When interviewed, many famous “popular” musicians like Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown say they were influenced by the jazz records their parents used to play in their homes. That’s true for many people, both famous and otherwise, who love music. The exact origin of jazz music is difficult to pinpoint. What is sure is that it came about as a result of a mixing of musical cultures. When Africans were brought to America as slaves, they influenced American culture with their own.
In New Orleans in the mid-1800’s, African-Americans started to experiment with European musical instruments. Some of the first songs they experimented with were hymns from church. By the end of the 19th century, the piano was introduced as an instrument for producing jazz music. Unlike the saxophone or the trumpet that only play single notes, the piano plays chords. This added a new dimension to the jazz combo.
Slave emancipation coincided with the emergence of ragtime, a type of music that threw the conventional system of metrical beats into disarray. Instead, its rhythms were syncopated, which means they didn’t conform to a conservative beat succession system. Ragtime encouraged the listener to get up and move to the music.
Piano music came to the forefront in ragtime, giving way to stride piano where the right hand plays the melody along with supporting chords and runs and fills while the left plays bass notes and chords and rhythm. Stride featured more improvisation and swing notes than ragtime. Scott Joplin, known at the time as the King of Ragtime, talked learning to pick up the “swing” of the music as you play. Swing was the next form of jazz than evolved from ragtime.
The early twentieth century saw the growth of jazz music in New Orleans, as more and more jazz combos played in the city’s clubs and bars. The first few jazz bands began recording their music at this time. By then, the piano had become an integral part of the jazz combo.
The Prohibition Era of the 1920’s didn’t slow the jazz bands down. In fact, it was during this era that the greats like Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines emerged. Hines was probably the most influential pianist of the time, playing in the “Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five” band while cultivating a solo career.
Swing hit big in the 1930’s. It was bigger than ragtime, and songs often carried on for several minutes as each band member got a chance to play a solo. A party wasn’t a party without a big swing band belting out song after vibrant song, and soon swing was all over the radio in the United States.
Swing faded during the conflict of World War Two. Many band members were off fighting in the conflict. Bebop developed from swing during this time. Pianists Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk rose as two of the great jazz pianists of the era. In the 1940’s and 50’s, cool jazz became popular, with pianist Bill Evans claiming a place in music history as one of the most inventive and creative jazz pianists of century.
The 1960s were all about free love, stringy hair and the beginning of Latin jazz and jazz fusion. Many Cuban and Brazilian musicians put their cultural stamp on American jazz and gave birth to a new genre. Jazz fusion came about with the electrification of jazz through the use of synthesizers, keyboards and electric guitars. They blended with brass instruments and the piano for a totally new sound.
Today, jazz is still one of the most influential music forms in the world. Jazz music has asserted itself as a contemporary force in the music world, and the success of current jazz artists is a testament to that.
Posts Tagged ‘jazz piano’
The Birth of Jazz: When & Where & How Was It Born, And Who Were Its’ Parents?
Thursday, November 6th, 2008Keith Jarrett – the Jazz Piano Prodigy
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Keith Jarrett was born in Allentown in Pennsylvania on the 8th of May, 1945. A prodigy at a very young age, he had his first public appearance when he was six years old. He had lots of support to the extent that he was offered a chance to study and learn composition with Nadia Boulanger, the revered French piano teacher, in Paris.
He admitted once that what ticked on his interest in the jazz was a Dave Brubeck performance that he attended. He took to jazz when he was a teenager and soon started becoming good at it. As he played more of jazz, he had the strong urge to join the local jazz scene.
After he graduated from school, he shifted base to Boston, Massachusetts. It was here that he did a stint at the Berklee College of Music. He also had a gig playing cocktail piano while studying at Berklee. Upon finishing his tour, he went to New York and where he had a regular gig in a club - Village Vanguard. What followed was his association with many groups. One of the first groups on that list is The Jazz Messengers. He met his future long time collaborator Jack DeJohnette while playing for another group Charles Lloyd Quartet.
The group recorded one of the most important jazz recordings of the 60’s – their 1966 album Forest Flower. He was leader in a trio with Paul Motian and Charlie Haden and He made his debut recording as leader the following year Life Between The Exit Signs which was followed by another in 68’ – Restoration Ruin. It was one of the most impressive in the list of works that he is known for. Restoration Ruin was unique mainly because he did everything except play the piano – including playing every single other instrument and the vocals – in the album which was anything but jazz. It was by any definition folk rock hence different from most of the work that he has recorded so far. The trio had one last release – a live album titles Somewhere Before.
The next stint that Keith had was with Miles Davis playing with the legend in the Miles Davis group. After Miles saw Keith play, he was so impressed that he invited him to play along with the group. When he joined the group, the playing of the Contempo electric organ and Rhodes electric piano was shared by him and band mate Chick Corea. After Chick Corea left the band, he handled both the instruments at times playing both at the same time.
Playing an electric instrument was not an option that he preferred to exercise. Despite this, he stuck with the band out of a stronger wish to play with Miles Davis and also with Jack DeJohnette who was a part of the group at the time. His long time association with Miles Davis resulted in him playing with the genius on five of his releases including The Cellar Door sessions recorded live at the Washington DC nightclub, Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East, The Cellar Door and Live-Evil which consisted of edited recording of live performances at The Cellar Door.
More extensive recording from live performances there were put together as The Complete Cellar Door Sessions. Another similar series of compositions had Miles and Keith sharing company – The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions – which was recorded for a documentary on boxing champ Jack Johnson.
The Haden – Motain – Jarrett continued to play for six years from 1971 to 1976. They had Dewey Redman on the saxophone after which they became the American Quartet. They had sidemen play with them at times on guitar and percussion. One common feature of the original trio members was that they were multi – instrumentalists. You’d hear each one playing different instruments on their recordings and live shows.
Jarrett’s versatility went as far as the saxophone and percussion in addition to the piano, Redman as far as a Chinese double reed instrument – musette and the remaining two members on various forms of percussion. They group experimented with their sound a lot. Hayden devised a way to play the acoustic bass producing from it new percussive and plucked sounds. He played it through a wah-wah pedal on the track Mortgage On My Soul.
Jarrett achieved a lot more with groups like the European Quartet and his solo piano outings. His solo piano concerts had him leaving the audience at suspense. The extreme point of this habit was when he didn’t play for minutes while the audience got restless. Then someone shouted “D Flat” after which he immediately hit an improvisation in D Flat.
The Elegant & Innovative Jazz Piano of Bill Evans
Friday, September 26th, 2008
Bill Evans was born on the 6th of August, 1929 in Plainfield, New Jersey. He started learning to play the piano when he was six years old. In 7 years, he added two more instruments to his repertoire. His first gig was when his brother Harry had to be substituted for Buddy Valentino’s band. He was familiar with the music it was the same kind of music that he was practicing at home. He continued playing boogie-woogie there on in clubs in and around New York City.
He was awarded a scholarship to Southeastern Louisiana University where he played to an audience Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto in a recital in 1950. He left the institute with a degree in piano performance and teaching. While in college, he founded the Delta Omega Chapter of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – a fraternity for people with an interest in music.
After graduation, he served in US Army after which he returned to New York and continued to gig. He set himself up as a sideman for bands playing Third Stream jazz - an innovative mixture of classical music and jazz. While building up his reputation, he was a part of many studio recordings. He worked with George Russell to come up with work like Concerto for Billy the Kid and All About Rosie. He also was on albums by Tony Scott, Oliver Nelson, Art Farmer and Charles Mingus with whom he recorded during this period of time.
His first recording of his own material was with his 1956 album New Jazz Conceptions. He got make his debut with album after being referred by Mundell Lowe to producer Orrin Keepnews. In 58’, he was invited to play with Miles Davis and the Miles Davis Sextet. The short stint that he had with the sextet was iconic as the sound of the sextet thereafter took a new direction.
Miles Davis describes in his that Bill Evans style of playing in his autobiography. “Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall.”
He left the band after running into trouble with drugs and also in search of new ground to conquer. He recorded Everybody Digs Bill Evans which had a new style that he had been working on at the time. After a short recording stint recording the iconic 1959 album Kind of Blue, he went back solo and formed his own trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian on the drums. The trio stuck to jazz standards and original composition involving a lot of improvisation.
They had four albums between 1959 and 1961 – Portrait In Jazz, Explorations, Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby. All these four album barring Portrait In jazz were released in 1961. Waltz I jazz was released in 59’. Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby are regarded as one of the greatest jazz recordings.
Evans experimented with interplay with a little more freedom with his trio. He used slow ballad like tempos for the songs and used quiet volume levels which was the first that it was ever done in jazz piano. His chords had a classical touch to it becoming more and more impressionistic. His left hand playing and right hand playing were so complimentary that you could see a Bud Powell influence.
Pushing the lid further, Evans was the pioneer of avoiding bebop and other jazz forms in favor a new style – modal jazz. His bassist collaborator Scott LaFaro passed away young at 25 which made Evans take some time off to come to terms with his death. Breaking more ground in 1962, he recorded an album that is considered a classic jazz piano and guitar duet album.
He got bassist Chuck Israel to take the place of LaFaro in the trio. The new group continued recording winning a Grammy for their 1963 release Conversations With Myself. It was not all rosy a period for the trio with their music not selling well. Their manager Helen Keane brought the band back on track.
The entry of bassist Eddie Gomes into the band make things look up a bit creatively for the band. The 1968 live recording Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival is considered the pianist’s best because of the interplay and the energy that the band displayed throughout the show.
Bill Evans passed away on the 15th of September, 1980 due to a bleeding ulcer, cirrhosis and bronchial pneumonia.
10 Piano Styles You Can Learn To Play
Friday, August 29th, 2008
When studying the piano, a student encounters a myriad piano styles. To master the instrument, at least several of these styles must be learned, and all if at all possible. Knowledge of various playing styles enables a pianist to enjoy and play in any genre and to cross-polinate styles to create a fusion he or she can call their own.
Many modern piano styles are based on the blues. The blues involve an emphasis on the major and minor pentatonic scales, with an additional note included. The flatted fifth is added to the minor pentatonic to create the blues scale. Many blues songs are based on a simple chord progression, known as 12-bar blues. This uses the I, IV and V chords of a scale to create a foundation for melodies and solos.
For example, rock piano was born out of the blues and then took on a life of it’s own in the stylings of Jerry Lee Lewis, Michael McDonald, Elton John, Billy Joel, and many others.
Cocktail piano is a style generally connected with Liberace, Eddy Duchin, Roger Williams, and others who play popular tunes with lots of great technique — lots of notes, runs, flourishes, and so on. But I hate to catagorize and of these great pianists, as many of them play in other styles as well.
Boogie-woogie is a piano style based on the blues. It started as a solo piano style, but has expanded into other genres, such as county-western and gospel. It differs from the blues in that it is considered dance music, while blues music traditionally expresses sadness and frustration.
Rhythm and blues piano is based on blues, jazz, and gospel styles. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on the rhythm of the song. Most R&B has a particular swing to it, with a strong feel of syncopation in the rhythm. Syncopation involves placing the stress on a normally unstressed beat. This often results in an almost off-time feel to the untrained ear.
Ragtime piano also incorporates syncopation. Ragtime uses syncopation in its melodies by placing melodic notes between the stressed beats of the rhythm. Ragtime is often considered the first completely American genre, even predating jazz.
Jazz piano encompasses such a broad palate of styles that it is impossible to describe. Many piano styles incorporate ideas borrowed from jazz, such as improvisation. An emphasis on extended chord forms also stems from jazz piano.
New age piano often involves less chord changes than other styles, instead relying on simple two-chord progressions and polychords. A polychord occurs when two different chords are played at once. This technique is taken from earlier classical works by composers such as Stravinsky.
Gospel piano is often similar to the blues, jazz and R&B. It emphasizes certain extended chords, such as the 11th, and usually has the swinging feel associated with jazz and R&B. The apparent simplicity of gospel songs often hides the fact that they are, indeed, quite musically complex. Syncopation is highly stressed in gospel music, as it contributes to the overall spiritual feel of the music.
Country and western piano has similar roots as blues piano. Both styles stem from earlier folk styles, often developed by the less fortunate people of the era. Many early country songs stem from Appalachian folk songs. Country and western piano is highlighted by very bright playing, with simple chord progressions underneath the melody.
Traditional sacred piano styles involve the playing of liturgical songs and hymns. These can range from the harmonically and rhythmically complex to simple two and three chord songs. Many hymns stem from folk songs of centuries past. The variety of sacred piano styles is as numerous as the liturgical songs themselves. These piano styles often involve a strict reading of notation, with less of an emphasis on personal interpretation than other styles.
The classical piano style is probably the most varied of all the styles. Classical music is older than other styles, and is considered to the proper grounds for musical instruction. Many elements of other piano styles come from classical music, and nearly all forms of musical theory are used in classical music. Classical music usually requires intense training to master, though there many pieces designed with the novice player in mind.
Though classical is often considered the high point of music, this “ain’t necessarily so.” For instance, many players who are “classically trained” have trouble adapting to the feel and sincerity of the blues. For this reason, a well-rounded player should be adaptable and learn as much about each of these piano styles as possible. In this way, a pianist is ready for any musical challenge. And besides, who knows where the future of music lies?
Piano Styles Galore at PlayPianoCatalog.com
The Jazz Piano Playing Genius of Oscar Peterson
Thursday, August 28th, 2008My first exposure to Oscar Peterson was in Sacramento at a concert called Jazz at the Philharmonic. It was a series of concerts and recordings produced by Norman Granz over a period from 1945 to 1983 featuring such jazz giants as Louie Bellson, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Gene Krupa, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, Lester Young and a few others, including the great Nat King Cole.
I was blown away with his technique, playing complicated improvised runs at the speed of sound, and having fun doing it — singing along, now and then laughing, and generally just enjoying the music almost as much as those of us in the audience.
From his early love of music to his last years, Oscar Peterson’s life was full with accomplishments and support from his family. The decision to become a professional pianist led to a weekly radio show and many performances in hotels and music halls for Peterson.
Although his life ended at the age of 82, Oscar Peterson had a productive career that ended too quickly. Named Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, he was born on August 15, 1925, in Canada. As a child growing up in Canada, he and his family lived in a predominantly black neighborhood called Little Burgundy in Montreal. Because of his surroundings, Peterson was largely influenced by jazz music, which was extremely popular during this era.
Peterson started playing and perfecting the art of the trumpet and piano at age five. However, tuberculosis caused him to stop playing the trumpet and focus primarily on his gift for piano playing. To develop his extraordinary skills, Peterson practiced scales and classical eludes every single day. His daily routine consisted of four to six hours of solid practice time a day. Studying with pianist Paul de Marky helped further refine his talents.
Peterson soon began to concentrate on jazz, ragtime and boogie-woogie music. Because of his newfound interest in emerging music types, he was nicknamed “The Brown Bomber of the Boogie Woogie.”
By nine years old, Peterson’s collaboration list was growing quickly. At fourteen years old, he won the national music competition hosted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. However, his next life-changing decision proved controversial. Peterson decided to drop out of school and to become a professional pianist. The decision to become a professional pianist led to a weekly radio show and many performances in hotels and music halls for Peterson.
Oscar Peterson listed many of his personal influences in the musical spectrum. These influences included Nat King Cole, Teddy Wilson, James P. Johnson and Art Tatum.
After being heard on a radio broadcast, Oscar Peterson joined Norman Granz’s recording label called Verve. Quickly, Peterson was assigned to Granz’s “Jazz at the Philharmonic” project. This project included work with major artists and musicians including Ray Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Milt Jackson, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stephane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Anita O’Day, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz.
From this point on, Oscar Peterson would be acclaimed for his genius work with his craft. His reputation grew, and he soon was a major celebrity in the spotlight. In the 1940’s, Canadian Radio hosted Peterson as a regular on many jazz programs.
By the 1950’s, Oscar Peterson was a household name all over the world. He was labeled one of the leading pianists in jazz music. His greatest asset after his unique, exceptional playing ability was his versatility. Peterson played in numerous duets, quartets, solos, trios, small bands and big bands. In the 1950’s, Peterson collaborated with Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner. Duos with Herbie Hancock occurred in the 1980’s. Performances in the 1980’s through the 1990’s often featured his protege Benny Green.
In 1993, Peterson suffered a stroke. Fortunately for the world, he recovered quickly. By 1995, Peterson returned to the world of musical performance.
In a tribute to his beloved friend and associate Norman Granz, Peterson named his dog Smedley two years before his untimely death. Smedley was Granz’s nickname from Peterson. Like the original Smedley, the dog Smedley had a great attachment and devotion to Peterson. Even at Peterson’s death, the beloved and loving dog stayed at Peterson’s side by his bed, refusing to leave him. Peterson died of renal failure on December 27, 2007. His fourth wife, Kelly, and eight children survived him.
Dave Brubeck – The Master of Uncommon Time
Monday, August 25th, 2008
One of the highlights of my early musical life was seeing and hearing the Dave Brubeck quartet in person at my high school. It was so exciting to hear the tunes I had been practicing at home played by the man himself — Brubeck in person!
Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck is one of the stalwarts of jazz piano. His music is characterized by unusual time signatures and can be either extreme – totally dynamic or or completely relaxed.
David Warren Brubeck (aka Dave Brubeck)was born on the 6th of December, 1920. His thing for music came from his mother - an aspiring concert pianist who was formally taught. She used to take piano classes to supplement her income. Despite having such organized music at home, Dave Brubeck took to his own way of learning and playing the piano opting to create his own melodies. He purposely avoided a situation where he have to read ,music and play using his bad eyesight as an excuse.
When in college, it was discovered that he could not read written music. This caused for the professor in charge to take action and expel him but his other professors stood by the fact that despite his inability to read music, he had a good abilities when it came to counterpointing and harmony. Taking his case as an exception, it was decided that he be allowed to graduate from the institute promising to never teach piano.
Armed with a degree from the University Of The Pacific, he was drafted to join the army in 1942. During his service in the army, he met his future partner in music – Paul Desmond. While serving in the US Defence Forces, he played in a band which brought both fame and dislike to his musical stylings.
After almost four years serving in the Army, he went back to college and got himself enrolled in Mills College in Oakland, California where he studied under Darius Milhaud, a great contempory classical composer.
Immediately after finishing his course in Mills College, he was signed to Fantasy Records in Berkeley California. He started singing with an octet and a trio – which eventually became a quartet when Army pal Paul Desmond joined the group which originally had Cal Tjader and Ron Crotty .
Taking after his inclination to play music that was more unusual than not at the time, they recorded some music which didn’t have enough mass appeal to be a success which hence gave them very few gigs. After failing to draw in crowds, Dave Brubeck spent many years playing nothing but the opposite of what he had intended to when he started out playing – jazz standards – with the other members of the trio except Paul Desmond. Paul Desmond had his own band by the time.
In 1951 after an almost fatal swimming accident, Dave formed his next group The Dave Brubeck Quartet this time with Desmond in it. They were the house band at the Black hawk nightclub in San Francisco. The new quartet was very successful. They started touring college campuses and made a series of recordings – Jazz At Oberlin, Jazz Goes To College and Jazz Goes To Junior College.
The fame and success got Dave Brubeck space on the cover of Time Magazine – the only one to have the honor after Louis Armstrong. Sometime around the mid 1950’s one half of the group – two members Bob Bates and Joe Dodge – quit the group. They were replaced by Eugene Wright and Joe Morello. Eugene Wright’s presence in the band put the band on a black list as he was a African – American. Many concerts were called off because club owners were averse to having ans African-American play in their premises.
Upon realizing that there were plans to not film Wright during a particular television show on which they were performing , Dave canceled the gig. 1959 saw the release of Time Out which had the one quality of Dave Brubeck that he is known by today – unusual timing. Despite them not being in common time, the album was a hit and the album was soon certified platinum.
Dave’s next act was a musical that he and his wife Iola co wrote a jazz musical based on the experiences that they had during an international tour on behalf of the US State Department. It had all the big names of the time – Louis Armstrong, Hendricks & Ross, Lambert and Carmen McRae. The further albums of the outfit include Time Further Out: Miro Reflections (1961), Countdown: Time in Outer Space,Time Changes and Time In. All these albums had iconic album covers by contemporary artists. They held a concert titled At Carnegie Hall in 1963 which was described as Dave Brubeck’s “greatest concert”, but 40 years later he continues to play great concert after great concert.
Click to subscribe in a reader
