Research and Discovery from Bassoon Jazz Repertoire

Research and Discovery from Bassoon Jazz Repertoire By Likai Liu Fall 2019 Graduate Thesis (Comprehensive Exam) Dr. Michael Burns The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Abstract Jazz is one of the most important musical styles in the twentieth century. It depends upon the influence of African Americans’ culture. This music style can also give the listener a sense of swing feeling and also the feeling of relief, it is mostly performed by an instrumental band and often with a vocalist. Influenced by my studies with Dr. Michael Burns during my last degree year, this paper is trying to review what I learned from jazz music and give a conclusion to my understanding on how to play Jazzy pieces in the correct style. Keywords: Jazz. Swing feeling. Practice Review Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1.0 A Brief History of Jazz PAGEREF _Toc20115656 \h 31.1 Introductions of Jazz PAGEREF _Toc20115657 \h 31.2 Development of Jazz PAGEREF _Toc20115658 \h 41.3 Analysis between Jazz and Blues PAGEREF _Toc20115659 \h 61.4 Introduction of Jazz Instrumental Music PAGEREF _Toc20115660 \h 82.0 Connection between Jazz and Bassoon PAGEREF _Toc20115661 \h 92.1 Jazz Music to Bassoon Area PAGEREF _Toc20115662 \h 92.2 Other Famous Jazz Bassoon Players PAGEREF _Toc20115663 \h 102.2.1 Paul Hanson PAGEREF _Toc20115664 \h 102.2.2 Alexandre Silverio PAGEREF _Toc20115665 \h 113.0 Alec Wilder and Jorge Mockert PAGEREF _Toc20115666 \h 123.1 Alec Wilder: No. 1 Sonata for Bassoon and Piano PAGEREF _Toc20115667 \h 123.2 Jorge Mockert – Suite Argentina Para Andrea merenzon PAGEREF _Toc20115668 \h 124.0 Jazz Repertoire Practice Review PAGEREF _Toc20115669 \h 134.1 Improvisation PAGEREF _Toc20115670 \h 144.2 “Swing!” PAGEREF _Toc20115671 \h 14References PAGEREF _Toc20115672 \h 17 1.0 A Brief History of Jazz 1.1 Introductions of Jazz Jazz is a musical genre where improvisation is a significant feature, and this technique earmarks the music as unique in relation to other forms of music. In this regard, one will find that jazz music will vary with the players and more so because many of them play solo. Despite its tremendous variety, this type of music is very rhythmic. A keener listener will tune in to the manner in which one part of the band, voice, or instrument answers to the other. This characteristic forms the basis for most peoples’ liking of the music. On the other hand, it is an effective tool in the expression of varied emotions from sheer joy to pain. It is this music where one may hear the sounds of freedom because, for a very long time, jazz has been a channel and an important one, indeed, for people suffering unfair treatment. In most circumstances, this type of treatment has risen from discrimination based on color or else, the artist and its audience have lived under the cruelty of a dictator. Jazz music, a genre originated from the black American community, hinges upon explicit improvisation with its musicians keen on attaining their sound and style. The development of Jazz music dates back to the 20th Century in the United States (U.S.). Clear origins of this genre emanate from New Orleans near the mouth of the Mississippi River (Hunter, 2019). Early American civilization was predominantly based on regions with the Northern and Southern America being disproportionate places. The South was much more disadvantaged in comparison to the North because it was home to many of the minority communities. Culture in this city was quite diverse as it had people of different descent such as American Indian, Mexican, German, Italian, Caribbean, French, English as well as African (Campanella, 2007). African Americans were in dire need to express themselves considering that they had a great African musical heritage. Africans had music for various activities including reaping, hunting, washing, waking up, playing, working, festivals, and important events such as victories, wars, deaths, marriages, births, and initiation rites (Cayou, 1970). Even then, their music was functional with precise elements such as the rhythms, melodies, and harmonies being integral in the course. Consequently, jazz was borne in relevance to African traditions and aesthetics with no relevance to any of the European origin and concept at all (Cayou, 1970). As mentioned earlier, the improvisatory aspect of the genre is a prominent characteristic. This aspect correlates well with the African bards’ and minstrels’ time-honored traditions that adapted their offerings to suit the present occasion (Cayou, 1970). There lies no doubt whatsoever that the art of improvisation has had a significant impact on the development of jazz. In this regard, there exist several approaches in the creation and performance of the music as there are individuals creating and performing it. Therefore, the technique chosen is in most circumstances subservient to the message the jazz musician wants to communicate to the audience. 1.2 Development of Jazz A significant majority of Africans came to the U.S. as slaves and brought with them their musical traditions, memories, and experiences more so in expressing themselves. Their well-established improvisatory modes accompanied them in every occurrence in their lives. Ordinarily, a massive migration of a precise cultural group is bound to tag with their musical heritage. A similar case happened to the German, Irish, Scottish, and English emigrants to the U.S. who retained their attitudes, customs, and songs of their origins (Carney, 2006). Musical instruments were vital to the process and hence, were carried too. These factors meant that they had the capability to express themselves accordingly an in the course, sustaining and maintaining their musical heritage. The environment around them provided much restraint and thus, posed a major deterrent to Africans maintaining their cultural identity. The lack of freedom implied a much-needed change in their musical traditions. Slavery, in particular, was a central constraint and thus, Africans has to reshape their religious music, leisure songs, work songs, and other types of music found in their heritage (Wang, 1988). Also, the new needs and conditions demanded the creation of new forms for musical expression. This desire culminated in the establishment of secular music that had the traditional elements and aligned to the new land and slavery. The mere fact that Africans were exposed to a new language is another phenomenon that provoked this path. Africans were prohibited in communicating in their authentic prose as this would exclude their captors. Jazz is a phenomenal art in that it has restructured inclusions from other musical traditions. In this respect, there is a style of jazz that sounds like Latin American music, country and western music as well as European classical music. At times, there are styles are almost similar to other types of music relevant in the U.S. and worldwide. The pioneers of this music were central to the development of new musical vocabulary – evident in the creation of classical music – and more importantly that transcended ethnic boundaries. It relayed genuine American feelings and thoughts and thus, developed a national character and culture of the Americans at different historical junctures in their development as a people. Regardless of the time, it is created, this native music continues to remain highly relevant and particularly, to the generation that created it. This point remains relevant in the jazz of today, which still relates to the people of the contemporary generation. The great thing about the music is that people of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds can connect to it; understanding and appreciating the melodies and rhythms that align with people’s feelings and emotions. It is because of this reason that Asian audiences welcome the jazz of Americans and in reciprocity, Americans will be enthusiastic about the jazz of Paris, Russia, and Japan among other places across the globe. In this regard, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, and Martial Solal will receive similar appreciation across jazz audiences. The widespread appreciation among folks meant for instance, that American musicians would reside in other countries and still be successful. A similar case would relate to any other individual of a certain country. Despite the success, the whites felt as though their contribution has been underappreciated whereas they have participated since the early days (Early, 2011). This conflict arose in the ’50s and ‘60s at the height of racial discord. Regardless, jazz music was a cultural movement at the height of its influence apparent in people’s attitude, language, and dress code. 1.3 Analysis between Jazz and Blues The Blues is a common music genre in the contemporary generation despite it being older than jazz. Still, it is an authentic creation of the African American people that began in the late 1800s (Phillips, 2011). Musicians who associated with this genre of music were intent on recognizing the pain of injustice and lost love. These songs conveyed the expression of victory where people had outlasted a broken heart amid associated adversity. This assertion correlates with Wynton Marsalis that “if you want to get rid of the blues, you play the blues” (Teacher.scholastic.com, n.d.). This music genre evolved from field hollers, work songs, and hymns. In these moments, music was a great accompaniment in social, work, and spiritual functions. Since the realization of jazz music, blues has been the most directly related music genre. At times, many consider blues as a variety of jazz. In this regard, the early instrumental horn-based blues have the upper hand in comparison to the country blues that many sung. Very few players of the latter category played styles of jazz that were closely linked to blues. On the other hand, the horn-based category consisted of musicians who played a more diverse range of jazz (McKay, 1989). The blues remained the most stable type of musicians (Brooklyn College) and justified the reason it was the most influential on many artists across the U.S. Jazz and the blues were both creations of the African-Americans. These two genres of music had a profound connection to the black southerners and more so, their daily lives. Jazz and the blues were dedicated to expressing the lives of the blacks. Unlike the lyrical incarnation that was found in other genres of music, easy characterization was the norm in both genres. Their rhythms and lyrics were rooted in the work songs that relieved the stress of the day in the enslaved plantations of the South. It is because of this connection to black America that James Cone declared that the origin and definition of the blues, “cannot be understood independent of the suffering that black people endured in the context of white racism and hate” (Carney, 2016). The underlying factor is that both genres have a great connection in the intricate propulsive rhythms, melodic freedom, and different degrees of improvisation, accompanied by significant excitement, spirit, and liveliness. 1.4 Introduction of Jazz Instrumental Music As mentioned earlier, the music of jazz was borne in the streets of New Orleans. It has been a phenomenon that happened even before the Civil War as black Americans made strange music using “instruments” that were equally strange. These included tin whistles, jugs, washtubs, washboards, and a four-string banjo. Most of the instruments used were primitive. A great example of this is “a drygoods box beaten with sticks or bones and a drum made by stretching a skin over a flour barrel” (Roth, 1952). These instruments were used to complement each other in order to have a coherent and astonishing amount of sound. These instruments used by the early black American musicians were primarily percussive. Some drums particularly the smaller ones were made of bamboo while the large ones were of wood (Simon, 1985). Musicians and bands also used the jawbones of team-animals with a stick used to scrape or rub the loosened teeth, and in the end, a rattling sound would ensue (Squinobal, 2007). These eccentric ensembles produced music that the Negroes danced to lasciviously. Given that jazz musicians are high-level improvisers, they incorporated both formal and informal practice methods. For instance, they would attend lessons and read simple melodies. Informally, they would apply oral traditions to advance their craft. The latter practice was primarily experienced outside formal music education. The self-taught technique, as used by many authors resulted in much improvisation and development of instrumental music as a result. Even then, much less information is recorded on the common errors and failures these musicians have in their development. In this case, only a few artists have come forth and declared that they were inefficient in the practice in their formative years. However, one primal factor in many of them was the desire to improve in their instrumental practice habits. 2.0 Connection between Jazz and Bassoon The bassoon, a bass member belonging to the oboe family, is a double-reed woodwind instrument that has its primary feature in the conical bore air column. The instrument which emerged about 1650 has its ordinary range of about 3 octaves with a 2.79-meter long tube an...