Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr., is an extremely talented jazz musician. He was born September 11, 1967. His parents, Harry Connick Sr. and Anita Livingston, are a big part of Connick’s life. They have contributed so much to his career and have helped to form him into the magnificent jazz musician he is today. It was apparent from a very young age that Connick would become a jazz musician. He had many early influences as a young boy. In his childhood he studied jazz piano under James Booker, a very talented jazz musician. Connick attended school at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and was taught by an also very talented jazz musician Ellis Marsalis, and he was later tutored by him as well. Harry Connick, Jr’s hometown may also have to do with his great success. He is from New Orleans, also known as the “Big Easy.” Many say that the reason why he displays such effortless charm while he is performing is because he is from the “Big Easy.” Connick’s music is not like many other jazz musicians. His music is a throwback to another era. Even with his repertoire of great sounds from the past, he is still considered a breath of fresh air by many. Two major elements that influenced Harry Connick, Jr., to be a jazz musician was his family and where and who Connick grew up with.
The first component that influenced Harry Connick, Jr., to become a jazz musician was his family. Connick’s father met his wife, Anita, while he was in the navy. They later moved from New York back to New Orleans. There they opened a record store. Connick’s parent’s shared love for music influenced him towards the music industry (Anderson 2). Music was sort of in Connick’s blood. His family nurtured all of his interes...
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... he grew up and the amazing people that lived there too. His family influenced him by always supporting him and his career. His father’s job helped Connick to become a better musician at a very young age by allowing him to play “The Star Spangled Banner.” His job also exposed Connick to different genres of music, since his father’s job got him into the smoky saloons. Living in New Orleans has also definitely helped and influenced Connick toward becoming a popular jazz musician himself. Because Connick lived in New Orleans he was exposed to lots of jazz musicians, which helped him to later become a better jazz musician. The people who lived in New Orleans, or the “Big Easy,” were always willing to help Connick, and he received many opportunities because he lived here. Connick has and still continues to tremendously impact the world of jazz musicians today.
The father, Lou, is characterized as an odd jazz aficionado that cares about his family and wants them to have every opportunity available. Lou losses himself in the music as told in, “Are you listening to this? These cats are burning the paint right off the walls,” while also vigorously snapping his fingers and bobbing his head (19). On the way home from this very same jazz concert he has the idea to start teaching his children musical instruments so that they can form a group. Lou is convinced that his three novice children could, “go right through the roof,” (20). This is an instance of the father’s will for his children to make something of themselves. As a jazz connoisseur the father seems to have some suppressed dreams of his own to perform and “make it big” but has chosen the life of a computer engineer so that he can support his family comfortably. Thusly as a parent Lou believes that his ch...
Though Jelly Roll Morton began his career without formal training, he grew to live an influential life. His piano style, musical notations on paper, and creative compositions thrived in the 1910s and the 1920s and even weaved its way into the later eras as musicians used Morton’s music as the foundation for their own. Even past his death, Jelly Roll Morton remains a legendary figure. His works are meticulously preserved and displayed in the prestigious Smithsonian Museum and universities around the world continue his legacy by teaching students about Jelly Roll Morton and his influential career.
Throughout history, and even today, music has shaped America’s culture, society, and even politics. One of the most outstanding and enduring musical movement has been from African American artists, ranging from bebop to jazz to hip-hop to rap. During the 1920’s , jazz artists stepped into the limelight and began their impact on American and even world history. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential leaders during the Harlem Renaissance and his jazz legacy and impact of American history is everlasting. A master of his craft, Armstrong and his music heavily influenced America’s white and black populations from the 1920’s and up until his death.
Over all, I can honestly say that I never really had an appreciation for Jazz music until I read some of Langston Hughes’s work and was able to attend the Jazz Big Band performance. I really enjoyed seeing and listening to the different styles of Jazz music. By attending this performance I noticed that are parallels between Hughes work and some of the Jazz music herd today. Some of these comparisons consist of repetition, racial collaboration, and
Vladimir Bogdanov. All Music Guide to Jazz. Forth edition. Ann Arbor, MI: All Media Group, 2002
Lewis Armstrong was to jazz music, Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). This essay will have an introduction to the king of jazz music—— Lewis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history. It could not be examined when and by whom Jazz music was found. People began hearing jazz music in the early 1900s. It originated from the American in New Orleans city and Jazz founders were mostly black people.
It is impossible to think about the influence of jazz without thinking of Miles Davis. He was a game changer and innovator who altered the direction of jazz and transformed the musical landscape more than once. Miles Davis changed the course of jazz in result of his experience with oppression and prejudice. He represented a model for future musicians, and granted listeners a glance into the world of an oppressed American through his music.
A single artist can have a very strong impact on a whole genre of Music. We have seen this time and time again through artists such as Charlie Parker, David Brubeck, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and various others. All of these artists had tremendous influences on the different eras that evolved throughout the history of Jazz. Bill Evans, and American jazz pianist, was no different. Just as Charlie Parker had started the evolution of Bebop and influenced the subsequent generations of Jazz Artists, Bill Evans has influenced Modern Jazz and the generations of artists that followed him. Throughout his career and his works with various other artists, Bill Evans has cemented himself as one of the great influences on modern day Jazz.
Imagine you are walking the streets of New Orleans. You are standing right where jazz was established in the United States of America. Jazz wasn’t just about music, it also affected the culture involving social, economic, artistic and jazz leaders.
Teachout, Terry. "John Hammond's jazz." Commentary 122.3 (2006): 55+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Many to this day aspire to be as good of players as the jazz legends of the 20’s and 30’s. Artists would take off in popularity and be known world wide, and often travel to different countries to spread their influence. Some of these jazz players were publicly recognized by such things as “Metronome Magazine” and other such outlets that increased their fame (“Berry Chu.” 2). Players who experienced such things would become huge celebrity icons and would create a large gathering of fans. It was also quintessential that they had this fame increase as every ounce of exposure aided them in the long run. However not all of those who played were as lucky. Some people’s skills with business would have “difficulties” which would limit the “band’s success” (“Berry Chu.” 2). It was not easy being a player or running a band;Ill planned actions would have dire consequences. Band leaders and even the players had to be smart with their money and their opportunities. Frequently many of the jazz players came from different backgrounds, in which they could of done a different profession. Players like Berry Chu, who was a “talented enough college football player”, could have gone through a different and much financially reassuring path (“Berry Chu.” 1). Being a Swing players was a risky endeavor; if you did not attract a large crowd with your playing, you were dead
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...
"Jazz is very important to my vision of life in our time." (Lamb, 1). Jazz gives him a feeling of individuality and community. This means that when individuals push him, and he pushes them back, they both become better
Not only is it nearly impossible to pinpoint jazz’s conception in time, many locations are accredited with its origin, the United States allowed for jazz to start gaining popularity and leading into the change it had to the music scene. When jazz is brought up, many first think of its birth place being New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans has always been a big musi...
Through his contribution to early Jazz, he had a direct hand in developing the new field of academic jazz scholarship, although it had been extensively debated on his contribution. None the less, his talent formed a popularity that was surpassed by none, even to the point that once in his career; he was more popular than the Beatles. Undoubtedly, he was the first, if not the only to present Jazz to the public as a form of art. This changed the direction of Jazz to not just leisure listening music, but a teachable and complicated