res o u rc e g ui de 2012-2013
From the Cass Corridor to the World Tuesday, January 22, 2013 11 am – 12 Noon Detroit School of the Arts School Day Performance
UMS Yo ut h Ed ucation Prog ra m
TA BL E OF CO NT ENT S 03 foreword: an Interview with Mark
04 ATTENDING THE PERFORMANCE 05 Being an Audience Member 06 The Details
08 THE ARTISTS 09 Artist Bios
12 CULTURAL CONTEXT: DETROIT 13 Map + Basic Facts 1 4 Timeline
16 THE ART FORM: INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ 1 7 Jazz 101 18 Elements of Jazz
20 RESOURCES 21 Online Resources
24 UMS: BE PRESENT
2
25 About UMS
734.615.0122
w w w . ums . o r g
23 Recommended Reading
26 Thank You!
fore wo rd : IN T ERVI EW W I T H M A RK Sigal Hemy (SH): What was your thought behind putting this project together? Mark Jacobson (MJ): The city of Detroit has such a storied history as an incubator for some of the great music and musicians of the second half of the 20th century. As UMS is celebrating our 100th season in Hill Auditorium, we really wanted to shine a spotlight on this astounding period of creativity. SH: What made you decide on the format of a house band and rotating wind players? M ARK JACOBSON,
MJ: Pianist and composer Geri Allen was at the very top of our list to lead the artistic direction
CURATOR
of this project – a concert project that is trying to encompass a very broad period of time and many musical sub-genres. The house band – actually, a piano trio comprised of Geri, Bob Hurst, and Karriem Riggins – are all native Detroiters who are unquestionably “top-shelf” soloists and collaborators in their own regard. This format immediately seemed to be the perfect vehicle to showcase some of the most special instrumental and vocal soloists from the city. Geri and her trio are an extant group that has already enjoyed performing together in many of the greatest jazz clubs and venues around the world. SH: How do you think the jazz tradition in Detroit is different from the tradition in any other city? What has made it that way? MJ: The history of jazz in Detroit certainly can be attributed to three things: 1) the high standards of music education in the public school system; 2) music in the church; 3) music in the home. That being said, other cities including New Orleans, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago have storied histories, as well. African-American families relocated in significant numbers to Detroit in the ‘40s and ‘50s for jobs and a high-quality life. This migration contributed to Detroit becoming an important American jazz center, especially in the hardbop and post-bop styles prevalent in the ‘50s and early ‘60s. The dedication of musical mentors (such as Marcus Belgrave) and one of the strongest public school music programs in the country kept Detroit at the forefront. SH: What does holding this performance in Detroit, rather than Ann Arbor, mean to you? MJ: In addition to our School Day Performance in Detroit, UMS is partnering with the 2013 University of Michigan MLK Day Symposium for an evening-length concert at Hill Auditorium communicated and personified in jazz improvisation with America’s civil rights movement. Geri and I knew all along that this concert project needed to directly impact today’s youth living in Detroit and we seized the opportunity to share this incredible music and history with Detroit Public School students at the Detroit School of Arts Auditorium. Building a figurative bridge that connects Hill Auditorium to the Cass Corridor was an essential component that
3
734.615.0122
needed to be realized.
w w w. u m s .o r g
on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There is no denying the direct link between the freedom
ATT END I NG T HE PERFO R MANC E
w w w. u m s .o r g
www.ums.org
734.615.0122
4
AT T ENDING T HE PERFORMANCE
BEING AN AUDI ENCE ME M B E R When preparing students for a live performing arts event, it is important to address the concept of “concert etiquette.” Aside from helping prevent disruptive behavior, a discussion of concert etiquette can also help students fully enjoy the unique and exciting live performance experience. The following considerations are listed to promote an ideal environment for all audience members.
Your Surroundings • Concert halls and performing arts venues are some of the most grand and beautiful buildings you might ever visit, so be sure to look around while you follow an usher to your group’s seats or once you are in your seat. • UMS Ushers will be stationed throughout the building and are identifiable by their big name badges. They are there to help you be as comfortable as possible and if you have a question (about the performance, about where to go, or about what something is), please ask them, and don’t feel shy, embarrassed, or hesitant in doing so. Sharing the Performance HaLl with Other Audience Members
• As an audience member, you are also part of the performance. Any enthusiasm you might have for the performance may make the performers perform better. So, if you like what you are seeing make sure they know it! Maybe clap, hoot and holler, or stand up and cheer. However, when expressing your own personal enjoyment of the performance, consider whether your fellow audience members will be able to see or hear what’s happening on stage or whether they will miss something because of the sound and movement you are making. Given this consideration, it’s often best to wait until a pause in the performance (a pause of sound, movement, or energy) or to wait until the performer(s) bow to the audience to share your enthusiasm with them. • Out of respect for the performer(s), if you do not like some part of the performance, please do not boo or shout anything
• Consider whether any talking you do during the performance
derogatory. Remember, a lot of hard work went in to creating
will prevent your seat neighbors or other audience members
the performance you are watching and it takes great courage
from hearing. Often in large rock concerts or in movie
for the performer to share his or her art with you.
theaters, the sound is turned up so loud that you can talk and not disturb anyone’s listening experience. However, in other concerts and live theater experiences, the sound is unamplified (or just quiet), and the smallest noise could cause your seat neighbor to miss an important line of dialogue or musical phrase. Movements or lights (from cell phones) may also distract your audience neighbors’ attention away from the stage, again, causing them to miss important action...and there’s no instant replay in live performance!
Share your Experience with Others • An important part of any performing arts experience is sharing it with others. This can include whispering to your seat neighbor during the performance, talking to your friends about what you liked and didn’t like on the bus back to school, or telling your family about the performance when you get home.
• At a performance, you are sharing the physical components of the performance space with other audience members. So, room in such a way that both you and your seat neighbors are comfortable.
w w w. u m s .o r g
consider whether you are sharing the arm rest and the leg
5
734.615.0122
AT T ENDING T HE PERFORMANCE
T HE DETA I L S VENUE Detroit School of Arts Auditorium, 123 Selden Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201
T ICKET S We do not use paper tickets for School Day Performances. We hold school reservations at the door and seat groups upon arrival.
ARRIVAL T IM E Please arrive at the Detroit School of Arts between 10:30-10:50am to allow you time to get seated and comfortable before the show starts.
SEAT ING & USHERS When you arrive at the auditorium, tell the Head Usher at the door the name of your school group and he/she will have ushers escort you to your block of seats. All UMS School Day Performance ushers wear large, blue laminated badges with their names in white letters.
BEFORE T HE START Please allow the usher to seat individuals in your group in the order that they arrive in the auditorium. Once everyone is seated you may then rearrange yourselves and escort students to the bathrooms before the performance starts. PLEASE spread the adults throughout the group of students.
DURING T HE PERFORMANCE At the start of the performance, the lights wIll dim and an onstage UMS staff member will welcome you to the performance and provide important logistical information. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints (for instance, about your comfort or the behavior of surrounding groups) please IMMEDIATELY report the
w w w. u m s .o r g
situation to an usher or staff member in the lobby.
734.615.0122
6
PERFOR MANCE LENGTH One hour with no intermission.
AF T ER T HE PERFORMANCE When the performance ends, remain seated. A UMS staff member will come to the stage and release each group individually based on the location of your seats.
BUS PICK UP When your group is released, please exit the performance hall through the same door you entered. A UMS School Day Performance staff member will be outside to direct you to your bus.
LOS T ST UDENT S A small army of volunteers staff School Day Performances and will be ready to help or direct lost and wandering students.
LOS T IT EM S If someone in your group loses an item at the performance, contact the UMS Youth Education Program (umsyouth@umich.edu) to attempt to help recover the item.
SENDING FEEDBACK We LOVE feedback from students, so after the performance please send us any letters, artwork, or academic papers that your students create in response to the performance: UMS Youth Education Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011.
NO FOOD No food or drink is allowed in the theater.
PAT IENCE Thank you in advance for your patience; in 20 minutes we aim to get 1,000 people from buses into seats and will work as efficiently as possible to make that happen. w w w. u m s .o r g 7
734.615.0122
734.615.0122
w w w. u m s .o r g
T HE ART IST S
www.ums.org
8
T HE ART IST S
ART IST BIOS Geri Allen music director and piano
Karriem Riggins drums
GERI ALLEN Geri Allen is an internationally known composer and pianist. Since 1982, she has recorded, performed, or collaborated with artists as diverse as Ravi Coltrane, Dianne Reeves, Liz Wright, and Simone, Howard University’s Afro Blue, Dewey Redman, Jimmy Cobb, Sandra Turner-Barnes, Marcus Belgrave, Betty Carter, Paul Motion, Terri Lynn Carrington, Hal Wilner, Mino Cinelu, Dr. Billy Taylor, Joan Rivers, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, and many others. Allen has released a number of recordings and will be releasing her new work for solo piano in the new year entitled, Refractions: Flying Toward the Sound, which was composed
Robert Hurst bass
Marcus Belgrave trumpet
Professor Allen has participated in many artistic collaborations, most recently with Trio 3, which includes Oliver Lake, Andrew Cyrille, and Reggie Workman, and they produced a CD entitled At This Time released by Intakt Records. As a composer, Geri Allen has been honored by SESAC, and her skills have won her commissions from Jazz at Lincoln Center, Music Theatre Group, American Music Theatre Festival, Stanford University, and, most recently, from The Walt Whitman Arts Center and Meet the Composer who commissioned For the Healing of the Nations, a Sacred Jazz Work, composed in tribute to the victims and survivors of the 9/11 tragedy. Currently, Professor Allen has been commissioned to compose an Opera for Trilogy: An Opera Company.
during the period of her Guggenheim Fellowship. Recently, Geri Allen was recently invited by Ms. Jessye Norman to participate in “Honor, A Celebration of the Legacy of African Music,” held at Carnegie Hall Spring, 2008. She has received the key to the city of Cambridge (during “Geri Allen Week” at Harvard University) and the key to the city of Cleveland. Howard University has honored her with its Benny Golson Award, while Spelman College bestowed its African Classical Music Award on her in 2007. She was the first artist to receive the “Lady of Soul” Award in Jazz, and was also the youngest person—and the first woman—to receive the Danish Jazzpar Prize. She is also a 2008-2009 Guggenheim Fellow for Musical Composition. A Detroit native, Geri Allen graduated from Cass Technical High School, Detroit’s magnet school for music. She has a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, where she later served as university’s Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Professor Awards. Her master’s degree in ethnomusicology is from the University of Pittsburgh and she is currently on faculty at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
w w w. u m s .o r g
Assistant Professor of Music and was honored with the
9
734.615.0122
T HE ART IST S
ART IST BIOS ROBERT HURSt Robert Hurst, also known as Bob Hurst, is a highly respected and well recognized composer, bassist, educator, recording artist, and business man. A native Detroiter, Hurst burst into national repute as a teenager in the late 1970s. He was only 15 when he started playing gigs around Detroit with
He was only 15 when he started playing gigs around Detroit with his mentor, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.
his mentor, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. He recorded with Out of the Blue in 1985 and worked with Wynton Marsalis from 1986 to 1991. He then switched to Branford Marsalis, joining his band on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Over
Professor Hurst has been involved with the education of jazz and jazz history from a very young age. During the 1980’s, Robert Hurst was awarded a Presidential Scholarship from President Ronald Reagan. He has taught master classes at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Music at the University of Southern California as well as at other educational settings. Hurst will continue to mold the future with his recent appointment as Associate Professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (Ann Arbor), and exercise his artistic influence as a member of the Board of Directors for the John Coltrane Foundation.
more than eight years, Hurst performed,
K a rri e m R i g g i ns
directed, composed, and arranged
Born in Detroit, Mich., Karriem Riggins’ parents realized their
music for the television program and has
son was gifted when he began digging through their records.
scored original music for three films. His
He joined his father Emmanuel, a Motown Records session
cultivation into a membership of talented
musician who performed with jazz guitarist Grant Green, in the
musicians from around the world was
studio to play with instruments in the likeness of a musical great.
fostered by lengthy tours and Grammy
Riggins continued his ongoing affair with music in his education
Award winning recordings featuring:
and made hip-hop music in his spare time. Perhaps best
Charles Lloyd, Dave Brubeck, Harry
known as a jazz drummer and hip-hop producer for artists like
Connick Jr., Terrence Blanchard, Tony Williams, Nicholas Payton,
Common, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, and The Roots, he doesn’t
Sting, Carl Allen, the legendary Pharaoh Sanders, Chris Botti
categorize himself as anything but an artist. “You don’t have to
and Diana Krall. In 1993 he released his first album as a leader to
put yourself in a box…there’s so many different ways to go.”
critical acclaim, and has gone on to establish his own recording company, Bebob Music Inc. After decades based in Los Angeles,
Riggins studied music in high school in Southfield, Michigan and
he has returned to Metro Detroit.
at Cass Tech in Detroit before moving to New York City in 1994 at the age of 19. He played drums in Betty Carter’s band “Jazz
Unrehurst Vol.1, which was truly unrehearsed and Family Album
Ahead.” While Riggins strengthened and developed his forte,
Vol. 1 (Bebob Records) a sophisticated jazz and multi-cultural
the jazz world became enraptured with such an exceptional
vocal and instrumental collection of childhood melodies, are
performer. He followed Gregory Hutchinson into Carter’s band
recent releases of Robert Hurst’s catalog.
and they had also shared sideman roles with Hargrove, Reed,
w w w. u m s .o r g
and Whitaker. Next, he followed his fellow drummer into Ray
734.615.0122
10
Over the years, Robert Hurst has won four Emmy Awards, five
Brown’s trio, another high profile engagement. With Brown, he
Grammy Awards, performed on several RIAA Gold recordings,
backed numerous artists and went on several tours. Along with
and has received Top 10 and Five Star recognition around the
the gigs with Brown was a 1998 appearance with Oscar Peterson
globe. Hurst has scored original music for several films: The
and Milt Jackson, fortunately recorded, at which he was by no
Wood- MTV/ Paramount Productions, Brown Sugar- Fox
means outshone. Riggins went on to perform with and appear
Films, has performed music for: Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s
on recordings with other various jazz greats such as Hank Jones,
Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen, and Good Night, and Good Luck the
Donald Byrd, Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Burrell,
soundtrack, featuring Dianne Reeves, on Concord Records (A
Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, and Diana
2006 Grammy Awardee Jazz Vocal). His recent recordings with
Krall. He even collaborated with former Beatle Paul McCartney
Kenny Garrett and Diana Krall were each nominated for a 2007
in concert and on Kisses on the Bottom in 2011, McCartney’s first
Grammy.
studio release in five years.
T HE ART IST S
ART IST BIOS Not one to abide musical boundaries, Karriem has made major
as Detroit’s foremost jazz musician. He was recently awarded
accomplishments within the hip-hop world as a musician
the singular title of the official “Jazz Master Laureate for the
and producer. He has produced album tracks for Common,
City of Detroit,” as well as a fifty thousand dollar Kresge 2010
Slum Village, The Roots, and Erykah Badu. He’s toured with
Eminent Artist award for his 46 years of service to the young
Common three times, and produced his “Play Your Cards Right”
musicians of Detroit. His performances encompass the history
for Paramount Picture’s feature film Smoking Aces. He helped
of jazz musical styles from early New Orleans, to Swing, Bebop,
Kanye West demo some theme songs for Mission Impossible
and on to the latest contemporary sounds. Marcus continues
III featuring Twista and Keyshia Cole. One of Karriem’s most
to tour and record in the world’s major jazz centers. He was an
personal and esteemed projects was finishing and producing
original member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Marcus
J Dilla’s last project, The Shining. Karriem released his first self-
has performed the music of Louis Armstrong to ovations with
titled album, Music Kaleidoscope showcasing his unique range
Symphonies across America. He was a featured soloist as part
as a hip hop producer and established jazz musician. More
of the Detroit Jazz Master’s concerts with the Lincoln Center
recently, Karriem has played drums and collaborated with Mad-
Jazz Orchestra at Frederick Rose Hall in New York, a concert that
Lib for his High Jazz album. Set for an October 23 release on
included other Detroit Jazz Master’s Yusef Lateef, Ron Carter,
Stones Throw Records, Riggins solo CD Alone Together plants
Curtis Fuller, Charles McPherson, and his protégé’ Geri Allen.
him firmly as a hip-hop producer, with a 34-track instrumental odyssey through nearly every influence on his career thus far. The
Always the teacher, Marcus continues to mentor the next
project was inspired by much of the music he was creating while
generation of jazz musicians. His protégés include the who’s
living in Los Angeles, and also by the love of his son and family.
who of young jazz musicians: violinist, Regina Carter, bassist, Robert Hurst, saxophonist, Kenny Garrett, pianist Geri Allen,
He is a drummer with great technical ability and a considerable
saxophonist James Carter, guitarist, Ray Parker Jr., drummer Ali
measure of taste and finesse and brings vibrancy and
Jackson, the list goes on and on.
exhilaration to his playing. Karriem Riggins continues to embark on a musical voyage, developing and creating music that will captivate audiences and entice the musical senses.
Ma rc us Be lgr ave Marcus Belgrave is Detroit’s internationally recognized jazz trumpet great. He came to prominence in the late 50’s, touring and recording with the late great Ray Charles’ Orchestra, at the height of Ray’s hit-making era. Marcus is heard as a trumpet soloist on some of Ray’s most famous hits, both albums and singles. He always pays tribute to Ray, who mentored him from the young age of 19. He is the only living member of Ray Charles’ small band horn section. He was also mentored by the Great Clifford Brown. Clifford’s early influence on the young Belgrave can still be heard in his tone. Belgrave then spent the early 60’s and recording in the bands of such major innovators as Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, and Max Roach. Many of these classic recordings (on Atlantic, Columbia, and other major labels) have now been re-issued on CD. Belgrave moved to Detroit in the on most of the Motown hits. Marcus has established himself
11
734.615.0122
early 1960s to join Motown Records as staff trumpeter, playing
w w w . ums . o r g
spearheading the modern jazz movement in New York working
CULT UR AL CONT EXT: D E T ROI T Can place create identity? Think about where you grew up – how has it defined you? Has Detroit defined its group of jazz musicians in the same way?
w w w. u m s .o r g
www.ums.org
734.615.0122
12
CULT URAL CON TEXT: DE TROIT
Map + Basic Facts Pop u lat i on : 713,777 (2010 Census)
Stat e : Michigan
G eog ra p h y: Detroit is located in southeastern Michigan. The city was originally named Ville d’Etroit, “city of the straight,” because of its location on the narrowest portion of the Detroit River, the natural border between the United States and Canada. Its current downtown areas, the Woodward and Cass Corridors, run perpendicular to the river.
C li m at e : Designated a humid continental climate, Detroit’s weather changes dramatically with the seasons. It features cold winters, with regular snow (averaging about 48 inches a season) and temperatures dropping below freezing nightly, and hot summers.
D e m og ra p h i cs: Detroit is mainly populated by African Americans, who make up 82.7% of population is 10.6% White and 6.8% Hispanic/Latino.
w w w. u m s .o r g
its population. The remainder of the
13
734.615.0122
CULT URAL CON TEXT: DE TROIT
w w w . ums . o r g
T IM EL I NE
1697
1701
French missionary Louis Hennepin sails up the Detroit River and claims the north side of the narrowest portion for New France.
French officer Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, along with fifty-one of his men, builds Fort Ponchartrain, named for the Marine Minister under Louis XIV. In an effort to develop the area, the French government offers French settlers free land in the surrounding areas.
1805-1847
1896
Detroit serves as the capital of Michigan.
Henry Ford builds his first automobile in a rented workshop in what is today downtown Detroit.
While Detroit is no longer a French territory, we can still see its French heritage in the names of many city streets. Below is a small sampling. How are they pronounced in both French and English?
734.615.0122
14
Gratiot
Dequindre
Charlevoix
Joseph Campeau
1760
1796
During the French and Indian War, British officers capture Fort Ponchartrain and shorten the surrounding area’s name to Detroit.
Britain cedes the Northwest Territory, including all of present-day Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, to the recently-founded United States.
1960 Motown Records is founded in Detroit. The company records artists such as Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.
w w w. u m s .o r g 15
734.615.0122
T HE ART FO R M : IN T RO D U CT I O N TO J A Z Z
w w w. u m s .o r g
www.ums.org
734.615.0122
16
T HE ART FORM: INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ
JAZZ 101 The entry for Jazz in Grove Music online The term ‘jazz’ conveys different though related meanings: 1) a musical tradition rooted in performing conventions that were introduced and developed early in the 20th century by African Americans; 2) a set of attitudes and assumptions brought to music-making, chief among them the notion of performance as a fluid creative process involving improvisation; and 3) a style characterized by syncopation, melodic and harmonic elements derived from the blues, cyclical formal structures and a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing known as swing.
Writers have often portrayed the history of jazz as a narrative of
Although often used to designate a single musical idiom, ‘jazz’
progress. Their accounts show jazz evolving from a boisterous
(like the signifier ‘classical’) refers to an extended family of
type of dance music into forms of increasing complexity,
genres, with all members sharing at least some traits in common
gradually rising in prestige to become an artistic tradition
yet none capable of representing the whole. Second, the varying
revered around the world. Certainly, attitudes towards the
functions of jazz have made it difficult to perceive as a unified
music have changed dramatically. In 1924 an editorial writer
entity. Jazz can be background sounds for social recreation,
for The New York Times called jazz ‘a return to the humming,
lively accompaniment for dancing or music that invites close
hand-clapping, or tomtom beating of savages’; in 1987 the
listening and deep concentration – and the same performance
United States Congress passed a resolution designating jazz
might operate on these different levels simultaneously. Third,
‘an outstanding model of individual expression’ and ‘a rare and
the subject of race has generated heated debate over jazz
valuable national American treasure’. In keeping with this general
and shaped its reception. While jazz is a product of black
theme of progress, historians have emphasized innovation as a
American expressive culture, it has always been open to musical
primary force driving jazz forward, identifying new techniques,
influences from other traditions and since the 1920s has been
concepts and structures that presumably helped push the
performed by musicians of varying backgrounds throughout the
music to ever higher stages of development.
world. In different eras, for example, commercially successful white musicians such as the bandleader Paul Whiteman and the
But tracing lines of evolution and innovation in jazz reveals
saxophonist Kenny G have been identified by large segments of
only part of a story much broader in scope and more complex
the public as major exponents of jazz. Many others, however,
in structure. For if some musicians have sought to make a
view these two as standing outside the tradition altogether
mark as adventurous innovators, many others have viewed
and consider jazz to be a form of ‘black music’ in which
themselves as stalwart bearers of tradition. If some have
black Americans have been the leading innovators and most
struggled as uncompromising creative artists whose work
authoritative practitioners.
reaches only a small, select audience, others have flourished providing entertainment for the masses. And if jazz has
www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/subscriber/
undeniably accrued status and respect over the years, it has
article/grove/music/45011
Several factors account for the volatility of jazz as an object of
w w w. u m s .o r g
also consistently provoked controversy. The term itself has often
study. First, its musical identity cannot be isolated or delimited.
17
carried negative associations, which is partly why Duke Ellington and other musicians spurned the label, and why Max Roach once told an interviewer, ‘I resent the word unequivocally’.
734.615.0122
T HE ART FORM: INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ
Elements of J azz Imp rov i sat i on Perhaps jazz’s most essential ingredient, improvisation is spontaneous composition; that is, each musician “makes up” what he is playing as he is playing it (easier said than done). This is very similar to regular conversation. In order to improvise, a musician needs to: • be able to technically play her instrument well • have an understanding of the way notes and chords go together • be able to “play by ear” (i.e., the ability to play the music one “hears” in his/her head without reading music) • be able to play a wide variety of styles, for example jazz, blues, rock, pop, classical, etc.
R h yt h m According to the American Heritage Dictionary, rhythm is “a regular pattern formed by a series of notes of differing duration and stress.” Rhythm is also... • that part of the music which concerns how long or short each note is played • the beat of the music • that part of the music that makes the listener want to tap his/her foot • the “feel” of a tune (song); a tune’s “groove” (i.e., rock, funk, swing, salsa, etc.) Jazz rhythms can range from simple to extremely complex; however, underlying even the most complex rhythms performed by each individual musician in a jazz group is an underlying pulse (the beat), that which makes the listener able to tap his/her foot with the music. While most jazz utilizes a steady pulse (beat), certain styles of jazz are played “freely” with no steady beat. Below are a few other terms that relate to rhythm: Tempo is the speed of the pulse (beat), and in jazz tempos range from very slow (ballads) to extremely fast (tunes that are “burning”) Syncopation is the accenting of beats that are normally not accented,
w w w. u m s .o r g
for example, stressing the notes that are on the up beat (i.e., when one’s
734.615.0122
18
foot is in the air - or up position . when tapping normally with the beat of the music). Swing is a difficult-to-define rhythmic concept. For the musician, swing is a manner of playing a steady stream of notes in a long-short-longshort pattern. For the listener, swing feels like the music has buoyancy, rhythmic lilt, and liveliness.
T HE ART FORM: INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ
Elements of J azz S o un ds an d Instruments Jazz musicians play their instruments utilizing the complete gamut of tone/sound colors that their instruments will allow. Jazz musicians will bend pitches, “growl,” “whine,” play “raunchy,” “dark,” “light,” “airy,” “raspy,” “bluesy,” “throaty,” “nasally” (anything the human voice can do to express emotion and then some) in addition to also playing with clear, focused, or pure tone. The most common instruments associated with jazz are as follows in order of the strength of their association:
1
s axoph o ne
5
cl ar in e t
2
tr u mpet
6
t ro m bo n e
3
pian o, ba ss, a nd drums (kn own a s the rhyt hm secti on)
7
f lu t e
4
gu itar
8
A l l ot h e r in st r u m e n t s!
* Th e voic e is a l so a ja zz i nstrument, t h o u g h o n e bu ilt in to t h e h u m an bo dy.
Each instrument has its own general tone color and each musician has her own particular sound on that instrument. Although, for example, a saxophone sounds like a saxophone no matter who’s playing it, most jazz musicians and aficionados can distinguish one saxophonist from another by her tone alone...in the same way that we can distinguish one human voice from another. Even if we hear someone speak whom we haven’t talked to in months, we usually can distinguish who it is even after just one “hello” on the phone: that’s how distinctive one particular voice can be; that’s how distinctive one saxophonist’s sound can be! And many jazz musicians strive for that kind of distinction.
H a rmon y Two or more notes played at the same time constitutes harmony; also known as a chord (also known as a “change” among jazz musicians). Each chord and each chord voicing (the way the notes are arranged) can depict a different emotion, e.g., happy, sad, angry, hopeful, etc. Most can’t be labeled as conveying a specific emotion because the feeling is different for every listener; “music is in the ears of the beholder”! A series of chords, known as a chord progression or simply the “changes,” accompanies the composed or improvised melodies tunes.
Fo rm
w w w. u m s .o r g
Form can be considered a tune’s “musical blueprint,” allowing each musician -- and educated listener -- to keep his place in the structure. Each different section of a chord progression is assigned a different letter. For example: if a tune is 24 measures long and is divided into three eight-measure sections with the first two sections containing a set of identical chords and the last section containing a set of different chords, the form is AAB. In a jazz performance, the form of a tune, i.e., all the chords of the tune in a predetermined sequence (such as AAB, AABA, ABAC, etc.) will be repeated over and over; each time through is called a chorus.
19
734.615.0122
734.615.0122
w w w. u m s .o r g
RES O URCES
www.ums.org
20
RESOURCES
ON LI NE RES O URCES K enn edy Center ArtsEd ge
N PR Ja zz
www.artsedge.org
www.nprjazz.org
Spotlight: Celebrating Jazz
Jazzset with Dee Dee Bridge Water
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3944/
www.npr.org/programs/jazzset/index.html
Rhythm & Improv, Jazz & Poetry
Jazz Profiles hosted by Nancy Wilson
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3654/
www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles
The musicality of words is an important element of poetry,
This compelling documentary series chronicles the people,
and many poets carefully consider the sound of the words
places, and events in jazz history. By combining archival
on the page. Students will listen to and analyze jazz music,
recordings, interviews, and narration, each program in the
specifically considering sound, rhythm, and improvisation.
series tells an informative story that celebrates the music and
Students will identify jazz characteristics in poems by Yusef
the musicians of this uniquely American art form.
Komunyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, and Langston Hughes, and will incorporate these elements in their own original poetry.
Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/
You Keep Making Stuff Up! http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3811/
This Peabody-award winning show produced by South Carolina Educational Radio features Marian McPartland and
Improvisation exists in many musical genres, from jazz to
her guests reminiscing, improvising, and swapping stories,
Salsa to Afro-Cuban music. It is a concept and skill that often
songs, and techniques about jazz each week.
seems daunting to the novice and music-lover alike, but it doesn’t take an expert to learn to improvise. In this lesson, student will explore the basics of improvisation, listening to jazz and other genre excerpts and identifying elements of improvisation in these genres. Students will learn to play and sing the accompaniment and melody for an original song about improvisation. Finally, students will perform the song as an ensemble, taking turns to improvise on the music. Jazz in Time www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3949/ Developed for middle and high school audiences, this interactive timeline follows the development of this great American art form. Divided by decade, the timeline highlights period through music and images.
w w w. u m s .o r g
events that helped shape jazz and illustrates the styles of each
21
734.615.0122
RESOURCES
ON LI NE RES O URCES Jaz z at Lincoln Center
Oth e r
http://jalc.org/jazzED The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz The Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) mission is to engage listeners,
www.jazzinamerica.org/
performers, and educators of every age with a continuum of experiences in appreciation and performance that reflect the
The mission of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is
virtuosity, creativity, and inclusive spirit of jazz. Their Nesuhi
to offer public school-based jazz education programs for
Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame Online chronicles the life and art
young people around the world, helping students develop
of each of the Hall’s inductees through dynamic interactive
imaginative thinking, creativity, curiosity, a positive self image,
timelines, extensive musical selections, rare photographs and
and a respect for their own and others’ cultural heritage.
archival footage. (www.jalc.org/halloffame)
The National Jazz Curriculum: Located on the Web at www.jazzinamerica.org, his Internet-based jazz curriculum is
Jazz for Young People™ Online
available to every 5th, 8th, and 11th grade public school social
www.jazzforyoungpeople.org
studies and American history classroom in the United States.
Intended primarily for 4th-9th graders, the multimedia kit is
Smithsonian Jazz Class
designed for both musicians and non-musicians and provides
www.smithsonianjazz.org
flexible lessons that can be taught in one semester-long unit or in shorter, individual units.
Visit “Jazz Classes” to hear the elegant Duke Ellington, the scat singer extraordinaire Ella Fitzgerald, Louis “Satchmo”
Jazz in the Schools
Armstrong, and swingin’ Benny Carter. There is also a cool
www.neajazzintheschools.org
Duke Ellington Interactive lesson. For those of you who want to find out more about jazz, click on “What is Jazz” to answer
NEA Jazz in the Schools is a web-based curriculum and
your questions.
dvd tool kit that explores jazz as an indigenous American art form and as a means to understand American history.
PBS Jazz
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts
www.pbs.org/jazz/classroom/
(NEA), Jazz at Lincoln Center has produced a free educational resource for high school teachers of social studies, history, and
The resources offered here are designed to help you use the
music. NEA Jazz in the Schools explores jazz as an indigenous
PBS JAZZ video series and companion Web site in music,
American art form and as a means to understand American
social studies, math, and language arts classes. The lesson
history. This web-based curriculum and DVD toolkit includes a
plans may also be adapted for use as stand-alone resources.
teacher’s guide of five curricular units with teacher tips, cross-
This site includes Lessons and Activities for Grades K-5,
curricular activities, and assessment methods. Each kit also
Lessons and Activities for Grades 6-12, and General Motors
includes student materials, a timeline poster, and audio and
Music Study Guide for Grades 5-8. PBS has produced several
video resources.
programs that touch on the music and the people of jazz.
w w w. u m s .o r g
Explore some of the best of PBS cultural programming.
734.615.0122
22
www.pbs.org/jazz/links/
RESOURCES
Recommen d e d Rea d ing ELEMENTARY GRADES • Hip Cat by Jonathan London, Woodleigh Hubbard (Illustrator) • Mysterious Thelonius by Chris Raschka • The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub, Karen Hanke (Illustrator) • Ella Fitzgerald: A Young Vocal Virtuoso by Andrea Davis Pinkney • Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney • The Sound That Jazz Makes by Carole Boston Weatherford • John Coltrane’s Giant Steps by Chris Raschka and John Coltrane • Charlie Parker Played Bebop by Chris Raschka • DJ and the Jazz Fest by Denise Walker McConduit • The Jazzy Alphabet by Sherry Shahan • Who Bop? by Johnathon London • Bring on That Beat by Rachel Isadora
SECONDARY GRADES • Jazz Makers: Vanguards of Sound by Alyn Shipton • American Jazz Musicians (A Collective Biography) by Stanley Mour • Jazz and Its History (Masters of Music) by Giuseppe Vigna • The Golden Age of Jazz by William Gottleib • Louis Armstrong - A Self Portrait by Richard Meryman • The Art of Jazz by Martin Williams • Sweet Sing Blues on the Road by Wynton Marsalis and Frank Stewart • The Music of Black Americans by Eileen Southern • The Duke Ellington Reader by Mark Tucker
w w w. u m s .o r g 23
734.615.0122
BE PRESENT
www.ums.org
24
BE PRESENT
ABOU T UM S
One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and international partners. Learning is core to UMS’s mission, and it is our joy to provide creative learning experiences for our entire community. Every season, we offer a spectrum of Education and Community Engagement activities focusing on K-12 students, teachers, teens, university students, families, adults, and cultural and ethnic communities. We exist to create a spark in each person, young and old alike, exposing them to things they haven’t before seen, and leaving them with an ongoing and lifelong passion for creativity and the performing arts.
UMS Education and Community Engagement Department Mailing Address
Staff
100 Burton Memorial Tower
Ken Fischer
881 North University Ave
UMS President
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011
Director
Emily Barkakati
Mary Roeder
Indira Bhattacharjee
Associate Manager of Community Engagement
Sigal Hemy
Omari Rush
Charlie Reischl
Education Manager
w w w. u m s .o r g
Interns
Jim Leija
25
734.615.0122
BE PRESENT
w w w . ums . o r g
T HANK YOU!
734.615.0122
26
Thank you for your interest in learning about or attending one of our UMS School Day Performances.
These performances are made possible through the generous support of individuals, corporations, and foundations, including the following UMS Education and Community Engagement Supporters:
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Bernard and Raquel Agranoff Barbara A. Anderson and John H. Romani Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation Anonymous Arts at Michigan Arts Midwest Touring Fund Association of Performing Arts Presenters John and Linda Axe Bank of Ann Arbor Rachel Bendit and Mark Bernstein Kathy Benton and Robert Brown Richard S. Berger Mary Ellen Brademas David and Valerie Canter Center for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Charles Reinhart Company, Realtors, Nancy Bishop, Associate Broker Clark Hill PLC Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Confucius Institute at the University of Michigan Dallas and Sharon Dort Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund DTE Energy Foundation Kenneth and Frances Eisenberg David and Jo-Anna Featherman Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Anne and Paul Glendon Fred and Barbara Goldberg Kathy and Tom Goldberg Drs. Patricia and Stephen Green Robert and Ann Greenstone Debbie and Norman Herbert David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP Hooper Hathaway, P.C., Charles W. Borgsdorf & William Stapleton, attorneys
University of Michigan
JazzNet Endowment Mark and Janice Kielb Jean and Arnold Kluge John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Leo and Kathy Legatski Mardi Gras Fund Masco Corporation Foundation Ernest and Adele McCarus Merrill Lynch Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs Michigan Humanities Council Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION [of R. & P. Heydon] National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters Live Quincy and Rob Northrup Lisa A. Payne PNC Foundation The Power Foundation Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund Ren and Susan Snyder John W. and Gail Ferguson Stout Stout Systems Karen and David Stutz Robert S. and Julia Reyes Taubman Toyota UMS Advisory Committee University of Michigan (U-M) Center for Chinese Studies U-M Credit Union U-M Health System U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs U-M Office of the Vice President for Research Wallace Endowment Fund Max Wicha and Sheila Crowley
This Teacher Resource Guide is the product of the UMS Youth Education Program. Edi ted by
Sigal Hemy
Omari Rush
Additionally, we appreciate Mark Jacobson for his contribution to this guide and guidance in its development.
w w w. u m s .o r g
R es earc h e d and wri tt en by
27
734.615.0122
www . u m s . o r g