Jean-Michel Serres, Composer-pianist (Apfel Café Music): Website

10 January 201523 August 2023

Glossary of Jazz

■A Cappella

To do Chorus or vocal solo without accompaniments. In Jazz, it’s difficult and added scats. The origin of the word is ‘like chapel music’ in Italy.

■Ad Lib

Ad Lib means Solo performances by improvisation. Basically Jazz players perform ad lib along with a cord progression of theme. The origin of the word is ‘Ad Libitum’ (for free) in Latin.

■Alternative Take

Rejected takes from original release of records.

■Articulation

Delicate performance techniques to cut or to tie a tone to a tone.

■Battle

Some players take solos by turns in ad lib.

■Bird

The nickname of Charlie Parker.

■Blindfold Test

Shut out the information and make examinees to listen to the song(s), then examinees guess the performers and give their opinions.

■Block Chord> (Geroge Shirring Method)

The piano harmonize method set 4 tones in closed positions (within one octave under melodies).

■Blue Note

Specific tones of Blues. They are three tones of E-flat, G-flat and B-flat.

■Blue Note Scale

The scale inserted blue notes.

■Blues Form

The form of blues is composed of 12 bars by a pattern of basic 3 cords (Ⅰ – Ⅳ – Ⅴ) cycles.

■Bounce

Playing brightly and easy in middle tempo.

■Brass Section

Brass part of orchestra. Usually it consists of 4 of trumpets and 4 of trombone.

■Break

Blank parts in songs, stop melody and rhythm.

■Brownie

The nickname of Clifford Brown.

■Call and Response

Dialogue by instruments or a vocal.

■Chase

Some players take solos by turns in a measures (usually 4 or 8 bars). Chase also called 4 bars (change) or 8 bars (change).

■Chorus

Sections expresse theme of a song.

■Cliche

Cliche means fixed form. In Jazz, for example C major cord continues in a song. it can move the code like C-Cm7-C6-Cm7.

■Combo

Small formation of band.

■Comping

Comping means to do accompaniment. Similar mean to backing.

■Drive

Characteristic brilliant rhythm feeling of Jazz performance.

■Ellingtonians

Musician enrolled the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and support the sound of Ellington. Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Ray Nance, Cootie Williams and Barney Bigard.

■Fake

Breaking a song listeners somehow can realize the original.

■Format

Compositions of instruments or numbers of members.

■Front Line

Front line means a horn section compared with a rhythm section.

■Gig

Regular live performance works for free musicians.

■Groove

The word Groove is a similar mean to Swing. It signifies feeling of undulation and beat in Jazz.

■Growl Tone (Grow Tone, Dirty Tone)

Distorted tone or such performance by wind instruments.

■Harmonize

Take harmonies to a melody.

■Head Arrangement

Scores wrote rough arrangement and melodies,

■House Band

A band appears in a Jazz club or live house, attached to them.

■Idiom

Idiom in Jazz means feeling of a album or a song, style, characteristic or manner of performance.

■Improvisation

Playing music instantaneous without resorting to scores, Equal mean to ad lib.

■Interplay

Interplay means interactions in playing Jazz. Players improvisational perform their music affecting mutual.

■Jam Session

Musicians happened to be there, play ad lib performance by a easy previous arrangement for their own pleasure.

■Laid Back

Playing sticky to a rhythm.

■Leader Album

The albums planed and recorded by a specific leader, Also the album released by the name of the leader.

■Liner Notes

Handbooks attached Record or CDs.

■Marathon Session

■Modern Jazz

Total name of Jazz style after Swing Jazz. But Resurgence of Traditionalism or Modern Traditional is not included to Modern Jazz.

■Niagara Fall

The word signified wild drum roll play by Art Blakey.

■Off Beat> (After Beat)

In Jazz often the second and fourth beats are emphasised. Way of play like this called off beat.

■Percussive Tone

Plosive tones have strong attack by wind instruments.

■Personnel

Members take part in a Jazz album.

■Phrasing

Deciding divides of melodies.

■Polyrhythm

Adopting plural different rhythms.

■Quartet

Bands consisted by 4 members. Usually in Jazz it is organized by a piano trio and a solo wind instrument player.

■Quintet

Bands consisted by 5 members. Usually in Jazz it is organized by a piano trio and two solo wind instrument player.

■Refrain

In Jazz, refrain means theme parts of the song.

■Reharmonize

Hamonize again to songs by using alternative code, and it become more complex. Players can obtain rather modern sound by this method.

■Rhythm Change

Cyclic code called by american musicians.

■Rhythm Section

The section is in charge of rhythm in a band, Usually it includes a piano, a guitar, a bass or a drum.

■Riff

Instrumental melodies without lyrics. Many of riffs are repetition of easy melody.

■Rubato

Not set order a tempo, to play music slowly and quickly in a song.

■Sheets of Sounds

The tenor play style by John Coltrane. Coltrane brake up code progressions and established the modal idiom free from the bondage of code. It make him play tenor like sound overflow and paved.

■Shirring Style

The style suggested by George Shirring. Three of instruments, vibraphone, guitar and piano play melodies unison.

■Side-Men

Players not a leader or featured artist.

■Sit in

To take part in a band, he or she not a regular member.

■Soli

Plural form of solo. Soli means performances featured a section on Big Band.

■Standard Form

The form of one chorus consists of 32 bars of A-A-B-A (each part are 8 bars).

■Standard Number

Masterpieces or popular songs played by many players.

■Straight Ahead

The Jazz style succeed the tradition of 4 beat Jazz.

■Swing

Feeling of rhythm shake or swing bodies naturally. To do ‘swing’ or not is the absolute requirement in Jazz.

■Tension Note

Tone added the basic cord to heighten the tension of sound. Such as 9th, 11th and 13th notes.

■Theme

Theme part of a song. Same mean of chorus in Jazz.

■Tutti

Tutti means all of players playing simultaneously in big bands or orchestra, and indication to do so.

■Two-Five
The typical cord progression of Jazz, especially Be Bop. For example like Ⅰ – Ⅱ – Ⅴ – Ⅰ or Ⅰ – Ⅳ – Ⅱ – Ⅴ.

■Vamp

Brief accompaniment by codes and rhythm.

■Walking Bass

The playing style of 4 beat Jazz (Bebop, Hard Bop). Bass line up side down along with 4 beats, it makes swing feeling.

Music performed by african americans or Creoles around New Orleans was totally called ‘New Orleans Jazz’. There are various styles from powerful improvisational black music affected by bass bands to music by Creoles for whites like chamber music. These bands consists of front line of trumpet, trombone and clarinet with tuba, guitar, banjo, wood bass, piano and drums.

■Dixieland Jazz 1910s – 1920s

Whites began to imitate New Orleans Jazz by blacks, the music came to called Dixieland Jazz. And the Dixieland Jazz spread all over United States.

artists: Original Dixieland Jass Band

■Chicago Jazz (Chicago Style, Hot Jazz) 1910s – 1920s

artists: Louis Armstrong, Joe ‘King’ Oliver, Edward ‘Kid’ Ory, Leon Bix Beiderbecke

■Swing Jazz 1930s – early 1940s
Swing Jazz was very popular among 1930s to early 1940s, is a style of Jazz performed by orchestras large number of whites forms. Big band performances developed by brass bands are mainstream of this style.
And Swing Jazz was a easy dance music, emphasized big band ensemble by through arrangement and meeting than improvisation and solo as the characteristics of Jazz.

artists: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Count Basie

■Vocal Jazz 1920s –

Jazz song features vocal mainly not instrumental solos.

artists: Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Al Jarreau, Harry Connick Jr.

■Bebop (Be-bop) early 1940s – mid 1950s

Became early 1940s, The Jazz musicians tired performances as dance orchestra, compete their techniques at midnight jam sessions of Jazz Clubs. Then it created new Jazz style Bebop. (Jazz styles after bebop called ‘Modern Jazz’.)

Bebop perceive compositions as motif and improvisational performance by code progressions of them. Bebop emphasized ad-lib, become the music dynamic and complex. In early 1950s concurrently with slump of Charlie Parker, Bebop was self-destruction by its height and perfection.

artists: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Theronious Monk, Clifford Brown

■Cool Jazz late 1940s – 1950s

Cool Jazz was born by reaction to Bebop, had tastes whites prefered. It sounds intellective and controlled but it lacked dynamics and emotion.

In 1949, among the situation height of Bebop, Miles Davis suggest the new conception as anti-thesis to that. He adopted fine arrangements by Gil Evans and nonet added such as a french horn and a tuba, and recorded the album ‘Birth of Cool’.

This style related to West Coast Jazz by white people.

artists: Miles Davis, Gil Evans

■Hard Bop mid or late of 1950s – 1960s

In the decline of Bebop, Jazz musicians pursue possibilities of new music in the influences by R&B or Soul. In Hard Bop, there coexisted freedom of Bebop and popularity of R&B. 60’s were golden age of Hard Bop.

artists: Art Blakey and Jazz Messengers, Modern Jazz Quartet, Miles Davis

■Jazz Guitar 1950’s –

During early Jazz scene 1910s to 1940s, guitar is regarded as a mere accompaniment instrument. There were only a few excellent guitarists such as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian.

In 1950s, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass and Jim Hall presented the possibilities of jazz guitar as solo instrument. And, in fusion era, electric guitar got the title role of Jazz scene by the performances of sophisticated and great guitarist such as John McLaughlin, John Scofield, Al Di Meola, Mike Stern and Pat Metheny.

■West Coast Jazz 1950s

West Coast Jazz is the generic name of Jazz boomed at the West Coast in 50’s. The characteristics of it was the relaxed atmosphere of the West Coast, cheerful feeling of Swing Jazz and free but dictate solos by players, There are many white musicians learned orthodox music education, also related to the climate, West Coast Jazz was like the style successor of Cool Jazz.

artists: Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Dave Brubeck, Art Pepper, Stan Getz

■Modal Jazz late 1950s – early 1960s

In late 1950s, the modal improvisation theory was invested and attempted by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and many musicians, completed in a Davis’ album ‘Kind of Blue’. In Hard Bop regarded code progression and theme melody as important, players can’t use some tomes out of theme melody, Then Modal Jazz abolished code progression and convert progression by phrases are based on modes. Modal Jazz has the risk fall into boring, but it made playing improvisations by flexible intentions.

artists: Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson

■Funky Jazz late 1950s – early 1960s

Funky Jazz is a one of derivation style to Hard Bop. It emphasized blues feeling and took in elements of Funk. At making phrases, Funky Jazz intentionally used pentatonic and blue note like Blues, R&B and Soul.

artists: Art Blakey&Jazz Messengers, Cannonball Adderley, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver

■Soul Jazz 1960s

Soul Jazz is similar to Funky Jazz, but it strongly influenced by Blues and Gospel. Soul Jazz adopted modes and progression like Gospel, featured organ, guitar, vibraphone.

artists: Jimmy Smith, Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Lonnie Smith, Big John Patton, Johnny Hammond Smith

■Free Jazz late 1960s – mid 1970s

Free Jazz movement was established by works and playing styles of Ornette Coleman. Free Jazz is the method of playing instruments free from rhythm, harmony, modes and key.

Also the word ‘free’ of Free Jazz means free from Modern Jazz and Modal Jazz, was related to Abstract Expressionism of Visual Art, the Civil Rights Movement and any other revolutionary movements appealed freedom.

artists: Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra

■New Mainstream Jazz around 1965 – 1970s

In mid 60’s Miles Davis organized quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, then this era is the second golden age of Miles’ career. Their style pick out essences of Hard Bop and Modal Jazz, and was differ to abstraction and arduous of Free Jazz. Musical style created and performed by the members of quartet would be called ‘New Mainstream Jazz’.

artists: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Granchan Moncur Ⅲ

■Jazz Rock

Jazz Rock is a Jazz style approaches Rock elements and sound.

Jazz Rock probably have two means. One is, in mid 60s, Jazz musician adopted Rock elements the similar to Funky Jazz. For example Lee Morgan and Cannonball Adderley. Another is late 60s to early 70s Jazz musicians affected by Brass Rock and Art Rock, took in electric instruments (electric guitar, electric piano) and playing style of Rock. Such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Another style led Fusion.

■Fusion late 1960s to 1980s

The word ‘Fusion’ means fuse Jazz to Rock, Pops and other musical genres. Through Jazz Rock and Crossover (which adopted elements of Classical Music and 20th Century Classical), the characteristics of Fusion is sophisticated popular feeling and performance.

artists: Whether Report, Return to Forever, The Head Hunters, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, David Sanborn, Brecker Brothers

■Resurgence of Traditionalism (Jazz Reincarnation, New Jazz) early 1980s –

Enter the 80’s affairs of Jazz scene changed completely. Grew out of complete devotion to Fusion, the mainstream Jazz attracted people’s attention again.

The trigger of the resurgence of traditionalism was the debut of Winton Marsalis. He born in New Orleans and appeared New York Jazz scene, immediately his traditional performance attracted listeners, His approach is aim to truly revive recorded performances until today, He copied old scores, recorded performances and predecessors’ styles, in addition he added his own interpretations to his performances and composing, and played his music. Response to him, veteran musicians returned to standard acrostic Jazz style. In mid 80’s, the Resurgence of Traditionalism became the leading faction of Jazz scene.

This movement of music is not mentioned as Modern Jazz.

artists: Winton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Joshua Redman

■Punk Jazz

artists: Pop Group, No Wave, John Zorn

■M-Bass

artists: Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson

Timeline of Jazz

1917 – First Jazz recording by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. (Dixieland Jazz)

1921 – First Jazz recordings of African American by Kid Ory. (Creole Jazz)

1924 – Luis Armstrong appeared the Jazz scene in New York. (Chicago Style)

1927 – Duke Ellington Orchestra great succeed in the Cotton Club. (Swing Jazz)

1935 – Ella Fitzgerald debuted.

1938 – Benny Goodman first appearance to the Carnegie Hall. (Swing Jazz)

1940 – Jazz sessions at Minton House began in earnest. (Be-Bop)

1942 – Charlie Parker debuted earnestly in the New York Jazz scene. (Be-Bop)

1946 – Famous big bands such as Woody Herman’s and Benny Goodman’s disbanded. (end of Swing Jazz)

Billie Holiday ‘Billie Holiday’ (Vocal Jazz, Jazz Blues)

1947 – Charlie Parker ‘On Dial’ (Be Bop)

1948 – Miles Davis Nonet performed at the Royal Roost. (Cool Jazz)

1949 – Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz recording debuted by Prestige Records. (West Coast Jazz)

Charlie Parker ‘Charlie Parker with Strings’

Miles Davis ‘Birth of the Cool’ (released in 1957) (Cool Jazz)

1952 – Contemporary Records and Pacific Jazz Records were founded. (West Coast Jazz)

1953 – Gerry Mulligan ‘Original Quartet with Chet Baker’ (West Coast Jazz)

1954 – The Art Blakey Quintet played at the Birdland. (Hard Bop, Funky Jazz)

Chet Baker ‘Chet Baker Sings’ (West Coast Jazz, Vocal Jazz)

1955 – Charlie Parker died.

1956 – Miles Davis’ s ‘Marathon Session’ (Hard Bop)

Modern Jazz Quartet ‘Django’ (Post Bop, Third Stream)

Sonny Rollins ‘Saxophone Colossus’ (Hard Bop)

Charles Mingus ‘Pithecanthropus Erectus’ (Post Bop)

1957 – Miles Davis ‘Bags’ Groove’ (Hard Bop)

1958 – Miles Davis adopted Modal Jazz, and released ‘Milestones’.

Ornette Coleman debuted by the album ‘the Shape of Jazz to Come’ (Free Jazz)

1959 – Miles Davis released ‘Kind of Blue’. It’s the proclamation and completion of Modal Jazz.

Dave Brubeck ‘Time Out’ adopted unusual time signatures, and hit a song of the album ‘Take Five’. (Cool Jazz)

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers ‘Moanin’’ (Funky Jazz, Hard Bop)

1960 – John Coltrane was independent from Miles Davis and organized his own quartet.

John Coltrane ‘Giant Steps’ (Hard Bop, Modal Jazz)

Miles Davis (with Gil Evans) ’Sketches of Spain’

Wes Montgomery ‘Incredible Jazz Guitar’ (Hard Bop, Jazz Guitar)

Bill Evans ‘Portrait in Jazz’ The greatest piano trio album, adopted modal approach and high-leveled interplay, by the greatest piano trio consists of Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. (Modal Jazz)

1961 – Bill Evans ‘Waltz for Debby’ (Modal Jazz)

1963 – Stan Getz ‘Getz/Gilberto’ (Bossa Nova)

Antonio Carlos Jobim ‘The Composer of Desafinado Plays’ (Bossa Nova)

Lee Morgan ‘The Sidewinder’ (Jazz Rock)

1964 – Miles Davis formed the ‘second great quintet’, the members of which are Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. (New Mainstream)

‘The October Revolution of Jazz’ held and gathered together Free Jazz musicians. Organized by Bill Dixon, Performed by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Gill Evans, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders and Paul Bley. (Free Jazz)

Jimmy Smith ‘The Cat’ (Funky Jazz, Organ Jazz)

1965 – Herbie Hancock ‘Maiden Voyage’ (New Mainstream)

John Coltrane ‘A Love Supreme’ (Modal Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-garde Jazz)

1966 – John Coltrane ‘Ascension’ (Free Jazz, Avant-garde Jazz)

Wayne Shorter ‘Speak No Evil’ (New Mainstream)

1967 – John Coltrane died.

Miles Davis ‘Miles Smiles’ (New Mainstream)

1968 – Miles Davis adopted electronic sounds and rhythm of Rock music on his album ‘Miles in the Sky’. (Jazz Rock, Fusion)

Wes Montgomery ‘Road Song’ (Fusion, Pop Jazz, Easy Listening)

1970 – Miles Davis ‘Bitches Brew’ (Fusion, Jazz Rock)

1971 – Weather Report debuted. (Fusion)

1972 – Return to Forever was organized by Chick Corea. (Fusion)

Miles Davis ‘On the Corner’ (Jazz Funk)

1973 – Herbie Hancock’s the Headhunters started the activity and released the first album ‘Head Hunters’. (Jazz Funk, Fusion)

Donald Byrd ‘Black Byrd’. The biggest hit of Blue Note Records. (Jazz Funk)

Keith Jarrett ‘Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne’ (Piano Solo)

1974 – Keith Jarrett ‘Death and the Flower’ (Fusion, Avant-garde)

1976 – Herbie Hancock organized the V.S.O.P. quintet, which featured the members of 60’s Miles Davis quintet. (New Mainstream)

Stuff ‘Stuff’ (Fusion, Jazz Funk)

Jaco Pastorius ‘Jaco Pastorius’ (Fusion)

George Benson ‘Breezin’’ (Smooth Jazz)

1977 – Lee Ritenour ‘Captain Fingers’ (Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Jazz Guitar)

Steely Dan ‘Aja’ (Jazz Rock)

1978 – Larry Carlton ‘Larry Carlton’ (Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Jazz Guitar)

1980 – Wynton Marsalis joined Art Blakey’s the Jazz Messengers and debuted. His flawless performance caused the sensation. (Resurgence of Traditionalism)

1980 – George Winston ‘Autumn’ (Neoclassical New-Age)

1981 – Wynton Marsalis ‘Wynton Marsalis’ (Resurgence of Traditionalism)

Miles Davis collaborated with Marcus Miller and Bill Evans (saxophonist), and released a live album ‘We Want Miles’.

Jaco Pastorius ‘Word of Mouth’ (Fusion)

1982 – George Winston ‘Winter to Spring’, ‘December’ (Neoclassical New-Age)

1983 – Keith Jarrett formed the Standard Trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. (Resurgence of Traditionalism)

Herbie Hancock’s ‘Future Shock’ adopted Hip Hop sound and scratching, made a big hit. (Electro Funk, Instrumental Hip Hop)

1985 – Resumption of Blue Note Records. (Resurgence of Traditionalism)

Stanley Jordan ‘Magic Touch’ (Fusion, Smooth Jazz)

Jazz musicians Branford Marsalis, Omar Hakim and so on, participated a British rock artist Sting’s album ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’. (Pops, Rock)

1986 – Miles Davis ‘Tutu’ produced by Marcus Miller (Fusion, Electronic Jazz, Pop Jazz)

1987 – Jaco Pastorius died.

1990 – Art Blakey died.

1991 – Miles Davis died.

1992 – Jazz-Rap group US3 debuted by ‘Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)’ from Blue Note Records. (Jazz Rap, Acid Jazz)

Miles Davis ‘Doo-Bop’ (Jazz Rap, Hip Hop)

1993 – Marcus Miller ‘The Sun Don’t Lie’ (Fusion)

Joshua Redman ‘Joshua Redman’ (Resurgence of Traditionalism)