William James Basie's Biography

Stan Kenton: Progressive Concepts in Jazz Stanley Newcomb Kenton is one of the most influential figures to be found in all of jazz history, even being called "the most significant figure of the Modern Jazz age" by Frank Sinatra (Agostinelli, 6). Kenton's progressive concepts of how music is written and performed greatly affected the genre of jazz, and created something new and unique. Always under controversy, Kenton and his band always strove to do something different, never settling into a niche for long periods of time. Even today, when hearing modern jazz performers (particularly big bands) one can often hear the influence from Kenton's music. Kenton was born in Wichita, Kansas on December 11, 1911, although he spent most of his youth in the Los Angeles area.

He received his first true clarinet and musical training from a local synagogue, then continued practice through Hull House, a social-service agency for the under privileged children of the Chicago. The most important of his teachers, at the school, was Franz Schoeppe, a classical instructor from the Chicago Musical College who ignored jazz and stressed in his students the discipline and respect for classical music. After his father died, fourteen-year-old Benny helped support his family by playing at a Chicago neighborhood dance hall and working locally for two years. In 1925, Gil Rodin, who was then with the band led by Ben Pollack, heard him. Goodman was hired by Pollack, then working in California, and the following year made a triumphal return to Chicago as featured soloist with the band.

27 Nov. 2000. Availabl WWW: http://www.trombone-usa.com/jazz_styles.htm. "Ragtime." Jazz History 2000: n. pag. Online.

In 1947 he performs in Carnegie Hall with a small group and his big band. In 1948 he appears in the first International jazz festival. In 1954 he publishes his second auto biography called the Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. In this biography he covers his life until 1922. One of his songs called “Hello Dolly” becomes number one hit.

He found employment there in the city's prostitution district playing as a cafe pianist. Joplin left St. Louis in 1893 and performed at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He left there in 1894 and arrived in Sedalia, Missouri, where he spent the next year or so entertaining the patrons of a private club on the second floor of a saloon by the name of "Maple Leaf Club." In 1895, Joplin continued his studies at the George R. Smith College for negros where he soon published his first composition, the song Please Say You Will. From there, Joplin toured with an eight member Texas Medley Quartet across the country all the way up to Syracuse, New York.

Ann Arbor, MI: All Media Group, 2002 Mark C. Gridley. Jazz Styles (History and Analysis). Ninth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006 The Best of ArtBlakey. Art Blakey, Bobby Timmons.

Coleman introduced the tenor saxophone at a time when the sax was not popular among Jazz Musicians and was called the “Father of the Tenor Saxophone”. Coleman moved from Ms. Smith’s Jazz hounds to the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra until 1934. Mr. Coleman went on to establish his own big band and played with Thelonious Monk. Mr. Hawkins progressively moves the chords higher expanding the range then slowly m... ... middle of paper ... ... Milt Jackson Quartet and was a side project of Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Midnight Walk - Arif Mardin A Turkish-American record producer who also composed, arranged, and played with many legendary artists.

Los Angeles Unified School District. 5 December 2004. < http://ecr.lausd.k12.ca.us/clubs/Jazz/History.htm>. Rattenbury, Ken. Duke Ellington, Jazz Composer.

Louis had a hard and painful childhood. In 1922 at the age of 21 Louis moves to Chicago to play cornet in a band lead by Joe Oliver. In September 1924 he leaves Oliver and moves to New York City to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. On November 12th 1925 Louis makes his first recordings as a leader with his own group named the Hot Five. On June 28 1928 Armstrong records one of the most famous jazz songs recorded called “West End Blue”.

From the lively swing orchestras inspiring large audiences to dance, to the softer Bossa Nova sound which is pleasing to hear in a relaxed setting, both have contributed to the growth of musical creativity in Jazz from the 1930’s through today. Shaw first broke through with an unusual string quartet in New York’s Imperial Theater. By early 1937, Shaw had formed a conventional swing band which would eventually record “Begin the Beguine”. Tormented by the pressures that came with unwanted fame, Artie Shaw disbanded his band at the height of his fame, but was able to mount a comeback with a new band the following year to record many more hit songs. Artie Shaw would go on to serve honorably in the US Navy during World War 2, but after returning in the mid-40’s it became clear that the times had changed, and it was no longer economically viable to support a big swing band.