Jazz A teachers guide for the Jazz experience

Mondavi Center Arts Education P r o g r am for Teachers

Introduction The Heart of the Art
Jazz is a unique style of American music that has
Dear Educator, evolved from traditional African and European
vocal and instrumental music. The musical
As you make plans for your students to attend an upcoming presentation of the characteristics of West Africa were brought to
Wells Fargo School Matinee Series at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for America because of the forced importation of
the Performing Arts at UC Davis, we invite you to prepare your students by using this slaves. These characteristics were combined with
curriculum guide to assure that from beginning to end, the experience is an educationally European-style instruments that had been incor-
enriching and memorable one. porated into the American marching band to
form the early beginnings of jazz. It began as a
The material in this guide is for you. We believe that an understanding of some basic popular form of entertainment and has evolved
vocabulary and background information on the performance art form will help to into an established art form.
prepare your students to better understand and enjoy what they are about to see. We
also encourage you to discuss important aspects of the artistic experience, including Jazz history has mirrored the social history of
audience etiquette. the United States from the meetings of slaves in
Congo Square in New Orleans in the 18th cen-
We hope that your students find their imaginations come alive as lights shine, curtains tury through the social upheavals and changes
open, and applause rings through Mondavi Center. As importantly, we hope that this of performing styles of the late 20th century.
curriculum guide helps you to bring the arts alive in your classroom. Jazz musicians have played a significant role
in the integration of races in America and have
Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of our children. been involved in the ideas of social justice that
have become mainstream in America.
Mondavi Center Arts Education Program
Sierra North Arts Project, UC Davis The essence of jazz is improvisationthe art of
creating music through the spontaneous inven-
tion of ideas. Unlike any other form of music,
jazz improvisation relies upon the performer
Whats Inside: to create music that is not written or practiced,
but produced from the heart and soul for that
2 Introduction moment in time. Through improvisation, jazz
The Heart of the Art music evokes thought and emotions through
a shared experience between the performer
3 Overview of the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards and listener.
Whats Important to Know Before You Go

4 Words to Know
Jazz is Americas greatest original art form; a music
5 During the Performance whose improvisational spirit perfectly reflects the
Audience Etiquette
Jazz Improvisation nation that gave it birth. Ken Burns, Film Producer
Post-Performance

6 Instruments of Jazz Ensembles and Combos

7 Jazz Ensembles and Combos

8 Standards-based Classroom Learning Experiences

9 Essential Jazz Listening Guide

10 Recommended Jazz Internet Websites

Recommended Jazz Listening Collections

11 Arts Education at UC Davis

12 Credits

Mondavi Center curriculum guides are produced in partnership with:

ArtSmarts is the title for K12 educational programs at Mondavi Center.

2 Jazz
 Jazz Time Line
1800s
The Origin of Jazz
Overview of the Visual and Performing Arts During the late 1800s in
Content Standards for California Public Schools Americas south, planta-
The Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools have five component tion songs, spirituals, and
strands that cover dance, music, theater, and visual arts. The component strands for music are: field hollers were a part
of everyday life for the
1.0 Artistic Perception: Processing, analyzing, and responding to sensory information through the language
and skills unique to music. Students read, notate, listen to, analyze, and describe music and other African-American planta-
aural information, using the terminology of music. tion slaves. Their music
2.0 Creative Expression: Creating, performing, and participating in music. Students apply vocal and instru- was used to celebrate, to
mental music skills in performing a varied repertoire of music. They compose and arrange music and mourn, to entertain, to
improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments, using digital/electronic technology when appro- commemorate, to wor-
priate.
ship, and to accompany
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context: Understanding the historical contributions and cultural dimensions of the drudgery of work.
music. Students analyze the role of music in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting
Often this type of music
cultural diversity as it relates to music, musicians, and composers.
would incorporate a type
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing: Responding to, analyzing, and making judgments about works of music. Students
of call and response in
critically assess and derive meaning from works of music and the performance of musicians according
to the elements of music and aesthetic qualities. which one person would
sing a verse or phrase
5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications: Connecting and applying what is learned in music to learning
and others around him
in other art forms and subject areas and to careers. Students apply what they learn in music across
subject areas. They develop competencies and creative skills in problem solving, communication, and would answer with the
management of time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They learn same or different phrase.
about careers in and related to music.
Listening Experience:*
Soon One Mornin
(Death Come A-Creepin In My Room)
Mississippi Fred McDowell

Whats Important to Know BEFORE YOU GO?
As an audience member, you are the reason
the musicians are on stage. They are there
to perform for you and share with you the
sounds and emotions of their music.
When you are part of the audience at a jazz
performance, you become part of that perfor-
mance. Jazz performers want you to respond
to their music as they rely on your positive
reactions to maintain their intensity level.
Remember that jazz improvisation is the
spontaneous creation of ideas. The performer
wants to share himself or herself through
music and evoke an emotion. For this rea-
son a verbal response such as yeah or all
right during the performance is perfectly
acceptable. Applauding at the end of a solo
even though the piece has not ended is also
acceptable. However, loud conversations or
disruptive noises are not acceptable and are
distracting to the performers as well as other
audience members. Of course, applause
after a piece has finished is appreciated by
the performers.
Learning Experience:
Listen to how Mississippi Fred McDowell
describes a story, through music, about
death creepin in his room. This is the
Before you attend a jazz concert or performance
essence of a folk song. In this song,
you should have an understanding of what
type of jazz you are going to hear. Is it a small Mississippi Fred utilizes the call and
combo playing cool jazz from the 1950s or a response format by himself with his
large ensemble playing 1940s big band swing? singing and guitar playing.
Will there be a rhythm section? Will there be
horns, electronic instruments, acoustic instru-
ments, vocals? Will the style of music be easy Of Significance:
to listen to or dance to, or will it require in- The black spiritual, folk music of the
depth concentration to fully appreciate what African-American slaves, became popu-
the performers are accomplishing? Use this
guide and the other resources listed to increase lar after the American Civil War.
your understanding and appreciation of jazz,
its history, and roots.
When you attend a jazz concert, listen closely
to the music, watch the performer, and let your
mind and emotions wander. See if you can truly
experience and understand what the performer
is trying to say to you through his or her instru- *All listening experiences in the
ment and music performance. jazz time line can be found in
the CD collection Ken Burns Jazz
The Story Of American Music.

Jazz 3
Jazz Time Line
Late 1800sEarly
1900s Ragtime
Ragtime was the most
popular music idiom in
the United States from
the 1890s through about
1917, and was one of
the early musical styles
that contributed to the
development of jazz.
The term ragtime means
ragged time, referring
to the musics syncopated
melody with the form and
feel of a march. Playing
in this syncopated style
was called ragging.
Listening Experience:
Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin
Learning Experience:
As you listen to Maple Leaf Rag
notice the even, march-like style of
the low notes that are played by the
left hand on the piano, and which
keeps a steady beat or pulse.
The right hand plays the higher notes
and melody line, which incorporates
syncopation, also known as ragging.
Of Significance:
Scott Joplin won a Pulitzer Prize half
a century after his death for his 1911
ragtime opera Treemonisha.
Words to know
Throughout this curriculum guide you will see certain words in bold print. Below are the definitions of
these words.
Articulation: The way in which a note or tone
is started and released by use of the tongue. A
smooth articulation would utilize a da or doo
articulation. An accentuated articulation would
utilize a ta or taht articulation.
Beat: The regular pulse in music. Music moves
to a steady beat. The division of pulse is called
meter. In a waltz or 3/4 meter, music is divided
into groups of three. In a rock or jazz of 2/4 or
4/4 meter, music is divided into groups of two
or four.
Chords: Two or more notes played at the
same time.
Color: The unique quality of sound created by an
instrument or voice. Often referred to as dark
or bright.
Folk song: Music of anonymous origins that
expresses the customs, traditions, and emotions
of the people of a country or community.
Harmony: A combination of notes sounding
together to create a chord. Harmony is the
vertical structure of music.
Harmonic foundation: The relationship between a
series of chords within a musical composition.
Half step: The smallest interval or distance
between two notes in American and European
music.
Idiom: A characteristic style of jazz music,
such as swing, ragtime, bebop.
Instrumental: Music performed on instruments
rather than sung.
Melody: A succession of notes of varying pitch
and duration in an organized pattern to form a
tune or theme.
Melodic structure: The relationship between
a series of melodies to create a musical
composition.
Phrasing: A musical thought with a beginning,
middle, and end. Similar to a sentence, a phrase
is a complete musical idea.
Pulse: See beat.
Register: The different levels of range (high and
low) of instruments and voices.
Riffing: A jazz term meaning a short, repetitive,
passage. Riffs are used as signposts or check-
points for musicians.
Rhythm: Everything pertaining to the duration of
musical tones in relation to a beat or pulse.
Rhythm foundation: The underlying combination of
beat and accompanying rhythms that lay
the foundation for the rhythm of melody and
improvisation.
Scooping or bending pitches: To scoop a note is a
technique in which a singer or instrumentalist
does not move directly from one note to another,
but instead moves up from a lower note until the
desired pitch is established. A bend is allowing
the tone to waver or fluctuate below and above
the already established desired pitch.
Song form: Form is the way that musical ideas are
organized. One form states an opening section
which is called the A section. The A section is
repeated and then followed by a contrasting new
section called the B section. The B section is
followed by a final repeat of the first A section.
Together, the entire form is referred to as A A
B A.
Syncopation: The placing of an accented note
away from the established beat.
Walking bass line: A steady beat played by a
bass instrument that helps establish chord
accompaniment.

Call and Response

Call and response is a feature of jazz that has its roots in West African music. It
is often heard in work songs and religious music where a leader calls a part of
the song and the group responds to the leaders call. Many spirituals and blues
songs use call and response as part of their form. In jazz, call and response is often
used to allow musicians to exchange improvisations as one would experience in
a conversation. One musician might play one section of the chorus of a song, then
turn the next section of the song over to another musician to respond. Sometimes
this is done with two measures (trading 2s), four measures (trading 4s), or eight
measures (trading 8s). When musicians are trading ideas back and forth, as in a
conversation, that is call and response.

4 Jazz
 Jazz Time Line
During the Performance 19001920s
Listening to music, especially jazz, should be more than a passive activity. Encourage students to The Blues
be active listeners by identifying the different instruments used in the ensemble. Have the stu- The blues is a distinctive
dents ask themselves what style of music is being played and what mood does that type of music African-American song form.
create for the listener? Most importantly, encourage students to allow themselves to hear and feel
Similar to what we now call a
the emotional message that is communicated by the musicians through the art of jazz.
folk song, the blues was a highly
Audience Etiquette Jazz Improvisation expressive, predominantly vocal
tradition that expressed the
Use the restroom before the As stated earlier, the essence of jazz is improvisa-
performance begins. tion. When a performer improvises, he is spon- stories and emotions of African-
Leave food, drinks, or gum outside taneously inventing new and original musical Americans at the beginning of
the performance space. ideas. He is not reading music, and is not play-
the 20th century. The blues was
Turn off pagers and cell phones. ing from memory. Although the musician who
is improvising does have an understanding of not just a type of music, but
Stay seated during the performance.
Save comments and questions for after music theory, he is essentially playing his instru- also a state of mind and way of
the performance. ment based on emotions. Unlike any other form life for many African-Americans
Listen courteously. of music, this display of emotion is shared with
during this time. The most dis-
After a musician has completed an the audience and other performers and becomes
improvised solo it is appropriate to a unique experience for all. tinctive melodic characteristic of
show your appreciation by applause. the blues is the alteration of the
It is also appropriate to applaud upon eight-tone major scale common-
completion of a piece of music.
ly used in European music. The
Leave cameras, video recorders, or
audio recorders at home. eight-tone major scale is essen-
tially a series of tones or pitches
Post-performance built on whole and half steps. The
Questions to ask your students: blues scale used microtones,
What was your favorite part of the concert? Why? which are intervals smaller than
What was your least favorite part of the concert? Why?
a half step. Although these pitch
What instruments were used?
Were you surprised by the choice of a particular instrument used in this jazz performance? Why? inflections may occur on any
Why not? tone, they are used most often
Did the music create an emotional response for you? What was it? on the third and seventh notes
What kind of mood did the music create for you?
Describe how the overall listening experience affected you and your appreciation for jazz music. of a scale - they are referred to
as the bent or blue notes
that give the blues its poignant
What is Syncopation? character.
Syncopation is the term that refers to moving accented or stressed musical tones
away from the established beat or pulse of the music. Syncopation is not exclusive Listening Experience:
to jazz, but is commonly found there. Syncopations purpose is to create a sense of Back Water Blues Bessie Smith
surprise and catch us off guard. Lets take a simple song like Mary Had a Little
Lamb. If we sing this song the way we know it, it follows a regular rhythmic
Learning Experience:
pattern with each word beginning on a beat:
As you listen to Back Water Blues notice how
Clap and sing the beginning of the song. Clap each number as a beat.
Bessie Smith adds variation to certain pitches by
NON-Syncopated 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, bending or wavering on a pitch and by scooping
Mar- y had a lit- tle lamb ,
or bending her voice from one pitch to another.
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4
lit- tle lamb , lit- tle lamb Of Significance:
Canadian scientist Reginald Fessenden transmit-
In a syncopated rhythm, we might move the words to unexpected places, between
ted the human voice via radio for the first time
or ahead of beats, changing the feel of the song:
Clap and sing the song with the words in between some beats and on others.
in 1907.

Syncopated 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4,
Ma - ry had a lit-tle lamb

1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4
lit- tle lamb, lit- tle lamb

Jazz 5
Jazz Time Line
1920s
Dixieland
Blues and ragtime came
together between 1915
and the early 1920s in
New Orleans, Louisiana,
to create a new type of
music called Dixieland
jazz. Dixieland jazz,
sometimes referred to as
traditional jazz or New
Orleans jazz, is character-
ized by a steady, often
upbeat tempo similar
to ragtime. The name
Dixieland was most likely
derived from the Original
Dixieland Jazz Band, a
New Orleans group who
made the first publicly
available recording of this
style of music in 1917.
Dixieland is primarily
an instrumental form of
music. A typical Dixieland
band includes a trumpet or
cornet, clarinet, trombone,
banjo, piano, drums, and
string bass or tuba.
Listening Experience:
Livery Stable Blues The Original
Dixieland Jazz Band
Learning Experience:
In Livery Stable Blues listen to how
the steady beat of ragtime is present
while new instruments such as the clari-
net, trombone, and trumpet incorporate
a melody that is more like the form of
the blues (bent pitches, scooped notes).
Of Significance:
Jazz was the dominant popular form of
entertainment for listening and dancing
in the 1920s. Often it was performed in
places where alcohol was served illegally
during the years of prohibition.
6 Jazz
Instruments of Jazz Ensembles and Combos
Rhythm Section The core of any jazz ensemble or
combo is its rhythm section. Instruments of the Guitar: Similar to the role
rhythm section can be a mix of any of the follow- of the piano, it reinforces
ing: piano, electric keyboard, bass, drums, guitar, and builds on the
percussion, and vibraphone. There is no standard foundation provided by the other rhythm section
rhythm section instrumentation. The type of players. Provides chords and color that comple-
band, style of music played, or preference of the ment and reinforce the melodic structure of the
bandleader will determine the instrumentation of ensemble and soloists.
a rhythm section.
Woodwind Section The most commonly used wind
The role of the rhythm section is to provide instruments of jazz are the alto, tenor, and bari-
the foundation for the rest of the jazz band or tone saxophones. A clarinet and flute may be
ensemble. In addition to supporting the ensem- used in a jazz ensemble depending on the type
ble, rhythm section players often play their own and style of music. In a band of high school age
improvised solos. Simply stated, the role of each players, most students specialize on one instru-
member of the rhythm section is: ment. In college and professional bands however,
musicians will double on any or all of the wind
Drums: Provide a steady pulse or time, instruments. In a big band, the alto and tenor
reinforce and build upon the rhythmic saxophones are split between parts with the first
foundation of the band or soloist, and part playing lead and the second part playing
energize the ensemble by playing fills, harmony. The baritone saxophone also plays har-
set-ups, and figures. Provide contrast by mony and the bass line.
varying rhythmic feel and dynamics.
Brass Section The brass instruments used in jazz
Bass: Provides the harmonic and are the trumpet and trombone. However, a tuba
rhythmic foundation for the rest of or French horn may also be used depending on
the band. Accompanies solos by the type and style of music. The trumpet and
playing walking bass lines that rein- trombone section are split up into first, second,
force chords for the ensemble third, and fourth parts to create lead parts,
and soloist. harmony, and bass.
Piano: Reinforces and builds on the foun-
dations provided by the bass and drums.
Provides chords and color that compli-
ment and reinforce the melodic structure
of the ensemble and soloists.
Form in Jazz
Form is the way that musicians organize musical ideas. Form depends upon the repeti-
tion of melodic ideas so as to serve as signposts or check points for the listeners jour-
ney through a song. The nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is an example of
a typical song form. The first section (Twinkle, twinkle, little star) is played or sung, and
is referred to as the A section. The next section (starting with the words, Up above
the world so high) would be called the B section. Then the melody of the A section
returns. This is called A-B-A song form. An elaboration on that is A-A-B-A, where
the A section repeats before moving to the B section. The B section is sometimes
called a bridge because it fills the gap between the two A sections. This has been a
common form for popular songs and is often the basis for jazz improvisation. Another
type of form is chorus format in which a jazz musician repeats the sections of a song
form and does different things with each repeat. This chorus format allows the musi-
cians to utilize and feature different instruments or combinations of instruments during
different times while sticking to the melodic and harmonic foundations of the piece they are
playing. It is much like the floors of a skyscraper or layers of a cake.
 Jazz Time Line
The real power of and innovation of jazz is that 1930s and 1940s
a group of people can come together and create Swing
The dominant idiom of the 1930s
art and can negotiate their agendas with each
and much of the 1940s was
other; and that negotiation is the art.
swing music. A large ensemble
Wynton Marsalis, jazz musician called a big band, usually
consisting of 10 or more play-
ers, performed swing music
almost exclusively for dancing.
Swing is very much a musical
feel. Music of the big bands
reflected full ensemble playing
Jazz Ensembles and Combos and did not incorporate many
opportunities for improvisation.
A group of musicians who play jazz can be referred to
Radio broadcasts spread inter-
as a jazz ensemble or combo. The number and type of
instruments used creates the specific sound or tonality the est in big band swing music by
members want and allows them to perform music with specific characteristics. bringing it into peoples homes.

Jazz ensembles vary in the number of musicians depending on the type of band or style of music.
Listening Experience:
A big band can be made up of seventeen players, including as many as five saxophones, four
trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums, and guitar. A jazz ensemble may be as large as In The Mood Glenn Miller
twenty-five members and may include woodwind and brass instruments, percussion, mallet instru-
ments (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone), and vocalists. Learning Experience:

A jazz combo refers to a smaller group of players compared to that of a big band, and usually con- The song In The Mood demonstrates how the
sists of two to six players. Jazz combos may feature a variety of instrumentation, including piano, call and response form typical of early jazz in
electric keyboards, mallet instruments, bass, guitar, drums, woodwinds, and brass. A jazz combo the 1800s is still present in swing music. In this
may also incorporate the use of instruments in the string family (violins, violas, and cellos) the
case, the saxophone section signifies the call
harmonica, or non-traditional instruments such as the oboe or bassoon. It is not unusual to hear a
vocalist in a jazz combo. while the brass responds.

Of Significance:
During World War II, black and white musicians
What is swing?
(as they were referred to then) enjoyed playing
Swing is the moving force of jazz. It is its rhythmic motor. Swing happens when
together, but had to do it after hours because
there is something rhythmic taking place on every beat. A typical way to under-
of the segregation during that time. It was
stand swing is to analyze the layers of rhythm played by the rhythm section (for
widely believed that black musicians had the
example, the drums, bass, and piano). In swing something happens on every
feel for jazz music but often could not read the
beat, so the drummer rides the cymbal by tapping out a steady swaying
notes...and that while white musicians could read
rhythm while filling with other drums. The bass player plays up and down the
the notes, they did not have a feel for the music.
instrument following the chord pattern of the song or piece, also playing on near-
Together they shared their love and expertise for
ly every beat. This technique is called walking the bass. Because tuba players
playing jazz.
have to stop playing to take breaths of air and therefore cannot play on every
beat, tubas eventually went of style as rhythm instruments for jazz. The final
rhythm layer is the work of the piano filling in with chords and riffs that accom-
pany or comp the rhythms that the other instruments play. Swing also implies
that eighth notes (notes half the length of one beat) are not played straight (or
square like is commonly found in rock), but are swung, that is they have a
swaying lilt that feels a little relaxed.

Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, when asked, What is swing? said,

If you have to ask, youll never understand.

Jazz 7
Jazz Time Line
1940s - 1950s After the performance
Bebop
Bebop emerged in the
1940s in New York as
a style of jazz that con-
trasted greatly to the
music of the big bands.
It was a revolution and
rejection by some jazz
Standards-Based
musicians to the restrictive
Classroom
arrangements of big band
Learning Experiences
style music. Bebop fea-
tured smaller ensembles Music Critic: Imagine you have been hired by the local newspaper as a music critic and have been asked
to review the performance you just attended. Include the following in your review: What instruments
of four to six musicians,
were used? What type of mood was created through the music? How did you respond to the music?
gave more emphasis to How did the audience respond to the music? What kind of interaction and communication (verbal
the rhythm section, and and non-verbal) took place among the musicians on stage? Did you like the performance? Why or why
not? Would you recommend your readers attend a future performance? Why or why not? (1.0 Artistic
allowed more solo oppor-
Perception and 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing)
tunities for the players.
The music and improvisa- Research Project: Research a well known jazz
tion of the bebop era was musician or composer and write about his or
her musical life. What periods of time covered
fast, erratic, challenging to
the persons life and work? How was the person
listen to, and, in contrast influenced by the work of other musicians? How
to the music of big bands, did social or political events (such as Prohibition
unsuitable for dancing. or the Second World War) influence the persons
work? What primary styles of music did the
person play or compose? What honors or awards
Listening Experience: did the person receive? (3.0 Historical and
Salt Peanuts Dizzy Gillespie Cultural Context)

Group Discussion: Break into small groups and

Learning Experience: discuss the jazz performance you just attended.
Listen to the speed and technical use What kind of mood did the performers create?
of notes by the musicians who play the How did the choice and use of instruments in the
ensemble affect the mood of the music? How did
melody and improvise. This was a
the performers interact and communicate ver-
characteristic of bebop playing which bally and non-verbally during the performance?
was suitable for listening but not danc- On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest, rate
ing. Notice the difference in sound of the performance and explain your groups rating.
(4.0 Aesthetic Valuing)
a small band (trumpet and saxophone
with rhythm section) compared to that Music Business As A Career: Think of all the people
of a big band of the previous era. it takes to make a concert happen: stage crew,
musicians, business managers, lighting and sound
technicians, ticket sellers, ushers, custodians,
Of Significance: etc. Explain which one of these roles would best
Widespread use of electrically amplified suit your interests and why. Is the music busi-
instruments, such as the guitar and bass, ness something that would appeal to you? Why
or why not? (5.0 Connections, Relationships,
became prevalent during the bebop era.
Applications)

8 Jazz
 Jazz Time Line
1940s - 1950s
Cool Jazz
At approximately the same
time as bebop, cool jazz
developed and remained
popular for several decades.
Cool jazz was subtle, moody,
and more restrained than
bebop. Cool jazz was also a
return to the carefully orga-
nized principles of swing,
without the emphasis of call
Essential Jazz Listening Guide
and response and riffing.
The following is a list of specific jazz artists and recordings that had a significant impact and
influence in the idiom of jazz. For the serious jazz listeners or performers who wish to bet- Listening Experience:
ter their understanding and appreciation of jazz music, these recordings are essential to any
library. Take Five Dave Brubeck

Artist Recording Recording Label Learning Experience:

Notice how the musicians prefer to play
Duke Ellington The Duke - The Essential Collection Columbia/Legacy in the middle register of the instrument,
Complete Brunswick And Vocalion Recordings 1926-1931 GRP utilizing a smooth articulation and simple
Ellington Uptown Columbia phrasing, which is different from the bebop
The Great Paris Concert Atlantic
style.
And His Mother Called Him Bill Bluebird
Ellington at Newport Columbia
Of Significance:
Count Basie The Complete Decca Recordings GRP
The Essential Count Basie Columbia/Legacy The evolution of jazz has been accompanied
Basie, Straight Ahead Impulse by the development of recording technology.
Sixteen Men Swinging Verve Early recordings were limited by the technol-
Billie Holiday The Legacy Columbia/Legacy ogy of the 78 rpm (revolutions per minute)
Coleman Hawkins Body and Soul RCA Bluebird record. This meant recording time was
physically limited to between three and four
Dizzy Gillespie Shaw Nuff Musicraft/Discovery
The Complete RCA/Victor Recordings BMG minutes in length. Thats one reason why
Greatest Hits RCA Bluebird todays popular songs tend to be only three
Charlie Parker The Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Sessions Savoy or four minutes long.
Bird at St. Nicks Debut
Nows The Time Verve After World War II, a major technology
Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music Blue Note change was the introduction of the long
Louis Armstrong The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings Columbia/Legacy playing record (33 1/3 rpm) This innovation
Satch Plays Fats Columbia allowed for recordings to extend to as long
The Complete RCA Victor Recordings BMG as thirty minutes per side. Todays compact
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Columbia
disc (CD) can extend to 75 minutes
Miles Davis The Complete Birth of the Cool Capitol CDP in length.
Kind of Blue Columbia
Milestones Columbia
The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions Columbia/Legacy
Dave Brubeck Time Out Columbia/Legacy
John Coltrane John Coltrane: Giant Steps Rhino
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus Candid
Herbie Hancock Future Shock Columbia/Legacy
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook Verve

Jazz 9
Jazz Time Line
1960s Free Jazz

Free jazz represented a totally new direction in jazz that

mirrored the social ferment of the 1960s. It was experi-
mental, very dissonant, and represented freedom from
melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic restraints. Although
free jazz was praised by some of the prominent musi-
cians of the time, it was challenging for many listeners
and not widely accepted by the public.

Listening Experience:
Original Faubus Fables Charles Mingus

Learning Experience:
Free jazz was quite different than anything else before. Listen to how pitch and
tone are manipulated by players on their instruments to produce squeaks, shrieks,
and wails. Recommended Jazz Internet Websites
The following websites may be used for further understanding and
Of Significance: recordings of jazz music:

Rock music surpassed jazz as the popular music of the time. Rock appealed to a
www.legacyrecordings.com
younger audience and, with the advancements of the recording industry, was big busi- www.vervemusicgroup.com
ness for record companies. www.pbs.org/jazz
www.apassion4jazz.net
www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources.html
www.jazzatlincolncenter.org

1970s Jazz-rock
The 1970s brought renewed interest in jazz, with a revival
of many of the older, more traditional concepts. Jazz-rock,
also called fusion, combines jazz improvisation and chord
progressions with the rhythms of rock. It is generally more
electronic than acoustic, featuring synthesizer, electric
bass, electric guitar, electronically processed woodwind
and brass instruments, and enlarged percussion sections.
Listening Experience:
What Is Hip Tower Of Power
Recommended Jazz Listening Collections
The following is a list of jazz recordings and recording labels that pro-
vide a comprehensive resource of various jazz artists from each of the
different jazz eras.
Ken Burns Jazz - The Story of American Music Columbia/Legacy
This Is Jazz Columbia/Epic/Legacy
Essential Collections Sony Music
Jazz: The Definitive Performances Columbia/Epic/Legacy
Verve Jazz Master Series Verve

Learning Experience:
Notice how What Is Hip incorporates the feel of rock with the use of a horn section
(trumpet, trombone, saxophone). The music is upbeat, easy to listen and dance to
(similar to that of big band music of the swing era), and is modernized by electronic
instruments such as keyboards, bass, and synthesizer.

Of Significance:
Although the hard-edged sound of jazz-rock had its place in popular music, an alterna-
tive to this was smooth jazz. Smooth jazz was, as the title suggests, mellow, easy to listen
to, and somewhat soothing.

10 Jazz
Arts Education at UCDavis
Robert and Margrit Mondavi
Center for the Performing Arts
The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center
for the Performing Arts at UC Davis serves
as a resource for the campus and the region,
reinforcing the universitys status as a
comprehensive university of the first order
by raising the profile of its arts and
humanities programs to that of its top-ranked
science programs. Opened in October 2002,
Mondavi Center features the state-of-the-art,
1,800-seat Barbara K. and W. Turrentine
Jackson Hall, and the 250-seat Studio Theatre
for more intimate productions. Mondavi
Center is the largest presenter of the
performing arts in the Sacramento region,
bringing more than 70 of the worlds
greatest artists and lecturers each season.
In addition to the artists and speakers
presented as part of its annual Season of
Performing Arts, Mondavi Center also
hosts productions by the UC Davis Music
and Theatre and Dance departments and
other campus academic programs, as well as
those of regional arts organizations such
as the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.
www.MondaviArts.org
530.754.5000
Department of Music
The Department of Music at UC Davis
features a distinguished faculty and
accomplished visiting artists, and provides
outstanding instruction to students majoring
in music as well as more than 1,200 non-
majors each academic year. The program
includes opportunities to study and perform
music of all styles and periods, with students
majoring in music focusing on a special
interest area such as composition, analysis,
history, performance, or secondary school
teaching. All students may participate in
a wide array of performance activities,
including the University Symphony, the
University Chorus and Chamber Choir,
University Concert Band, the Early Music
Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles.
music.ucdavis.edu
530.752.5537
Department of Theatre
and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance at
UC Davis offers undergraduate and graduate
degrees in conjunction with an aggressive
and artistically adventurous production
season. Courses and productions provide
students with consistent opportunities to
creatively engage with professional direc-
tors, designers, and choreographers. The
department, in collaboration with the
Granada Television network, is host of
the Granada Artists-in-Residence program,
which brings distinguished theater artists
from the United Kingdom to UC Davis.
A stellar faculty, state-of-the-art facilities,
and talented students make UC Davis a
leader in arts education.
theatredance.ucdavis.edu
530.752.0888
Sierra North Arts Project
The Sierra North Arts Project (SNAP)
fosters the professional development of
kindergarten through post-secondary teachers
by employing the model of teachers teaching
teachers. SNAP addresses the priorities of
The California Arts Project (TCAP) involv-
ing direct engagement with the artistic pro-
cess, direct applications to classroom teach-
ing, and the development of teacher lead-
ers in arts education. The Sierra North Arts
Project is one of six California Arts Project
regional sites throughout the state, and it
serves a twelve-county area extending from
the Central Valley to the Lake Tahoe basin.
The goals set forth by SNAP cover four key
objectives: (1) to deepen and strengthen
teachers subject matter knowledge; (2) to
provide opportunities for teachers to con-
nect with their personal creativity and to
develop connections within the arts learn-
ing community; (3) to enhance and expand
SNAP within the region and create a wide
variety of leadership opportunities for SNAP
members; and (4) to develop strategies and
techniques for translating research experi-
ences into classroom practice.
education.ucdavis.edu/SNAP/
530.752.9683
UC Davis ArtsBridge
In response to educational funding cutbacks
and the erosion of formal arts training in the
public schools, the University of California
and the state of California have joined
forces to expand ArtsBridge, an innovative
arts outreach program that began at the
Irvine campus in 1996. ArtsBridge pro-
vides scholarships for undergraduate and
graduate arts students to work with K-12
teachers in developing arts activities that
supplement the core curriculum. The suc-
cess of the program prompted lawmakers
to include a $1.5 million line item in the
1999 state budget to facilitate the expan-
sion of ArtsBridge to all of the UC cam-
puses. Presently UC Davis students from
the departments of Art, Theatre and Dance,
Music, and Design are active in classrooms
at several area schools, including school
districts in Woodland, Winters, and Dixon.
artsbridge.ucdavis.edu
530.754.8477
Mondavi Center Arts Education
Many of the artists appearing during
Mondavi Centers season also participate
in a range of educational outreach activities
coordinated by the centers Arts Education
Program. These activities include school
matinees, master classes, lecture demon-
strations, open rehearsals, curriculum
development, and teacher training. These
outreach activities, which benefit more than
25,000 area school children, college stu-
dents, educators, and community residents
every season, constitute a major commit-
ment to arts education in the region and
underscore UC Davis commitment to the
artists and audiences of the future.
www.MondaviArts.org/education
530.754.5431
Jazz 11
 obert and Margrit Mondavi Center
R Mondavi Center expresses gratitude to
for the Performing Arts
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8543
MondaviArts.org
530.754.5000
its partners at the California Arts Council
and Sierra North Arts Project, Region III
of the California Arts Project at UC Davis,
for bringing together a team of educators
to design and develop curriculum guides
for Mondavi Centers Wells Fargo School
Matinee Series. The following individuals
participated in the development of materi-
als for the guides:
UC Davis Coordinators
Sarah Anderberg
Director, Sierra North Arts Project
CRESS Center, School of Education
UC Davis
Linda Buettner
Coordinator, Sierra North Arts Project
CRESS Center, School of Education
UC Davis
Assessment
Joanne Bookmyer, Ph.D.
Research Analyst
CRESS Center, School of Education
UC Davis
Teachers
Kevin Glaser
Music Teacher
El Camino High School
San Juan Unified School District
Joe Earl
Music Teacher
C.K. McClatchy High School
Sacramento City Unified School District