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How jazz music influences American culture
How jazz music influences American culture
The influence of jazz
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Music is magical: it soothes you when you are upset and cheers you up when you are down. To me, it is a communication with souls. I listen to different genres of music. When appreciating each form of music, with its unique rhythm and melody, I expect to differentiate each other by the feelings and emotions that it brings to me. However, I would definitely never call myself “a fan of jazz” until I witnessed Cécile McLorin Salvant’s performance last Friday at Mondavi Center. Through the interpretations and illustrations from Cécile’s performance, I realized that the cultural significance and individual identity are the building blocks of jazz music that create its unique musical features and support its development. On April 30 at Mondavi …show more content…
Along with the audience applauding and whistling, Cécile McLorin Salvant, the Grammy winner and the “finest jazz singer to emerge in the last decade” (Nate Chinen, New York Times), walked to the center of the dark stage. The Cécile McLorin Salvant’s ensemble consisted of three extraordinary musicians, each with his own instrument that created specific timbres. In the ensemble, there was Cécile’s voice, a traditional piano, a drum sets and a chordophone called double bass. The piano is the fundamental instrument for all kinds of jazz performance since its origin. In jazz culture, it was considered as the main instrument for not only jazz composition, but also improvising performance. With its wide range of pitches and the easiness of improvisation, it took part as the main rhythms and melodies for Cécile’s performance. The drum sets which provided the supporting rhythm were comprised of several tenor drums, a bass drum that created very low and deep sounds and four crash cymbals which created more high and crispy sounds. The most interesting instrument in the performance was the double bass. Instead of using the bow, the musician, during the one and a half of hour performance, plucked the strings by hands. With his
Robert Kraut in “Jazz and Language” explores the question of whether jazz music can be considered a language. He cites the jazz musician Martino who claims, “Music is a language like any other language” (202). He says that jazz performances have a conversational or “dialogical” (205) quality. Jazz and Blues has no words to describe the meaning or statement, rather evoking aesthetic emotions when listening to the genre. The interaction of the jazz musicians is a collaborative communication of speaking through jazz music. A jazz drummer like Max Roach, stated “the first note that, you are responding to what you’ve just played: you just said this on your instrument, and now that’s a constant” (202).
The music of jazz became an important aspect of American culture in the early 20th century. The crisp syncopation of ragtime and the smooth tunes of the blues seeped into American mainstream music through dance halls and saloons and later through ballrooms. Instruments like the piano, trumpet, trombone and clarinet became important and symbolized the “swing-feel” of jazz because of their capability to syncopate and improvise precisely. With the help of the booming recording industry, musical geniuses were discovered and their talent and contributions to the emergence of jazz spread throughout the entire country. Such musicians include composer, arranger and pianist Jelly Roll Morton who heavily influenced the development of early jazz by his unique piano style, his “invention” of musical notation for jazz, and his compositions that have become the core in the jazz repertory. Because the style was new and different and so successful in drawing in large audiences, musicians around the world tried to mimic it. Furthermore, Morton’s masterpieces were the first to show notation for complicated jazz music and thus, formed the basis for standard notation in jazz compositions today.
The word “jazz” is significant to America, and it has many meanings. Jazz could simply be defined as a genre or style of music that originated in America, but it can also be described as a movement which “bounced into the world somewhere about the year 1911…” . This is important because jazz is constantly changing, evolving, adapting, and improvising. By analyzing the creators, critics, and consumers of jazz in the context of cultural, political, and economic issue, I will illustrate the movement from the 1930’s swing era to the birth of bebop and modern jazz.
An important aspect to playing the piano are the musical components that go into each piece. These components being harmonies, underlying tones, etc. When playing in a jazz band, the piano works in tandem with the other sections, specifically the rhythm section. In this setting, the piano works with the other sections to create harmony and
Throughout my lifetime I’ve been exposed to many different styles of music. One of the most emotionally connected music styles I’ve encountered would definitely be instrumental jazz. When I was younger I mostly listened to blues and smooth jazz, but more recently I’ve been attracted to faster tracks and harder beats like those you hear in the Swing era of the 1920’s. On Tuesday, October 27th I attended the performance of the jazz band: Sylvan Street, as a part of the University of Miami’s music festival (Festival Miami). The show started at eight o’clock at night cost ten dollars for students. Throughout the show, the band provided an incredible mixture of different styles of jazz while delivering an electrifying performance that captured the true essence of what jazz truly is.
"How Women Have Influenced Jazz Music through the Decades." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.
Each person in this country has been raised as differently as the fingerprints we possess. While we may have little nothings in common with one another, our upbringing and heritage may be quite dissimilar. Hurston felt the deep, narcotic, almost primal tones of jazz music while seated next to a white man in The New World Cabaret (266). The primitive instinct and response to the music went wild in her body, whooping, yelling, and dancing the jungle way (268). When the last tone of the music descended, she “crept back to the veneer we call civilization… and found the white friend sitting motionless in his seat” (268). He did not feel the vibes of the music as she did, but Hurston was not fazed (268). We should not be concerned with the contrasts in eccentricities within our society. Each person has their own way of life and we should not let that impede upon our
According to Albert Murray, the African-American musical tradition is “fundamentally stoical yet affirmative in spirit” (Star 3). Through the medium of the blues, African-Americans expressed a resilience of spirit which refused to be crippled by either poverty or racism. It is through music that the energies and dexterities of black American life are sounded and expressed (39). For the black culture in this country, the music of Basie or Ellington expressed a “wideawake, forward-tending” rhythm that one can not only dance to but live by (Star 39).
Teachout, Terry. "John Hammond's jazz." Commentary 122.3 (2006): 55+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Music is something that allows people to express feelings and emotions that can’t be easily said out loud. Sonny in James Baldwin’s “SB” turns to music as a temporary getaway from his family conflicts and drug addiction. He said “it's the only thing I want to do” for the rest of his life, and it’s the only positive thing in his life (Baldwin 32). Though his brother sees jazz as a connection to Sonny’s drugs and detrimental to his life, Sonny
On the night of Tuesday, April 4, 2017, I attended a concert presented by Georgia State Master’s student Megan Bauman. The night was filled with an array of various passionate pieces showcasing the saxophonist. The performance put on that night by Megan Bauman was something I have never experienced before. I never thought such passion and charisma could be showcased apart from an orchestral ensemble, Megan Bauman proved otherwise. The program included: Klonos (2007), American Counterpoint (2002), Lovers on the Celestial Sphere (2006), Distances Within Me (1979), Push Stop, To Go (2017), and Black (2008) but by far the first three pieces are what stood out the most.
Jazz music prospered in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Jazz was created by African Americans to represent pain and suffering and also represented the adversity that racial tension brought. (Scholastic) African American performers like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie “Bird” Parker came to be recognized for their ability to overcome “race relati...
Now a days, many believe that jazz is not that important of music genre, but with our history, jazz plays a big role. “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but it is a gift that America has given to the world.”, quoted by Ahmad Alaadeen. Jazz in the 1920’s opened the eyes of whites and invited them into African American culture; it evolved Americans to where we are today since it brought a change to the music scene, an acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles.
Music often carries information about community knowledge, aesthetics, or perspectives. Toni Morrison discusses the power of music and the way it functions in culture in discussions of her craft. Symbolic and structural elements of music appear throughout all of Toni Morrison’s fiction in one way or another. (Obadike) As mentioned above, the title itself, draws attention to the world-renowned music created by African Americans in the 1920s’ as well as to the book’s jazz-like narrative structure and themes.
Billy Joel once said, “I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music” (“Music Quotes”). Although many instruments exist to enliven human existence, two of the most stimulating are the piano and the voice. While piano and singing both create poignant music, they differ due to the instruments themselves, the training involved, and the musician’s individuality.