Jazz is a unique phenomenon in the world musical culture. This multifaceted art form originated at the turn of the century (XIX and XX) in the United States. Jazz music has become the brainchild of the cultures of Europe and Africa, a kind of fusion of trends and forms from the two regions of the world. Subsequently, jazz went beyond the United States and became popular almost everywhere. This music takes its basis in African folk songs, rhythms and styles. In the history of the development of this direction of jazz, many forms and types are known that appeared as new models of rhythms and harmonics were mastered.
Characteristics of Jazz
The synthesis of two musical cultures made jazz a radically new phenomenon in world art. The specific features of this new music become:
- Syncopated rhythms that generate polyrhythms.
- Rhythmic pulsation of music - beat.
- Beat deviation complex - swing.
- Constant improvisation in compositions.
- A wealth of harmonics, rhythms and timbres.
The basis of jazz, especially in the early stages of development, was improvisation combined with a well-thought-out form (at the same time, the form of the composition was not necessarily fixed somewhere). And from African music this a new style took the following characteristics:
- Understanding each instrument as a percussion.
- Popular colloquial intonations in the performance of compositions.
- A similar imitation of conversation when playing instruments.
In general, all areas of jazz are distinguished by their own local features, and therefore it is logical to consider them in the context of historical development.
The emergence of jazz, ragtime (1880-1910s)
It is believed that jazz originated among black slaves brought from Africa to the United States of America in the 18th century. Since the captured Africans were not represented by a single tribe, they had to look for mutual language with relatives in the New World. Such consolidation led to the emergence of a unified African culture in America, which included and musical culture. It was not until the 1880s and 1890s that the first jazz music emerged as a result. This style was driven by worldwide demand for popular dance music. Since the African musical art abounded in such rhythmic dances, it was on its basis that a new direction was born. Thousands of middle-class Americans who did not have the opportunity to master the aristocratic classical dances, began to dance to the piano in the style of ragtime. Ragtime brought several future jazz bases to music. So, chief representative of this style, Scott Joplin, is the author of the "3 against 4" element (cross-sounding of rhythmic patterns with 3 and 4 units, respectively).
New Orleans (1910-1920s)
Classical jazz appeared at the beginning of the 20th century in the southern states of America, and specifically in New Orleans (which is logical, because the slave trade was widespread in the south).
African and Creole orchestras played here, creating their music under the influence of ragtime, blues and songs of black workers. After the appearance in the city of many musical instruments from military bands, amateur groups also began to appear. The legendary New Orleans musician and founder of his own orchestra, King Oliver, was also self-taught. important date in jazz history was February 26, 1917, when the Original Dixieland Jazz Band released its first gramophone record. In New Orleans, the main features of the style were also laid: beat percussion instruments, masterful solo, vocal improvisation in syllables - skat.
Chicago (1910-1920s)
In the 1920s, called the "roaring twenties" by the classics, jazz music gradually enters into popular culture, losing the titles "shameful" and "indecent". Orchestras begin to perform in restaurants, move from the southern states to other parts of the United States. Chicago is becoming the center of jazz in the north of the country, where free nightly performances by musicians are gaining popularity (during such shows there were frequent improvisations and third-party soloists). More complex arrangements appear in the style of music. The jazz icon of this time was Louis Armstrong, who moved to Chicago from New Orleans. Subsequently, the styles of the two cities began to be combined into one genre of jazz music - Dixieland. The main feature of this style was the collective mass improvisation, which erected main idea jazz to the absolute.
Swing and big bands (1930s-1940s)
The further rise in popularity of jazz created a demand for large orchestras to play danceable tunes. This is how swing appeared, representing characteristic deviations in both directions from the rhythm. Swing took over style direction of that time, manifesting itself in the work of orchestras. The execution of slender dance compositions required a more coordinated playing of the orchestra. Jazz musicians had to participate evenly, without much improvisation (except for the soloist), so Dixieland's collective improvisation is a thing of the past. In the 1930s there was a flourishing of such groups, which were called big bands. A characteristic feature of the orchestras of that time is the competition of groups of instruments, sections. Traditionally, there were three of them: saxophones, trumpets, drums. The most famous jazz musicians and their orchestras are Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington. The latter musician is famous for his commitment to Negro folklore.
Bebop (1940s)
Swing's departure from the traditions of early jazz and, in particular, classical African melodies and styles, caused discontent among history buffs. Big bands and swing performers, who were increasingly working for the public, began to be opposed by the jazz music of small ensembles of black musicians. The experimenters introduced ultra-fast melodies, brought back long improvisation, complex rhythms, and virtuoso mastery of the solo instrument. The new style, positioning itself as exclusive, began to be called bebop. Outrageous jazz musicians such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie became the icons of this period. The revolt of black Americans against the commercialization of jazz, the desire to return to this music intimacy and uniqueness became a key point. From this moment and from this style, the history of modern jazz begins. At the same time, leaders of big bands come to small orchestras, wishing to take a break from large halls. In ensembles called combos, such musicians adhered to the swing style, but were given freedom to improvise.
Cool jazz, hard bop, soul jazz and jazz funk (1940s-1960s)
In the 1950s, such a genre of music as jazz began to develop in two opposite directions. Supporters classical music"cooled" bebop, bringing back into fashion academic music, polyphony, arrangement. Cool jazz has become known for its restraint, dryness and melancholy. The main representatives of this trend of jazz were: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck. But the second direction, on the contrary, began to develop the ideas of bebop. The hard bop style preached the idea of returning to the origins of black music. Traditional folklore melodies, bright and aggressive rhythms, explosive soloing and improvisation returned to fashion. In the style of hard bop are known: Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane. This style developed organically along with soul jazz and jazz funk. These styles approached the blues, making rhythmic a key aspect of their performance. Jazz funk, in particular, was introduced by Richard Holmes and Shirley Scott.
Jazz is a musical direction that began in the late 19th and early 20th century in the United States. Its emergence is the result of the interweaving of two cultures: African and European. This trend will combine the spirituals (church chants) of American blacks, African folk rhythms and European harmonious melody. Its characteristic features are: flexible rhythm based on the principle of syncopation, use of percussion instruments, improvisation, expressive manner of performance, distinguished by sound and dynamic tension, sometimes reaching ecstatic. Initially, jazz was a combination of ragtime with elements of the blues. In fact, it resulted from these two directions. A feature of the jazz style is, first of all, the individual and unique play of the virtuoso jazzman, and improvisation endows this movement with constant relevance.
After jazz itself was formed, a continuous process of its development and modification began, which led to the emergence of various directions. There are currently about thirty of them.
New Orleans (traditional) jazz.
This style usually means exactly the jazz that was performed between 1900 and 1917. It can be said that its origin coincided with the opening of Storyville (New Orleans red light district), which gained its popularity through bars and similar establishments, where musicians playing syncopated music could always find work. The street bands that had been common earlier began to be supplanted by the so-called "storyville ensembles", whose playing became more and more individual in comparison with their predecessors. These ensembles later became the founders of classical New Orleans jazz. Vivid examples performers of this style are: Jelly Roll Morton (“His Red hot peppers”), Buddy Bolden (“Funky Butt”), Kid Ory. It was they who made the transition of African folk music into the first jazz forms.
Chicago jazz.
In 1917 the next milestone development of jazz music, marked by the appearance in Chicago of immigrants from New Orleans. There is a formation of new jazz orchestras, the game of which introduces new elements into early traditional jazz. This is how an independent style of the Chicago school of performance appears, which is divided into two directions: hot jazz of black musicians and dixieland of whites. The main features of this style are: individualized solo parts, change in hot inspiration (the original free ecstatic performance became more nervous, full of tension), synth (music included not only traditional elements, but also ragtime, as well as famous American hits) and changes in instrumental game (the role of instruments and performing techniques has changed). The fundamental figures of this direction ("What Wonderful World", "Moon Rivers") and ("Someday Sweetheart", "Ded Man Blues").
Swing is an orchestral style of jazz in the 1920s and 30s that arose directly from the Chicago school and was performed by big bands (, The Original Dixieland Jazz Band). It is characterized by the predominance of Western music. Separate sections of saxophones, trumpets and trombones appeared in the orchestras; the banjo is replaced by a guitar, tuba and sazophone - double bass. Music moves away from collective improvisation, the musicians play strictly adhering to pre-scheduled scores. A characteristic technique was the interaction of the rhythm section with melodic instruments. Representatives of this direction:, (“Creole Love Call”, “The Mooche”), Fletcher Henderson (“When Buddha Smiles”), Benny Goodman And His Orchestra,.
Bebop is a modern jazz that got its start in the 40s and was an experimental, anti-commercial direction. Unlike swing, this is a more intellectual style in which great attention is given to complex improvisation and the emphasis is more on harmony than on melody. The music of this style is also distinguished by a very fast pace. The brightest representatives are: Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Charlie Parker (“Night In Tunisia”, “Manteca”) and Bud Powell.
Mainstream. Includes three currents: Stride (Northeast Jazz), Kansas City Style and Jazz West Coast. Hot stride reigned in Chicago, led by such masters as Louis Armstrong, Andy Condon, Jimmy Mac Partland. Kansas City is characterized by lyrical pieces in a blues style. West Coast jazz developed in Los Angeles under the direction of, and subsequently resulted in cool jazz.
Cool Jazz (cool jazz) originated in Los Angeles in the 50s as a contrast to the dynamic and impulsive swing and bebop. The founder of this style is considered to be Lester Young. It was he who introduced a manner of sound production unusual for jazz. This style is characterized by the use symphonic instruments and emotional restraint. In this vein, such masters as Miles Davis (“Blue In Green”), Gerry Mulligan (“Walking Shoes”), Dave Brubeck (“Pick Up Sticks”), Paul Desmond left their mark.
Avante-Garde began to develop in the 60s. This avant-garde style is based on a break from the original traditional elements and is characterized by the use of new techniques and expressive means. For the musicians of this trend, self-expression, which they carried out through music, was in the first place. The performers of this trend include: Sun Ra (“Kosmos in Blue”, “Moon Dance”), Alice Coltrane (“Ptah The El Daoud”), Archie Shepp.
Progressive jazz arose in parallel with bebop in the 40s, but was distinguished by its staccato saxophone technique, the complex interweaving of polytonality with rhythmic pulsation and symphojazz elements. Stan Kenton can be called the founder of this direction. Outstanding representatives: Gil Evans and Boyd Ryburn.
Hard bop is a type of jazz that has its roots in bebop. Detroit, New York, Philadelphia - in these cities this style was born. In terms of its aggressiveness, it is very reminiscent of bebop, but blues elements still prevail in it. Featured performers are Zachary Breaux (“Uptown Groove”), Art Blakey and The Jass Messengers.
Soul jazz. This term is used to refer to all Negro music. It is based on traditional blues and African American folklore. This music is characterized by ostinato bass figures and rhythmically repeated samples, due to which it has gained wide popularity among different masses of the population. Among the hits of this direction are the compositions of Ramsey Lewis “The In Crowd” and Harris-McCain “Compared To What”.
Groove (aka funk) is an offshoot of soul, only its rhythmic focus distinguishes it. Basically, the music of this direction has a major color, and in terms of structure it is clearly defined parts of each instrument. Solo performances harmoniously fit into the overall sound and are not too individualized. The performers of this style are Shirley Scott, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Gene Emmons, Leo Wright.
Free Jazz got its start in the late 50s thanks to the efforts of such innovative masters as Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor. His characteristic features are atonality, violation of the sequence of chords. This style is often called "free jazz", and its derivatives are loft jazz, modern creative and free funk. Musicians of this style include: Joe Harriott, Bongwater, Henri Texier (“Varech”), AMM (“Sedimantari”).
Creativity appeared due to the widespread avant-garde and experimentalism of jazz forms. It is difficult to characterize such music in certain terms, since it is too multifaceted and combines many elements of previous movements. Early adopters of this style include Lenny Tristano (“Line Up”), Gunther Schuller, Anthony Braxton, Andrew Cyril (“The Big Time Stuff”).
Fusion combined elements of almost all existing musical movements at that time. Its most active development began in the 1970s. Fusion is a systematized instrumental style characterized by complex time signatures, rhythm, lengthened compositions, and lack of vocals. This style is designed for less broad masses than soul and is its complete opposite. Larry Corell and Eleventh, Tony Williams and Lifetime ("Bobby Truck Tricks") are at the head of this movement.
Acid jazz (groove jazz or club jazz) originated in the UK in the late 80s (heyday 1990 - 1995) and combined the funk of the 70s, hip-hop and dance music of the 90s. The appearance of this style was dictated by the widespread use of jazz-funk samples. The founder is DJ Giles Peterson. Among the performers of this direction are Melvin Sparks (“Dig Dis”), RAD, Smoke City (“Flying Away”), Incognito and Brand New Heavies.
Post bop began to develop in the 50s and 60s and is similar in structure to hard bop. It is distinguished by the presence of elements of soul, funk and groove. Often, characterizing this direction, they draw a parallel with blues-rock. Hank Moblin, Horace Silver, Art Blakey (“Like Someone In Love”) and Lee Morgan (“Yesterday”), Wayne Shorter worked in this style.
Smooth jazz is a modern jazz style that originated from the fusion movement, but differs from it in its deliberately polished sound. A feature of this direction is the widespread use of power tools. Notable Artists: Michael Franks, Chris Botti, Dee Dee Bridgewater (“All Of Me”, “God Bless The Child”), Larry Carlton (“Dont Give It Up”).
Jazz manush (gypsy jazz) is a jazz direction specializing in guitar performance. It combines the guitar technique of the gypsy tribes of the manush group and swing. The founders of this direction are the brothers Ferre and. The most famous performers: Andreas Oberg, Barthalo, Angelo Debarre, Bireli Largen (“Stella By Starlight”, “Fiso Place”, “Autumn Leaves”).
Music is a reflection of the soul. When we are sad, we turn on some kind of ballad and it seems to us that the music empathizes and supports, gives us the opportunity to throw out all our emotions and make the right decision. Music relieves loneliness and gives self-confidence. Music fills us with energy and sets the rhythm of life.
Music is always with us. Each event is reflected in music: with the help of music they declare their love, celebrate holidays, see off last way. The most sincere music is folk music. She conveys all the tears and joy of people. We understand everything that we wanted to convey to us, regardless of the nation and age of the creators.
Directions of music, with the help of which pain, sadness and glee are conveyed very accurately and expressively African people- blues and jazz.
Jazz is dance music. She is cheerful, she turns on, she gives vivacity and good mood. The appearance of jazz was due to Christopher Columbus. It was he who, having discovered the American continent, influenced the importation of black slaves there, along with whom African rhythms also spread.
Name " blues" came from English word"blue", which translates as despondency, sadness, melancholy. This direction in music - Blues - can be compared with Russian romance, as it is also a sad song that tells about various life ups and downs.
Blues songs are simple, colorful and full of emotions. They talk about unrequited love, about injustice against the black people, about captivity and human dignity, about the difficulties of exhausting labor, about homesickness and about their own poverty.
Characteristics of Jazz and Blues
Jazz is characterized by:
- complex rhythmic structure,
- improvisations, often found at the beginning of a work,
- specific sound extraction on the instrument,
- emotional performance.
The blues is different
- length
- emotional text
- the presence of a dialogue between the performer and the instrument
origins
The blues originated in the 40s and 50s of the 19th century. The Mississippi Delta (USA) is considered the birthplace of the blues. Until now, in the South American settlements, you can hear the same blues, which over the years has not undergone any changes.
The history of the appearance of jazz is not so unambiguous. There are three theories of the origin of this musical direction. According to one version, jazz appeared in the course of the merger of African American religious chants, African folklore, blues and the compositions of itinerant street musicians. The second point of view is related to the conversion of blacks to the Christian faith. Among the representatives of the African people, a new style is emerging - "spiritual chants", characterized by strong expression. It was they who became the basis of jazz. According to the third version, jazz was based on the original African culture, which was preserved in the United States, since locals blacks were ignored, and they were forced to keep apart.
In the territory Russian Federation The first jazz ensemble was created by Leonid Utyosov in 1929.
Featured Instruments
Blues is performed with the help of piano, guitar, banjo. First, the black slaves sang their sad song without any accompaniment, and then began to play along with what they could get.
Jazz is performed mainly by small ensembles, which always include piano, wind, percussion, double bass. Among wind instruments, the saxophone, trombone and trumpet are primarily used.
Findings site
- The blues is the forerunner of jazz and can be integral part jazz composition.
- Blues is more melodic, while jazz is fun, dance music.
- Jazz includes many improvisations.
- Blues is a dialogue between a vocalist and a musician.
- The blues is most often performed on the guitar or banjo, while wind instruments are more typical for jazz.
There is a difference, and a considerable one, oh, what a considerable one!
Blues tells us about what happened to a person, about his experiences (it’s not for nothing that the genre is called blue, in English it’s not only “blue”, but also “gloom”, “sadness”), in general, about a difficult life. Since it originated among blacks working on cotton plantations, the problems in the songs are described accordingly. The bluesman-performer conducts a sincere dialogue with the audience, and if he does it correctly, then the audience begins to empathize with him and share his feelings.
Musical instruments help the bluesman in this, mainly, of course, the guitar, because it is a much more “vocal” instrument than, say, the piano (although solo blues keyboardists also exist, but there are much fewer of them) or double bass / bass guitar , because the guitar has such goodies as vibrato (it is easy to guess that this is the vibration of a taken note, which increases its duration), bends (from bend; a string taken at a certain fret is pulled up, smoothly increasing the frequency of the note. The sound can be compared to a scream or weeping) and legato (smooth transition from a note to another note on the same string). All these techniques increase phrasing variations and make the guitar cry, growl, squeal - in general, add emotionality.
Also in the blues, a special scale is used - the blues scale, in which there is a special note - the blues note. The bottom line is that the blues note creates a special tension, adds "pepper" to the solo, which does not allow the listener to get bored. And in general, to be honest, 95% of blues solos are built on the blues scale (therefore, for an inexperienced listener, blues compositions seem quite similar).
There is, of course, a cheerful, fast, energetic blues, but it is more often referred to as rock and roll (an example is the same Chuck Berry).
Now let's move on to jazz. In general, jazz itself is a much broader genre than the blues. And I mean MUCH MORE - seriously, it's like comparing an elephant and a butterfly.
Some areas of jazz pursue the same goal as the blues (there is even such a thing as urban blues, or jazz blues, i.e. a blues arranged by jazz musicians to their instruments. Although I turned down a little about the "same goal" - this for jazz blues it is not necessary, it is characterized by the use of a blues scale), and in others (free jazz, experimental, for example), the performer wants the listener to appreciate the performer's fantasy and experimentalism.
But I think the question is more about the differences between more traditional forms of jazz like swing, bop, cool, soul, gospel, etc. So, there are many differences: firstly, in jazz, the focus is not on one performer, but on the entire band (or its soloists during their solos). And unlike the blues, it is considered a cool instrument, not a guitar, but wind or piano (sometimes a bass, but these are special cases in the form of Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, Pastorius and our contemporary Marcus Miller). Secondly, if the blues scale is used, it obviously does not dominate. Before Miles Davis invented modal jazz, jazz musicians used mostly chords and arpeggios in their playing, and after Davis, the vast majority began to think in scales instead of chords. Thirdly, jazz still either tells romantic stories, either acts as dance music or pleases the listener's ears with complex harmonies. Oh, and also smooth and acid jazz (you know, "elevator music" and what plays at Starbucks), but no one likes to talk about them.
In general, here are the things. I know that the text came out quite extensive, but the topic itself is not so simple. :)
Understanding who is who in jazz is not so easy. The direction is commercially successful, and therefore often about the "only concert of the legendary Vasya Pupkin" they shout from all the cracks, and really important figures go into the shadows. Under the pressure of Grammy winners and advertising from Jazz radio, it is easy to lose focus and remain indifferent to style. If you want to learn to understand this kind of music, and maybe even love it, learn the most important rule: do not trust anyone.
It is necessary to make judgments about new phenomena with caution, or like Hugues Panasier - the famous musicologist who drew a line and branded all jazz after the 50s, calling it "fake". In the end, he turned out to be wrong, but this did not affect the popularity of his book The History of Genuine Jazz.
It is better to treat the new phenomenon with silent suspicion, so you will definitely pass for your own: snobbery and adherence to the old is one of the brightest characteristics of the subculture.
In conversations about jazz, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald are often mentioned - it would seem that you can't go wrong here. But such remarks betray the neophyte. These are emblematic figures, and if you can still talk about Fitzgerald in a suitable context, then Armstrong is the Charlie Chaplin of jazz. You won't talk to an arthouse movie buff about Charlie Chaplin, will you? And if you do, then at least not in the first place. The mention of both illustrious names is possible in certain cases, but if you have nothing in your pocket besides these two aces, hold them and wait for the right situation.
In many directions there are fashionable and not very fashionable phenomena, but to the greatest extent this is characteristic of jazz. A mature hipster, used to looking for rare and strange things, will not understand why Czech jazz of the 40s is not interesting. It will not be possible to find something conditionally “unusual” and trump with your “deep erudition” here. In order to imagine the style in general terms, one should list its main directions since the end of the 19th century.
Ragtime and blues are sometimes called proto-jazz, and if the former, being not quite a complete form from a modern point of view, is interesting simply as a fact of music history, then the blues is still relevant.
Ragtime by Scott Joplin
And although researchers call the psychological state of Russians and a total sense of hopelessness the reason for such a surge of love for the blues in the 90s, in reality everything can be much simpler.
A selection of 100 popular blues songs
Classic boogie woogie
As in European culture, among African Americans, music was divided into secular and spiritual, and if the blues belonged to the first group, then spiritual and gospel - to the second.
Spirituals are more austere than gospels and are performed by a choir of the faithful, often accompanied by even-numbered clapping—an important feature of all jazz styles and a problem for many European listeners who clap out of place. The music of the Old World most often makes us nod to odd beats. In jazz, it's the other way around. Therefore, if you are not sure that you feel these second and fourth beats, which are unusual for a European, it is better to refrain from clapping. Or watch the performers themselves do it, and then try again.
Scene from the film "12 Years a Slave" with the performance of the classic spiritual
Contemporary spiritual by Take 6
Gospel songs were more often performed by one singer, they have more freedom than spirituals, so they became popular as a concert genre.
Classical gospel music performed by Mahalia Jackson
Modern gospel music from the film Joyful Noise
In the 1910s, traditional or New Orleans jazz took shape. The music from which it arose was performed by street orchestras, which were then very popular. The importance of instruments is increasing sharply, an important event era - the emergence of jazz bands, small orchestras of 9-15 people. The success of the Negro bands motivated white Americans who created the so-called Dixielands.
Traditional jazz is associated with films about American gangsters. This is due to the fact that its heyday fell on the days of Prohibition and the Great Depression. One of prominent representatives style - the already mentioned Louis Armstrong.
Distinctive features of the traditional jazz band are the steady position of the banjo, the leading position of the trumpet and the full participation of the clarinet. The last two instruments over time will replace the saxophone, which will become the permanent leader of such an orchestra. By the nature of the music, traditional jazz is more static.
Jelly Roll Morton Jazz Band
Modern Dixieland Marshall's Dixieland Jazz Band
What is wrong with jazz and why is it customary to say that no one can play this music?
It's all about her African origin. Despite the fact that by the middle of the 20th century whites had defended their right to this style, it is still widely believed that African Americans have a special sense of rhythm that allows them to create a feeling of swinging, which is called “swing” (from English to swing - “to swing "). It is risky to argue with this: most of the great white pianists from the 1950s to our times have become famous thanks to their direction or intellectual improvisations that betray deep musical erudition.
Therefore, if in a conversation you mentioned a white jazz player, you should not say something like “how great he swings” - after all, he swings either normally or not at all, such is reverse racism.
And the word "swing" itself is too worn out, it is better to pronounce it at the very last turn when it is certainly appropriate.
Each jazz player must be able to perform "jazz standards" (main melodies, or, in other words, evergreen), which, however, are divided into orchestral and ensemble. For example, In the Mood is rather among the first.
In the Mood. Performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra
Then they appear famous works George Gershwin, which are considered both jazz and academic at the same time. These are Blues Rhapsody (or Blue Rhapsody), written in 1924, and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935), famous for its Summertime aria. Prior to Gershwin, jazz harmonies were used by such composers as Charles Ives and Antonin Dvorak (symphony "From the New World").
George Gershwin. Porgy and Bess. Aria Summertime. Academically performed by Maria Callas
George Gershwin. Porgy and Bess. Aria Summertime. Jazzed by Frank Sinatra
George Gershwin. Porgy and Bess. Aria Summertime. Rock version. Performed by Janis Joplin
George Gershwin. Blues Rhapsody. Performed by Leonard Bernstein and his orchestra
One of the most famous Russian composers, like Gershwin, writing in jazz style, is Nikolai Kapustin .
Both camps look askance at such experiments: jazz musicians are convinced that a written work without improvisation is no longer jazz “by definition”, and academic composers consider jazz expressive means too trivial to work with them seriously.
However, classical performers play Kapustin with pleasure and even try to improvise, while their counterparts act wiser, not encroaching on someone else's territory. Academic pianists who put their improvisations on public display have long been a meme in jazz circles.
Since the 1920s, the number of cult and iconic figures in the history of the direction has been growing, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to put these numerous names in your head. However, some can be recognized by their characteristic timbre or manner of performance. One of these memorable singers was Billie Holiday.
All of Me. Performed by Billie Holiday
In the 50s, a new era begins, called "modern jazz". The musicologist Yug Panasier, mentioned above, denied it from her. This direction opens with the bebop style: its characteristic feature is high speed and frequent changes in harmony, and therefore it requires exceptional performing skills, which such outstanding personalities as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane possessed.
Bebop was created as an elite genre. Any musician from the street could always come to a jam session - an evening of improvisations, so the pioneers of bebop introduced fast tempos to get rid of amateurs and weak professionals. This snobbery is partly inherent in fans of such music, who consider favorite destination pinnacle of jazz development. It is customary to treat bebop with respect, even if you don’t understand anything about it.
Giant Steps. Performed by John Coltrane
A special chic is to admire the outrageous, deliberately rude manner of Thelonious Monk's performance, who, according to gossip, perfectly played complex academic works, but carefully concealed it.
Round Midnight. Performed by Thelonious Monk
By the way, discussion of gossip about jazz performers is not considered shameful - rather, on the contrary, it indicates a deep involvement and hints at a long listening experience. Therefore, you should know that Miles Davis's drug addiction affected his stage behavior, Frank Sinatra had connections with the mafia, and there is a church named after John Coltrane in San Francisco.
Mural "Dancing Saints" from a church in San Francisco.
Along with bebop, another style was born within the framework of the same direction - cool jazz(cool jazz), which is distinguished by a "cold" sound, moderate character and unhurried pace. One of its founders was Lester Young, but there are also many white musicians in this niche: Dave Brubeck , Bill Evans(not to be confused with Gil Evans), Stan Getz and etc.
take five. Performed by the Dave Brubeck Ensemble
If the 50s, despite the reproaches of conservatives, opened the way for experiments, then in the 60s they become the norm. At this time, Bill Evans is recording two albums of arrangements of classical works with a symphony orchestra, Stan Kenton, representative progressive jazz, creates rich orchestrations, the harmony in which is compared with Rachmaninov's, and in Brazil there is its own version of jazz, completely different from other styles - bossanova .
Granados. Jazz arrangement of the work "Maja and the Nightingale" by the Spanish composer Granados. Performed by Bill Evans with symphony orchestra
Malaguena. Performed by the Stan Kenton Orchestra
Girl from Ipanema. Performed by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz
Loving bossanova is as easy as loving minimalism in modern academic music.
Thanks to its unobtrusive and "neutral" sound, Brazilian jazz has found its way into elevators and hotel lobbies as background music, although this does not detract from the significance of the style as such. Claiming that you love bossa nova is worth it only if you really know its representatives quite well.
An important turn was outlined in the popular orchestral style - symphojazz. In the 1940s, jazz, powdered with academic symphonic sound, became a fashionable phenomenon and a standard of the golden mean between two styles with a completely different background.
Luck Be a Lady. Performed by Frank Sinatra with Jazz Symphony Orchestra
In the 1960s, the sound of the sympho-jazz orchestra lost its novelty, which led to Stan Kenton's experimentation with harmony, Bill Evans' arrangements, and Gil Evans' themed albums such as Sketches of Spain and Miles Ahead.
Sketches of Spain. Performed by Miles Davis with the Gil Evans Orchestra
Experiments in the symphonic jazz field are still relevant, the most interesting projects recent years the Metropole Orkest, The Сinematic Orchestra and Snarky Puppy orchestras have become in this niche.
Breathe. Performed by The Cinematic Orchestra
Gretel. Performed by Snarky Puppy and Metropole Orkest (Grammy Award, 2014)
The bebop and cool jazz traditions have merged into hard bop, an improved version of bebop, although it can be difficult to tell one from the other by ear. Prominent performers in this style are The Jazz Messengers, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and some other musicians who originally played bebop.
hard bop. Performs orchestra Jazz Messengers
Moanin'. Performed by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers
Rich improvisations at a fast pace required ingenuity, which led to searches in the field fret. So born modal jazz. It is often singled out as an independent style, although similar improvisations are also found in other genres. The most popular modal piece was "So What?" Miles Davis.
So What? Performed by Miles Davis
While brilliant jazz players were figuring out how to further complicate the already complex music, blind authors and performers Ray Charles and walked the path of the heart, combining jazz, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues in their work.
Fingertips. Performed by Stevie Wonder
What'd I say. Performs Ray Charles
At the same time, jazz organists are loudly declaring themselves, playing music on the Hammond electric organ.
Jimmy Smith
In the mid-60s, soul jazz appeared, which combined the democratism of soul with the intellectualism of bebop, but historically it is usually associated with the latter, silent about the significance of the former. The most popular soul jazz figure was Ramsey Lewis.
The 'In' Crowd. Performed by the Ramsey Lewis Trio
If from the beginning of the 50s the division of jazz into two branches was only felt, then in the 70s it was already possible to speak of this as an irrefutable fact. The pinnacle of the elite direction was
