Jazz Improvisation and Composition Research Papers (original) (raw)

This paper examines specific musical elements of Clifford Brown’s improvised solo on “Hot House”, from the recording “Live at the Bee Hive". Solos from live recordings, such as this one, give a window into the history and existence of the art of extended improvisation from an era before such solos were being documented in studio sessions. Clifford Brown used the extended format to develop musical ideas and display a variety of techniques which add coherence and interest over this longer time frame.
Citing examples from the score, I have discussed and detailed his use of the following features:
1. Thematic Development and the Variety of Techniques Used to Achieve It 2. Rhythmic Tendencies and Contrasts
3. Phrasing Structure and Pacing
4. Melodic Construction and Intervallic Shapes
5. Harmonic Approach
6. Trumpet-Specific Instrumental Devices
In addition, I have mentioned other aspects of this solo which I consider to be important, and have described them with detailed analysis.

- by
- •
- Music Theory, History of Music Theory, Jazz Studies, Jazz History

Storytelling is an age-old tradition that is found in every culture. Stories capture the essence of the morals, attitudes and world views through the characteristics of the characters in the story, the story arc and the moral resolution of the story. Stories are told to pass down information from the older generation to the younger generations. Stories were told and retold as primary ways of retaining cultural information in the days of past before the advent of written language. Stories later became codified through the medium of written language and commercialized through theatre and moving pictures. This book is accordingly entitled Sonic Storytelling. In this book, we look at how stories are told using musical tones and rhythms, instead of words. I especially anchor sonic storytelling within the context of jazz because it is only in jazz that one finds the express intellectual effort to tell stories through song. Jazz has a story. Jazz tells a story. With every reharmonization, jazzers are changing the context of the story. With every improvisation, jazzers are plotting a new story arc for the main character(s). Let’s create our own sonic stories. Let’s learn how to reharmonize and improvise. There is a method to the jazz madness.

- by Yasser Mattar
- •
- Music Education, Music Theory, Jazz Studies, Jazz Improvisation

In the year 1951, pioneer jazz pianist and composer Lennie Tristano made groundbreaking musical experimentations and discoveries in the realm of jazz and improvised music by utilizing a Presto tape recorder in order to create overdubbing and multi-track recordings. With the use of the Presto recorder, Tristano created experimental works that resulted in a revolutionary approach to contrapuntal improvisations, superimposition of regular and odd rhythmic structures, over-layering of independent poly-melodic and polymodal structures, and experimentation with the limits of perception.

- by Lefteris Kordis
- •
- Music Technology, Jazz Studies, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz piano

In an issue of ACT dedicated to the methods of studying improvisation, I argue that improvisation studies needs t rethink the notion of compositions as used within improvised performance. I present some preliminary results of my fieldwork with the ICP Orchestra to provide examples of how compositions may influence improvisatory performance and interaction, and reflect on what this means for some foundational premises of musicology, ethnomusicology and improvisation studies.

- by Floris Schuiling
- •
- Music, Musicology, Improvisation, Creativity

Three Perspectives on Music
Study Leader: Flavio Chamis
• 3 Classes: May 9 – May 23 Class ID: 1459
• Monday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
• Mellon Institute, Auditorium
The sessions will focus on different aspects of music, starting
with Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and how he
used motivic structures in order to produce this beloved
and revolutionary musical. The second session will cover
“What’s in an Interpretation?” When we browse a record
store, we find several versions of the same piece. Besides
the commercial interests, what is behind such multiplicity
of interpretations? This lecture will provide a comparative
study of several different approaches to the exact
same musical text, and how different artists insert their
creative insights into the relatively strict framework provided
by the composer. The final session will feature guest
speaker Martin E. Rosenberg, who will discuss classical
music, jazz, and the experience of time under the prism of
modern neuroscience research.
Flavio Chamis, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, trained in conducting
and composition at Tel Aviv University and in Detmold, Germany,
at the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie. He served in
Vienna as music director of the Villa Lobos Ensemble. While in
Europe, he recorded with the Radio Sinfonieorchester Berlin
and the Nouvelle Phlharmonique de Radio France. Among his
European engagements were performances at the Musikverein
in Vienna, the Wiener Festwochen, and the Royal Festival Hall
in London. In 1985, he became conducting assistant to Leonard
Bernstein, leading the Israeli Philharmonic in preparation for
tours of Europe, Japan, and the United States; in 1986 conducting
rehearsals for the world premiere of Bernstein's Jubilee
Games (later renamed Concerto for Orchestra), and assisting Maestro
Bernstein on the European tour of the London Symphony
Orchestra. In 1987 he became the music director of the Porto
Alegre Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. In Brazil, he conducted all
the major orchestras and performed on Brazilian radio and television.
He serves as guest conductor throughout Europe and
Latin America. He is a composer of a wide range of styles, from
solo, chamber, and symphonic pieces to jazz and Brazilian music.
He has also written the text for many of his vocal compositions.
He lectures on both Brazilian and classical music and since 2008
has been a permanent member of the Screening Committee of
the Latin Grammy. He has lived in Pittsburgh since 1994. He and
his wife, Tatjana, associate principal violist of the Pittsburgh
Symphony, have three children.

- by Martin E. Rosenberg
- •
- Philosophy of Time, Time Perception, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Theory
- by Giovanni Minnucci
- •
- Music, Jazz Studies And New Media, Music History, Jazz Studies

In this paper I discuss a particular musical practice, the contrafacture, as an interesting case of artistic appropriation. I argue that musical contrafacture, especially in the jazz field, may deflate some biased assumptions that sometimes are taken for granted – mostly in the ontologies of music based on the type/token dichotomy. The case of contrafacture may support the philosophical views endorsing the link between ontology and social-artistic practices and accepting that the ontological constructions presuppose the different practices in which they arise. I strengthen my view of the link between musical artistic practices and musical ontology by considering the nominal ontological paradox generated by improvising on jazz contrafacts.

- by Alessandro Bertinetto
- •
- Ontology, Improvisation, Philosophy of Art, Philosophy of Music

Herein we introduce a reliable and effective method, allowing any musician, regardless of the theoretical background, to carry out a 4-way jazz harmonization of whatever melodic progression almost instantly, with few exceptions. Many jazz students experience a deep frustration in dealing with the harmonization of non-diatonic notes. Sometimes, moreover, a coherent harmonization of the aforementioned notes can turn out to be a very challenging task even for extremely skilled professionals. In this paper, the harmonization of the chromatic scale in different harmonic contexts is accurately discussed, by resorting to the well-known concepts of harmonic functions, tonicization, chromatic and diatonic parallelism, and auxiliary chords. All the chords are labelled so as to allow the reader to immediately understand their role in the particular harmonic context. Consequently, the procedure essentially translates into an optimization of the "harmonic flow".

Jazzed Article on the Bebop Approach

This research paper investigates Paul Desmond’s approach through improvisation and juxtaposes five different renditions of the composition, “Take Five.” Recordings (beginning with the original from 1959) are examined in addition to two recordings from the 1960s, and two from the 1970s. The latter includes The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Carnegie Hall (February 21st, 1963), The Dave Brubeck Quartet (Live) in Germany (1966), Paul Desmond Quartet (Live) on Bourbon Street, Toronto (1975) and Paul Desmond Quartet: Edmonton Festival ’76. Elements of Jan LaRue’s methodology have been adapted for the purpose of this research paper, taking what this researcher deemed to be applicable and most pertinent to the analysis of the various renditions of “Take Five.” Different forms of analysis by Thomas Owens and Gunther Schuller have been consulted, as well as styles of analysis by John D. White and J. Kent Williams.

- by Rory Endrizzi
- •
- Music, Musical Composition, Music History, Music Theory

Although only 2% of Americans bought jazz albums in 2014, Edward Sarath is as confident as ever that jazz music can help our world on a scale that most would probably not consider. Fellow for the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Foundation, the National Center for Institutional Diversity, and the National Endowment of the Arts, sets out in his book, Improvisation, Creativity and Consciousness, to not only prove the need for major changes within academia’s approach to jazz education and overall musical pedagogy, but also how powerful an effect such changes could have on society. I have structured this review in three parts: The introduction will serve as background on the author and subject matter, accessorized with my own opinions. Part 1 is a discussion of the books themes and contents accompanied by my own commentary, and Part 2 is my takeaway and opinions on the book.