville wore.

Link- this is Jelly Roll playing and singing

Finger Buster - later changed to Finger Breaker because of copyright laws

- this is piece written primarily for cutting contests.(more on that later)Link

Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)

- Jazz clarinetist, Saxophonist and composer.- One of the first important soloists in Jazz.- Had a very distinct sound with lots of vibrato.- When he was young he could pick up any

instrument and learn to play it quickly.

Sidney Bechet, Birth of Victrola.mov (4:32)

Blue HorizonLink

- clarinet piece with that Bechet vibrato

St. Louis Blues - Soprano sax

Joe "King" Oliver (1885-1938)

- Joe was famous for his use of mutes, derbies, bottles and cups to alter the sound of his cornet. He was able to get a wild array of sounds out of his horn with this arsenal of gizmos.- He would influence countless numbers of trumpet players after him.

- Cornet (aka Trumpet) player & Band leader.- His music is considered 'Hot Jazz' because it was built around collective improvisation, not just solos.

Boogie WoogieLink

...We'll revisit King Oliver in a little while

.....Remember, New Orleans wasn't the only place where the roots of Jazz thrived.

- Traveling shows spread music throughout the U.S.

New York and Harlem Stride Piano

Harlem Stride Piano - Jazz piano style that evolved out of ragtime - Highly rhythmic and percussive because of the "Oom-Pah" style of the left hand. - it took the ragged rhythm of Ragtime and turned it into a steadier beat.

Stride Masters

James P. Johnson

- Known as the "Father of Stride"- considered by many in New York to be the king of Jazz pianists, until he was dethroned by another who we will speak about later.

Carolina Shout

- you can definitely hear the Ragtime influenceLink

Willie "The Lion" Smith

- served time in World War I, where he saw action in France- Legend has it that he received the nickname "The Lion" based on his bravery as a heavy artillery gunner.- followed in the footsteps of James P Johnson and became one of the great piano stride masters

- the great Duke Ellington was quoted as saying, "Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of all the great jazz piano players who have come along. He has a beat that stays in the mind."

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- the virtuosity of Willie, Playing Carolina Shout

Fats Waller- born Thomas Wright Waller- he received the nickname 'Fats' because he always ate & drank- well trained in the classics of European music and even played organ in his father's church when he was young.- wrote some of the most beloved Jazz classics such as, Ain't Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose, and Squeeze Me.

StoryHis playing once put him at risk of injury. Waller was kidnapped in Chicago leaving a performance in 1926. Four men bundled him into a car and took him to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by gangster Al Capone. Fats was ordered inside the building, and found a party in full swing. Gun to his back, he was pushed towards a piano, and told to play. A terrified Waller realized he was the "surprise guest" at Al Capone's birthday party, and took comfort that the gangsters didn't intend to kill him. According to rumor, Waller played for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash from Capone and other party-goers as tips.

Link (from Ken Burns)

Link - from Ken Burns (1min)