History of Jazz

Study Guide
Test #1

Ragtime

Ragtime, possibly the catalyst for the development of jazz music in the United
States, is a direct descendant of the American march, particularly the music of John Philip
Sousa. A style of composition written primarily for piano, produced a number of great
composers, including Scott Joplin, Tom Turpin, James Scott and Joseph Lamb.
Joplin, being the most famous composer of rags, is best known for his “Maple Leaf
Rag,” published in 1899. He was also a composer of other types of piano music, method
books devoted to the playing of ragtime, and opera. His “Treemonisha” was a 10-year
project which never met his expectations. He eventually developed mental illness and
died in a state hospital in New York in 1917.

Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, another pianist and composer, is responsible for
altering the syncopated ragtime style to include a more ‘swing’ style. The self-
proclaimed “Inventor of Jazz” led many ragtime bands, a style which eventually led to
what we refer to as Dixieland music.

Dixieland

New Orleans became the center for Dixieland music around the turn of the
century. This style of music was confined to a section of the city known as Storyville,
which was home to a number of prostitution houses, less reputable taverns and numerous
cabarets. Performed in these types of venues, the music was quickly typecast and
acquired an unfavorable reputation.

An offshoot of the ragtime band, Dixieland bands consisted of a ‘front line’ of

musicians, including cornet (trumpet), clarinet and trombone. The remainder of the band
consisted of piano, brass tuba, banjo and drums. As Dixieland matured, the
instrumentation gradually changed, replacing the brass tuba with the upright bass (bass
violin) and replacing the banjo with guitar.

Dixieland is also closely related to the American march, referring to the roles of
each instrument in the ensemble. Of particular importance is how the high woodwinds of
the American band are reflected in the obligato style of playing adopted by the Dixieland
clarinetist.
 A number of influential musicians emerged during the Dixieland period, including
Buddy Bolden, Joe “King” Oliver and Louis Armstrong (cornet), Kid Ory
(trombone), Johnny Dodds and Sidney Bechet (clarinet), Lil’ Hardin (piano), Warren
“Baby” Dodds and Dee Dee Chandler (drums). Bechet eventually switched to soprano
saxophone to compete dynamically with the overpowering Louis Armstrong.

In 1895, drummer Dee Dee Chandler invented the bass drum foot pedal, a device
that expanded the role of the drummer in Dixieland bands.

The style of playing developed by trombone players during the Dixieland period
became known as “tailgate trombone.” This term was coined as a result of the way the
musicians were positioned on horse-drawn wagons while performing (or advertising)
through the streets of the city.

The first Dixieland recording was produced in 1917. This recording featured
Nick LaRocca and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB) performing “At the
Darktown Strutters’ Ball.”

A number of terms were used to describe Dixieland music and its musicians in the
first decades of the 20th century, including “hot,” “Creole,” “peppers,” and “red.”

The future of Dixieland changed dramatically when the area known as Storyville
was razed to make way for a new naval shipyard in 1917. This resulted in a major
exodus of Dixieland musicians from New Orleans to Chicago. As a result, Chicago
became the next important center for jazz music. Dixieland continued to thrive in the
Midwest during the 1920’s, developing into what is referred to as Chicago style jazz.

Louis Armstrong continued to record in Chicago with his famous “Hot Five” and
“Hot Seven” groups, as did King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band.

Until 1928, the role of each member of the Dixieland band remained consistent.
However, a pianist named Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines changed the role of the piano in the
Dixieland band by establishing the piano as a legitimate solo instrument. His recording
of “Weather Bird” with Louis Armstrong is the landmark recording documenting this
change of role. His style of playing became known as ‘Trumpet Style Piano.’

Chicago also precipitated further development of jazz music by introducing the

written arrangement into jazz music. The written arrangement forced jazz to employ
classically-trained musicians, a move which changed the shape of the music for the next
20 years.

The written arrangement resulted in the lack of Dixieland players in a number of

the bands, which led to the employment of a few ‘hot’ players to provide improvised
solos during each song.
 Musicians responsible for the Chicago style of jazz included saxophonists
Frankie Trumbauer and Don Redman and pianist/arranger Fletcher Henderson.
Henderson would eventually provide arrangements for a number of the Big Band
orchestras of the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Along with the written arrangement also came the expansion of jazz band
instrumentation. Bands began to employ 3 and sometimes 4 saxophonists along with 1 or
2 trumpets and trombones. This was the true precursor to the Swing Era.
One of the most influential performers to emerge from the Chicago style was a
trumpeter named Bix Beiderbecke. His contemporary style of improvisation sparked a
new style of soloing which became known as “Cool.”

Blues

The Country or Rural Blues originated in the Deep South and featured a number of
colorful male vocalists who defined the tradition. These performers included the King of the
Delta Blues, Robert Johnson, Huddie ‘Leadbelly’ Ledbetter, Blind Lemon Jefferson, ‘Peg
Leg’ Howell, ‘Papa’ Charlie Jackson and Sam ‘Lightning’ Hopkins. The blues consists of a
12-bar song form and is highlighted by the incorporation of the Blues Scale and a technique
known as call and response.
The combination of Dixieland instrumentation and the rural or country blues resulted in
what is referred to as the Classic or City Blues. Although Louis Armstrong and Jack
Teagarden were considered Classic Blues performers, this style of blues is most often associated
with female vocalists. The most popular of the classic blues performers were Bessie Smith,
Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey, Bertha ‘Chippie’ Hill and Ida Cox. These performers produced
numerous recordings, many of which were labeled as ‘race records,’ due to the racy content of
the lyrics.

Kansas City Swing

In 1932, Kansas City musician Benny Moten formed a Midwest big band that performed
blues compositions, mainly for the purpose of entertaining dance audiences. Following his death
in 1935, pianist and band member William ‘Count’ Basie became the band’s new leader.
This new band, now known as the Count Basie Orchestra, made its New York debut at
the Roseland Ballroom in 1936, marking the beginning of its national and eventual international
recognition. The band soon became known as the “Big Swing Machine,” performing such
notable tunes as “One O’Clock Jump,” “Moten Swing,” and “Taxi War Dance.”
The Count Basie Orchestra featured some of the most influential players in jazz,
including saxophonist Lester Young, who epitomized the ‘Cool’ style of jazz playing first
introduced by cornetist Bix Beiderbecke. Lester Young was a victim of his environment,
suffering from malnutrition and alcoholism, a result of the tolls of racial prejudice. Other
prominent jazz musicians emerged from the Basie Orchestra, including saxophonists Marshall
Royal, Frank Wess and Frank Foster, trumpeters Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison and Thad Jones,
trombonist Dickie Wells, guitarist Freddie Green and drummer ‘Papa’ Jo Jones. Basie also
featured two of the most famous blues vocalists in jazz, James Andrew Rushing (Mr. 5 by 5)
and Joe Williams.
 The Swing Era
(1935 – 1945)

1935 also marked the beginning of the Swing Era, featuring the most popular big bands
in the history of jazz. These bands included Les Brown and his Band of Renown, the Glenn
Miller Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Benny
Goodman Orchestra.
Many of these bands featured vocalists, adding to their popularity. Les Brown featured a
bright new female vocalist named Doris Day. She is best remembered for her top-selling
recording of “Sentimental Journey.”
Trombonist Tommy Dorsey fronted one of the more popular bands of the period and
featured a young vocalist named Frank Sinatra. Sinatra’s hits included “I’ll Never Smile Again”
and “Stardust” which he performed with a backup vocal group known as the Pied Pipers.
Dorsey’s signature song became “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.”
Possibly the best remembered of the big bands was the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Miller,
also a trombonist, produced a number of hits, including “In the Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction” and
“Moonlight Serenade.” Glenn Miller is often associated with his affiliation with the U.S. Air
Force, where he fronted a military dance band during World War II.
His featured vocalist was band member and saxophonist Tex Beneke who was routinely
accompanied by the vocal group the Modernaires. Vocal hits included “Chattanooga Choo-
Choo” and “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.”
One of the most talented of these modern musical celebrities was Benny Goodman.
Known as the “King of Swing,” Goodman’s band featured an exciting and polished sound
showcasing his ability as an improviser and soloist. Bebop was slowly being introduced by
members of Goodman’s band, including guitarist Charlie Christian, vibraphonist Lionel
Hampton, and pianist Teddy Wilson, all members of his famous quartet.
Although Chick Webb was using a somewhat conventional drum set around 1935, the
drum set as we know it was introduced by Gene Krupa in 1937. Krupa is responsible for
bringing the drummer to the forefront as a soloist and for introducing the drumming technique
known as “stirring soup.”
Following the emergence of Benny Goodman as a central figure of the Swing Era, Artie
Shaw appeared on the jazz scene in 1936. A clarinetist of parallel ability, Shaw fronted his own
big band similar to that of Goodman’s. In 1937, Shaw released “Begin the Beguine” which
became his signature song. Shortly after its release, Artie Shaw became known as the new “King
of Swing” (a title first given to Benny Goodman).
Shortly after the release of “Begin the Beguine,” Shaw hired jazz vocalist Billie Holiday
to front his big band. This was the first time a white bandleader would hire a black female
vocalist as a full time member of the band.
During the height of his popularity, Artie Shaw was earning as much as $60,000 per
week, equivalent to approximately $600,000 per week by today’s standards. Following the
bombing of Pearl Harbor, Shaw left show business to join the U.S. Navy where he was asked to
form a military dance band. As a member of the armed forces, Shaw appeared on military ships
and bases throughout the South Pacific.
Aside from the popularity which the Swing Era brought to jazz music, another vital
contribution of the style was the expanded instrumentation that the big bands required. It was
common to see 4 (and sometimes 5) saxophones, 3 trombones, 4 trumpets and a full complement
of rhythm section instruments in a Swing Era big band. These bands featured elaborate
arrangements of popular songs, as well as a refinement in the tone quality of the performing
ensembles.