jazz composition 1

5/28/03

4:32 PM

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Introduction
What is Jazz?
Trying to define jazz is like trying to describe the color green to someone who is color
blind. A lot of ink has been spilled and arguments raised on this subject. My personal
definitions of jazz and jazz composition are presented here not as dogma, but rather to
give you some sense of where I am coming from in this book.
In my view, jazz is a unique and important American musical art form with nineteenthand early twentieth-century African-American origins that, over the past one hundred
years or so, has developed into a highly sophisticated musical idiom with improvisation,
rhythmic swing, and individual expression at its core. Jazz is characterized by
instrumental solos, syncopated melody and rhythm, idiomatic voicings and chord
progressions, characteristic instrumentation, and a highly personalized approach to
vocal and instrumental performance.

What is Jazz Composition?

Jazz composition involves writing down specific combinations of melodic, harmonic,
and rhythmic elements that, in turn, produce idiomatically recognizable jazz forms
(such as the blues and other song forms) or longer works in which motivic development
may play an important role. Jazz composition has evolved, along with jazz performance,
into a disciplined art that often evidences great emotional depth and breadth of
sophistication.
When I think of jazz composers and jazz composition, I immediately think of Duke
Ellington. Then other names come to mind: Billy Strayhorn, Don Redman, Jimmy
Mundy, Jelly Roll Morton, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Tadd Dameron, Thelonious
Monk, Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, George Russell, Gil Evans, Dave Brubeck,
Chick Corea, Thad Jones, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Bill Holman, Bob
Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, and Maria Schneider. These composers (and so many
others) have made significant contributions to the jazz legacy, whether with memorable
tunes or with elaborate extended works. This book is about what they do.

Prerequisites: What Do I Need to Know?

In order to take full advantage of this text, you need to have a working knowledge of
basic music theory. You should be familiar with pitch notation in treble and bass clef,
major and minor scales, modes, intervals, and chord spelling of triads and seventh
chords. It will also help if you have had experience with lead sheets and/or piano sheet
music, and that you have access to some legal fake books.
The author assumes that you have at least a modest jazz record or CD collection, and
that you have been listening to major jazz practitioners, both past and present, for some
time. Most important to your gaining the maximum benefit from the text is that you
have had some experience playing jazzor at least some experience improvising on the
blues and other simple jazz forms.

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