Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist known presently for his solo work and previously as the guitarist for legendary trumpeter Miles Davis in the early 1980s. Much of Stern’s compositions and improvisations incorporate a variety of musical styles including rock, blues and jazz traditions. Big Neighborhood is Stern’s 14th solo album released in 2009. The album is recognized for its eclectic musical styles and guest artist collaborations. As one reviewer states, “Big Neighborhood’s styles range from blazing jazz-fusion to African tinged exotica and trippy Middle Eastern journeys.” (Widran, 2009). Both reviews incorporate Stern’s diverse musical content and guest artists as the focus for their arguments.
AllMusic’s Jonathan Widran recognizes
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Widran thinks collaborating with other musicians’ native styles is crucial when experimenting with new types of music and enhanced Big Neighborhood’s authenticity while Fordham believes the collaborations were forced in a failed attempt to create a new sound for Stern. Fordham makes an interesting point about the collaborations in the album that I agree with. The tracks “Moroccan Roll” and “Check One” have a very similar, if not the same, vibe as previous works from John McLaughlin and John Scofield. However, I think that Widran is correct in thinking hiring artists native in the style you wish to pursue helps add to the albums authenticity. This sort of thing happens commonly in music, and a good example of this would be Herbie Hancock hiring funk musicians, rather than jazz musicians, to get a more authentic funk sound. Though unlike Hancock, Stern does not sound as if he is creating a groundbreaking new sound for himself or his preferred jazz-rock idiom in Big Neighborhood. It sounds to me as if Stern is emulating other artists’ styles rather than creating a fresh voice for himself. I also disagree with Fordham when it comes to his views on Stern’s general voice as an artist. When I first heard Stern play I could hear a unique sound right away. His heavy use of chorus gives him a very distinct sound on the instrument that makes him recognizable even in the diverse genres displayed in Big Neighborhood. I sense in Widran’s review too that he may have formed his positive views on Stern because of his widespread popularity and accomplishments over the course of his career. I oppose this idea because often times many great artists do not get immediate praise for their work, and similarly many genres do not get considered for prestigious awards such as the Grammys. I generally regard Stern as being a very talented and well-versed musician, but overall I was
Chicago in the 1920s was a turning point for the development of ethnic neighborhoods. After the opening of the first rail connection from New York to Chicago in the 1840s, immigration sky rocketed from that point on. Majority of the immigrants to Chicago were Europeans. The Irish, Italians, eastern European Jews, Germans, and Mexicans were among the most common ethnicities to reside in Chicago. These groups made up the greater part of Chicago. The sudden increase in immigration to Chicago in the 1920s soon led to an even further distinguished separation of ethnicities in neighborhoods. The overall development of these neighborhoods deeply impacted how Chicago is sectioned off nowadays. Without these ethnicities immigrating to Chicago almost 100 years ago, Chicago neighborhoods would not be as culturally defined and shaped as they are today.
3. Davis, Nathan T. Writings in Jazz. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dubuque, IA. 1996. p. 152-153, 163, 166.
...t deeper into the genre by telling of his losses following Katrina and his experience with musicians that are not so well known to the outsiders of the jazz community. Additionally, his aim was to make known that a façade exists about what many consider New Orleans jazz. He credits a “commercial culture” that has led to an “ignorance” about what the music represents (826). White also touched on what he considers to be a new jazz era in the aftermath of the hurricane.
Jazz music’s roots go deeper than most people could ever begin to imagine. Whether it is the influencing of other styles of music, the broadening of other media forms, or even the molding and shaping of the atmosphere of entire cities, jazz usually has a part in it. And with an impressive career spanning over 50 years, countless hits that are being replicated in numerous forms even today, and the pivotal part that he played in the Harlem Renaissance , it is almost impossible to talk about anything jazz related without mentioning Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.
It would be an understatement to say that Miles Dewey Davis III was one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Widely considered one of the most revolutionary and influential figures in the history of music of the twentieth century, Miles Davis has played an integral role in shaping the sounds of jazz, one of the few uniquely and entirely American genres. Needless to say, the brilliant artistry that coolly flowed from his trumpet speaks for itself and clearly shows what a phenomenally inventive and talented musician he was. One could go on and on discussing, analyzing, and meticulously scrutinizing his music, as has been done readily in the past, but the purpose of this paper is to examine his rare appearances on television and the impact his music had on American culture.
Before the war started, a wealthy white man by the name of John Hammond worked to integrate black and white music.1 Since his childhood, he enjoyed the music of numerous black artists, and he wanted to share his love with the rest of America. He used much of his inherited fortune to make this possible. He went against the general opinion of society and his parents, who despised black people. Hammond refused to ignore black artists’ musical abilities because of their color, “I did not revolt against the system, I simply refused to be a part of it.”2 He used his money to organize the most eclectic group of musicians ever assembled, for an integrated audience of his time. Hammond’s efforts made an indelible impact on the music industry. The musicians Hammond introduced in...
The rapid development of jazz in both the United States and Europe generated a number of diverse musical expressions, including musics that most listeners today would not recognize as “jazz” music. In order to remedy this situation, jazz musicians and critics after 1930 began to codify what “real” jazz encompassed, and more importantly, what “real” jazz did not encompass. This construction of authenticity, often demarcated along racial lines, served to relegate several artists and styles (those outside a “mainstream” to the margins of historiography.
Throughout Pittsburgh history, the area has produced many acclaimed musicians and music organizations that have created music that has been enjoyed across America. Pittsburgh is a city of music with a history in Jazz, Classical, Pop, Doo-Wop, Rock, and most currently Rap. Many of Pittsburgh’s old musicians are award winning performers and song writers who have sold millions of records. Their music can now be heard on movies, TV, and even Broadway shows. These famous artists would be nothing without their teachers, producers, music promoters, managers, and radio personalities. This essay will take a look back into the roots of Pittsburgh to examine its historical and cultural music background.
Back in the day, music is not readily available online at the tip of your fingertips. Fifty years ago, you would listen to the radio and that’s how you knew what records to buy. Radio stations in large music cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Nashville normally set the standard for the most popular music. New music emerges in their city, than gets released on their local radio stations, and the music becomes a smash hit. This is not the case for the small town radio station of CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. As television was drastically changing the radio industry, CKLW had to change to keep up. This change is what resulted into CKLW- The Big 8, a radio station that created new standards of radio hosting as well as rock and roll music. CKLW influenced not only music throughout North America but the entire music industry such as Bill Drake's "Boss Radio” technique, and how this station influenced its home city of Windsor, Ontario. CKLW evolved from a small city radio station to become “The Big 8” a huge nationwide music icon that was responsible for not only changing the music industry but changing the face of radio forever.
Jazz, the “purest expression of American democracy; a music built on individualism and compromise, independence and cooperation” has had a great impact on American life since the early 1900s (Burns, 2009). When jazz first emerged on the scene, it immediately made a profound impact on all individuals who experienced it. It didn’t matter who you were. This being said, jazz was especially life changing for the African American population. It opened the door of opportunity for this group of people, and they quickly grasped onto this chance before it could disappear. The development of jazz can be viewed as a reaction to American life because it worked as a form of expression, placed an emphasis on collaboration,
Paul, Minnesota University, Banfield informs students of Rhythm and Blues' history and how it came to be from unsung musicians who innovated the sound during the end of World War II to its involvement with Hip-Hop. Its sub-genres include Doo-Wop, Soul, Funk, Dance and Disco that are credited for evolving the music's five decade reign on the charts. Along with artists such as The Temptations, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Bobby Womack and Isaac Hayes who gave this music its raw energy and prowess to define an era of racial tension and the need for change. From the late 60's to the early 70's, Rhythm and Blues brought out a gritty sound to shout for a need to change by giving a voice to those who want change to happen. According to his book, Representing Black Music Culture: Then, Now, and When Again? Banfield talks about the “the rise and (he argues) the fall of black music from the early 1960s to the present. However, Banfield paints a vivid picture of the development of and trends in the music that have led up to the current rap scene and pressure on artists to become publicity. Sensations rather than bona fide
Jazz, which evolved from African American folk music, has developed and changed over the last century to become an art form in America. It places particular importance on inventive self interpretation. Rather than relying on a written piece, the artist improvises. Jazz has taken many forms over the past seventy years; there is almost always a single person who can be credited with the evolution of that sound. From Thelonius Monk, and his bebop, to Dizzy Gillespie’s big band, to Miles Davis’ cool jazz, or to John Coltrane’s free jazz; America’s music has been developed and refined countless times through individual experimentation and innovation. In my opinion the most noteworthy artist in the development of modern jazz is John Coltrane. In this paper, I will focus on the way in which Coltrane’s musical originality was related to the sounds of his predecessors and to the tribulations and tragedies of his life.
Whaley Preston, Blows Like a Horn: Beat Writing, Jazz, Style, and Markets in the Transformation of U.S. Culture, Cambridge, Mass : Harvard University Press. 2004
Jazz is a form of art music developed by Black Americans in the early twentieth century and was emerged from many cultures that branched out into many different styles. The development of jazz was influenced by some great musicians. One of the prominent one was Lester Young, an American jazz tenor-saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. His style has influenced many other well known musicians in the jazz history, leading him to play a significant role in the development of jazz. He undoubtedly was a masterful innovator from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940s, not only because he changed the way saxophone was played, but also because he changed the art of jazz itself.
Swing music – and its predecessor, jazz – is, as famed swing artist Benny Goodman put it, “folk music special to the United States” (Erenberg 65). It is perhaps one of the most “American” genres of music. The very characteristics that define swing music are uniquely “American”; it is lively, promotes freedom of expression (through improvisation), and bursts with seemingly endless optimism. It is energetic, youthful, and most importantly, unifying. As it is formed from a mix of elements from African American, European and American folk music, swing played a crucial part in bringing the issue racial integration to the forefront of the American psyche, especially among the younger population. It is no surprise that swing was so wildly popular – it promised “personal freedom, hope for a better life, and a measure. . . of racial acceptance” (Erenberg 70), which seems an apt remedy for a society suffering from not only widespread unemployment and hardship, but also rampant racism and classism.