1959. A year some refer to as the “vintage year” of jazz. Five of the best-known, best-loved, and most legendary albums of all time were released within this 12-month span, and 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of this most fruitful period in jazz history. Here is my commentary about each album with a representative track from each.
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
This is probably the top-selling traditional jazz album of all time. Many critics point to it as the album to buy when starting a jazz CD collection. Its selling points are many. The horn soloists, Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor), and Cannonball Adderley (alto), are three of the greatest improvisers ever, and Miles and Trane are considered to be among the small handful of musicians who changed the face of jazz several times during their careers. This is also the first album to explore modal jazz on a large scale. Modal jazz uses very slow chord changes so that the soloists can explore single scales for an extended period. This is in contrast to bebop, in which the frantic tempos and complex harmonies require the improviser to change scales up to twice a second. Modal jazz can be laid back or wild, but on this album, it is the cool side that prevails.
The most common tracks recommended on this album are “So What” and “All Blues.” I would like you to instead hear the beautiful Bill Evans ballad “Blue in Green” which features his signature, thick chordal playing on piano. The chord progression is a peculiar 10-bar cycle:
G- |A7#9 |D- Db7 |C-7 F7b9 |Bbmaj7 |A7#9#5 |D- |E7#9#5 |A- |D- |
Each of the chords take on various alterations and extensions throughout. What makes the progression truly unique, however, is that soloists can play it as a 10-bar phrase, 5-bar phrase (chords go by 2x as fast), or a 2.5-bar phrase (4x as fast). The tempo, however, remains constant; only the chord progression changes speeds. Here is the form:
Intro
Miles plays (or rather hints at) the melody on trumpet with a harmon mute (10 bars)
Miles repeats (10 bars)
Bill Evans’ piano solo (twice through 5 bars)
John Coltrane’s tenor solo (twice through 5 bars)
Evans’ solo (twice through 2.5 bars)
Miles’ solo (twice through 10 bars)
Evans’ coda (rubato 2.5-bar version twice through plus the first three bars again, ending on D-)
Try to follow along!
Giant Steps, John Coltrane
This album is the antithesis of Kind of Blue. Coltrane had been playing over more and more complex chord progressions leading up to this recording, but here he takes bebop to its zenith. After this album, nobody played anything faster or more technically difficult than Trane did. Nowadays, it is considered a rite of passage to be able to solo over the title track “Giant Steps” up tempo. Listen to how the master did it, and then seek out the full album to hear other breakneck workouts, the quirky “Syeeda’s Song Flute,” and the gorgeous ballad, “Naima.”
Mingus Ah-Um, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus was an incredible bassist, fiery bandleader, and iconic composer. His fusion of blues, bebop, gospel, and the avant garde created a style all his own. The variety of genres contained in this album is a great introduction to his work. Check out “Better Get Hit in Your Soul” for its Sunday morning preaching and the dark, ominous “Boogie Stop Shuffle.” All through the album, you can hear Mingus shouting and exhorting his musicians to higher levels of intensity. One of the more sedate numbers is “Jelly Roll,” an old-time piece which demonstrates how he let his horn players have plenty of freedom in their playing.
Time Out, Dave Brubeck
This album was a best seller from the moment it was released. The quartet featured Brubeck on piano and his artistic foil Paul Desmond on alto. Desmond’s light, buttery tone was one of my first models (along with Charlie Parker) as a young saxophonist. What is remarkable about the album, however, is its approach to rhythm. For fifty years, jazz had always been played in 4/4 time, but Brubeck changed that with this set of pieces in odd meters such as 3/4, 5/4, and 9/8. The signature tune from the disc is Desmond’s composition “Take Five.” The Joe Morello drum solo is wonderfully bombastic. Imagine an 18-year-old Dan Brame playing this number in the GBS V-Show. Good times…
The Shape of Jazz to Come, Ornette Coleman
Alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman was the pioneer of free jazz in the 1960s. This movement, which created a great deal of controversy in the jazz world, featured a much less constrained form of improvisation. Instead of single soloists with a rhythm section playing predetermined chord changes, the entire ensemble could improvise simultaneously, creating melodies without concern for staying in specific keys. Greater emphasis was placed on ensemble textures and interaction. Just before his album titled Free Jazz, in which he stepped off into the deep end, artistically speaking, he released The Shape of Jazz to Come, an album that is just on the brink of truly free playing. One of my all-time favorite jazz tracks is this one, the haunting and lyrical “Lonely Woman.” Listen for the way the ensemble plays in two different tempos at the same time.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Miles Davis Plays Half Nelson
The Jazz Band is currently working on a bebop tune written by Miles Davis called "Half Nelson." Here are two recordings for you to check out. The first is when Miles was quite young and was playing as a sideman for Charlie Parker:
The second is from a later quintet recording when he was the leader:
Note how much more developed and confident he is in the second recording.
*****
This posting is a bit of an experiment. I'm using a new online music service called "la la" that allows me to embed recordings for free in my blog so that you, the reader, can listen to the music I am discussing. It's an interesting new business model--you can go to their website, sign up, and listen to any song once. If you want to be able to hear it over and over, you pay a mere 10 cents for the right. You can also buy and download the song, a la iTunes, for 89 cents. Check it out here. I'll be curious to see how well it does.
The second is from a later quintet recording when he was the leader:
Note how much more developed and confident he is in the second recording.
*****
This posting is a bit of an experiment. I'm using a new online music service called "la la" that allows me to embed recordings for free in my blog so that you, the reader, can listen to the music I am discussing. It's an interesting new business model--you can go to their website, sign up, and listen to any song once. If you want to be able to hear it over and over, you pay a mere 10 cents for the right. You can also buy and download the song, a la iTunes, for 89 cents. Check it out here. I'll be curious to see how well it does.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Summer Music Camps
Now is the time of year when high school music students all across America begin to think about attending music camps over the summer. This is a great way to gain valuable experience on your instrument, play in a terrific ensemble, and make new friends from all over. There are camps for band, jazz band, percussion ensemble, marching band, composition, music education, and individual instruments. You can find programs that last from one to six weeks, right here on the North Shore or all around the country. If you are thinking about going to a specific college, attending a camp there is a great way to meet their faculty and experience the campus. The counselors are typically undergraduate music students who can also tell you a great deal about a school.
Students who attend summer music camps come back enthusiastic and playing better than ever. It's a great experience! If you would like more information, go to the band website and look for the link on the front page. Or, just click here. See Mr. B if you want more information or help finding a camp that is just right for you.
Students who attend summer music camps come back enthusiastic and playing better than ever. It's a great experience! If you would like more information, go to the band website and look for the link on the front page. Or, just click here. See Mr. B if you want more information or help finding a camp that is just right for you.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Ophicleide
If you went to a band concert in mid-19th century France, you would see many instruments that you would expect to find in today's wind ensembles. There would be the familiar flutes and clarinets, trumpets and trombones, and a typical percussion section. Saxophones had just been invented and were soon added to the standard instrumentation. One instrument you might not recognize, however, was the ophicleide. The tuba, as we know it, did not yet exist, and the aptly named "serpent" was deemed unsuccessful (we'll save that for a future post). In its place, a Frenchman named Halary created the ophicléide, a brass instrument with keys like a woodwind. Patented in 1821, it inspired the saxophone and was eventually replaced by the euphonium and tuba. In its heyday, however, it served as the low end of the band.
A typical ophicleide is about 8' long, conical in shape, and bent into a U shape. The mouthpiece is similar to that of a trombone or euphonium, and there are 11 keys. Unlike most woodwinds, however, 10 of these keys are always closed. When playing normally, without opening any keys, the instrument can hit the notes C, C, G, C, E, G, Bb, and C, just like a trumpet. When the first key is opened, this pattern is transposed up a half-step (C#, C#, G#, E#, G#, B, C#). By using various combinations, an entire chromatic scale can be played. (At this time, modern piston valves were still being developed, thus the need for keys).
Throughout the 1800s, composers such as Berlioz, Mendelssohn, and Wagner wrote parts for the ophicleide, and there were a number of outstanding soloists on the instrument. However, due to its softer sound and intonation issues, it fell out of favor in the late 1800s, especially as more powerful and precise sounding euphoniums and tubas were created. Today, the ophicleide is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, as can be seen in this 2007 video clip featuring Nick Byrne (Sydney Symphony, Sydney, Australia), Erhard Schwartz (Berlin, Germany), Douglas Yeo (Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Mark Evans (Deutsche Oper, Berlin, Germany) as musicians rediscover its warmth and beauty.
Sources:
Reginald Morley-Pegge, et al. "Ophicleide." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 14 Feb. 2009
Fennell, Frederick. Time and the Winds. Huntersville, NC: Conn-Selmer, 2007.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Our Jazzy Week
Our jazzy week began on Thursday with a visit from DHS alumnus Dan Kaufman, a professional jazz pianist living in NYC. He is very busy teaching and performing, accompanying jazz vocalists like Nnenna Freelon, but he was in town this week and stopped by to hear the jazz band. He gave us some great pointers on style and improvisation, which we put to use over the next two days.
Over the weekend we had two fun gigs. On Friday, we played for the opening night celebration of the District 113 Art Show at The Art Center in Highland Park. Since it was a very small space with no room for piano, we used only guitar, bass, and drums. Each horn player chose a tune to be featured on and was assigned as backup on another. Luckily, our two pianists
double on alto sax, so they were able to join in the fun. We played tunes from throughout the year, including some student compositions. The picture here is of our closer, Joshua Redman's "Can't Dance." The pianist/saxophonists each took a line from the piano voicings to create impromptu compings.
This type of gig is excellent experience for young jazzers. Unlike our concerts, where all of our forms and solo orders are scripted out, this performance was more loose and forced the musicians to think more on their feet and communicate back and forth for transitions and endings. We also had a very appreciative crowd enjoying our music. Mary Jo Papich, HPHS Fine Arts Department Chair and President of the newly formed Jazz Education Network, was very complimentary of the band.
On Saturday, we went to the Evanston Jazz Festival at ETHS. After a few scary moments getting our bass players from late-running ACT tests, we took the stage in an upstairs library. Our set was "This I Dig of You" (Hank Mobley), "Cholic Clown" (our very own Aaron Zemach), and "Can't Dance." Our clinicians, Joe Roman and our old friend Jarrard Harris, gave us a lot of helpful comments, especially for the rhythm section.
After our performance, we had a chance to see a few other bands, enjoyed Lauren's most excellent brownies, and went to a clinic with the guest performers for the evening show, Joey DeFrancesco and Henry Johnson. Mr. DeFrancesco is widely considered to be the finest jazz organ player in the world, and Mr. Johnson is a veteran guitarist who has performed with such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Jimmy Smith. They opened with a wonderful jam session on Clifford Brown's Eb blues "Sandu." Afterwards they sat down for a Q&A with the students.
After dinner in Evanston, we returned for the evening concert, featuring DeFrancesco, Johnson, and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jeff Lindberg. Their guitarist and assistant director, Charley Harrison, is an old friend of mine from Northwestern. The concert itself was a recreation of tunes from legendary albums which featured two pioneering jazz musicians, organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery, with big bands playing the arrangements of Oliver Nelson. The charts were wonderfully played by the CJO, and DeFrancesco and Johnson were on fire all evening, displaying bebop technique steeped in down-home blues. It was a very exciting night of wonderful music. If you would like to check out the original recordings, click on the album covers to link to Amazon so you can hear some sound samples. They are also available at iTunes.
Our next important performance will be at Jazz Nite 09 in late April. I can't wait!
Over the weekend we had two fun gigs. On Friday, we played for the opening night celebration of the District 113 Art Show at The Art Center in Highland Park. Since it was a very small space with no room for piano, we used only guitar, bass, and drums. Each horn player chose a tune to be featured on and was assigned as backup on another. Luckily, our two pianistsdouble on alto sax, so they were able to join in the fun. We played tunes from throughout the year, including some student compositions. The picture here is of our closer, Joshua Redman's "Can't Dance." The pianist/saxophonists each took a line from the piano voicings to create impromptu compings.
This type of gig is excellent experience for young jazzers. Unlike our concerts, where all of our forms and solo orders are scripted out, this performance was more loose and forced the musicians to think more on their feet and communicate back and forth for transitions and endings. We also had a very appreciative crowd enjoying our music. Mary Jo Papich, HPHS Fine Arts Department Chair and President of the newly formed Jazz Education Network, was very complimentary of the band.
On Saturday, we went to the Evanston Jazz Festival at ETHS. After a few scary moments getting our bass players from late-running ACT tests, we took the stage in an upstairs library. Our set was "This I Dig of You" (Hank Mobley), "Cholic Clown" (our very own Aaron Zemach), and "Can't Dance." Our clinicians, Joe Roman and our old friend Jarrard Harris, gave us a lot of helpful comments, especially for the rhythm section.After our performance, we had a chance to see a few other bands, enjoyed Lauren's most excellent brownies, and went to a clinic with the guest performers for the evening show, Joey DeFrancesco and Henry Johnson. Mr. DeFrancesco is widely considered to be the finest jazz organ player in the world, and Mr. Johnson is a veteran guitarist who has performed with such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Jimmy Smith. They opened with a wonderful jam session on Clifford Brown's Eb blues "Sandu." Afterwards they sat down for a Q&A with the students.
After dinner in Evanston, we returned for the evening concert, featuring DeFrancesco, Johnson, and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jeff Lindberg. Their guitarist and assistant director, Charley Harrison, is an old friend of mine from Northwestern. The concert itself was a recreation of tunes from legendary albums which featured two pioneering jazz musicians, organist Jimmy Smith and guitarist Wes Montgomery, with big bands playing the arrangements of Oliver Nelson. The charts were wonderfully played by the CJO, and DeFrancesco and Johnson were on fire all evening, displaying bebop technique steeped in down-home blues. It was a very exciting night of wonderful music. If you would like to check out the original recordings, click on the album covers to link to Amazon so you can hear some sound samples. They are also available at iTunes.Our next important performance will be at Jazz Nite 09 in late April. I can't wait!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Artist-in-Residence
Our artist-in-residence, Geoff Shell, will again be in the building on 2/19 and 2/20. Geoff is a DHS alumnus who makes his living in composition, film scoring, and sound design, and as an electric bassist in Chicago. On the first day, he will sit in with the Jazz Band. This will give him an opportunity to meet the students and get to know them as he prepares to compose a piece for them to play at Jazz Nite. He will also give 15-minute presentations to Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble about a brass quartet piece he wrote for a small group in Wind Ensemble. He will then give an in-depth presentation about this piece as well as his other professional pursuits to the Music Theory class. After school, he will present a workshop in the band room on recording live instruments. This will be open to all students.
Geoff will also be available during his free periods on 2/19 and all day 2/20 to meet with students individually to give lessons in composition, music technology, and electric bass. You can sign up with Mr. B to get a time slot.
Geoff will also be available during his free periods on 2/19 and all day 2/20 to meet with students individually to give lessons in composition, music technology, and electric bass. You can sign up with Mr. B to get a time slot.
Geoff's web site has lots of great content. You can find out about his band and all of his composition activities there.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Ramblings from Peoria
This past weekend I went to the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Convention in Peoria. DHS was represented by seniors Hannah Andreasen in the Honors Choir and Alec Levy in the Future Music Educators Seminar. We traveled with Mrs. Akers and the HPHS contingent led by Dr. Hile. While there, I spent most of my time attending concerts and various music ed sessions. I saw performances by old college friends, Wayne Gordon and Peter Lograsso, conducting the Wood Oaks band and orchestra from Northbrook. The Fremd HS band, conducted by Matt Moore, gave a wonderful performance on Friday afternoon. I also saw the young composer showcase, which featured live performances and recordings of five of the finalists in various categories. I hope that next year we will have some DHS students involved in this prestigious composition contest.
The clinics I attended were very interesting. One featured a software product called SmartMusic that allows you to call up your very own part for a band piece, like the 2nd clarinet for Alligator Alley, and play along with a full-band recording. Then the computer will tell you how well you did. You can slow it down for practice, loop a tricky section, even change the key if you like. You can also call up the piano accompaniment for hundreds of solo pieces. If you are a trumpeter, you can play along with an orchestra on the Haydn trumpet concerto. If you slow down for a ritardando, the orchestra will slow down with you. There are also jazz playalongs available so you can practice your blues soloing. I plan to purchase this for the school and set it up in the theory room. For $30 a year, you will also be able to subscribe to it at home. In the future, some of our playing tests will be taken this way. You'll be able to record your excerpt onyour own time and email it to me for grading. This is going to be very cool!
Other sessions I saw were equally fascinating. An entire music technology class from the University of Illinois presented their projects, which used various computer programs to present music to students in a very visual manner. I also saw a string ensemble demonstrate improvised chamber music. On an interesting personal note, Melissa Gustafson-Hinds and the O'Fallon High School Wind Ensemble presented a clinic on comprehensive musicianship through performance (CMP). This approach to teaching music begins with a traditional rehearsal and performance model. It then incorporates composition, analysis, and history to provide a truly comprehensive music education. Instead of playing piece after piece without learning anything beyond the notes and rhythms, students gain multiple perspectives by actively engaging in the roles of composer, performer, and critic. My dissertation (the really long paper I have to write to finish my doctorate) is a survey of high school band directors to determine the extent of their awareness and implementation of CMP. It turns out that Mrs. Gustafson-Hinds is also doing doctoral research in CMP, so now I have someone with whom I can share ideas.
What I most enjoyed about the convention, however, is that I got to chat with three former students who are now band directors. Michael Holden (Class of '99) teaches 5th and 6th grade band at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette. Jenni Morris (Class of '03) is a band director and general music teacher in Coal City, IL. Aaron Mulder (also Class of '03) teaches band, choir, and general music at Frederick School in Grayslake. All three are enjoying the joys and trials of being young music educators. It is very fulfilling to see "my children" carrying on the great DHS band tradition in new places. I also chatted with future music educator Emma Burrows (Class of '06) who will be out looking for her own band director position in a couple of years.
So that's the report from IMEA '09. I hope that in coming years, we will have more DHS perfomers involved in the all-state groups. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen--start practicing now!
The clinics I attended were very interesting. One featured a software product called SmartMusic that allows you to call up your very own part for a band piece, like the 2nd clarinet for Alligator Alley, and play along with a full-band recording. Then the computer will tell you how well you did. You can slow it down for practice, loop a tricky section, even change the key if you like. You can also call up the piano accompaniment for hundreds of solo pieces. If you are a trumpeter, you can play along with an orchestra on the Haydn trumpet concerto. If you slow down for a ritardando, the orchestra will slow down with you. There are also jazz playalongs available so you can practice your blues soloing. I plan to purchase this for the school and set it up in the theory room. For $30 a year, you will also be able to subscribe to it at home. In the future, some of our playing tests will be taken this way. You'll be able to record your excerpt onyour own time and email it to me for grading. This is going to be very cool!
Other sessions I saw were equally fascinating. An entire music technology class from the University of Illinois presented their projects, which used various computer programs to present music to students in a very visual manner. I also saw a string ensemble demonstrate improvised chamber music. On an interesting personal note, Melissa Gustafson-Hinds and the O'Fallon High School Wind Ensemble presented a clinic on comprehensive musicianship through performance (CMP). This approach to teaching music begins with a traditional rehearsal and performance model. It then incorporates composition, analysis, and history to provide a truly comprehensive music education. Instead of playing piece after piece without learning anything beyond the notes and rhythms, students gain multiple perspectives by actively engaging in the roles of composer, performer, and critic. My dissertation (the really long paper I have to write to finish my doctorate) is a survey of high school band directors to determine the extent of their awareness and implementation of CMP. It turns out that Mrs. Gustafson-Hinds is also doing doctoral research in CMP, so now I have someone with whom I can share ideas.
What I most enjoyed about the convention, however, is that I got to chat with three former students who are now band directors. Michael Holden (Class of '99) teaches 5th and 6th grade band at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette. Jenni Morris (Class of '03) is a band director and general music teacher in Coal City, IL. Aaron Mulder (also Class of '03) teaches band, choir, and general music at Frederick School in Grayslake. All three are enjoying the joys and trials of being young music educators. It is very fulfilling to see "my children" carrying on the great DHS band tradition in new places. I also chatted with future music educator Emma Burrows (Class of '06) who will be out looking for her own band director position in a couple of years.
So that's the report from IMEA '09. I hope that in coming years, we will have more DHS perfomers involved in the all-state groups. Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen--start practicing now!
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