[Dixielandjazz] Continuation of "what is jazz thread" Mike Vax offers this piece to his students...

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML

From:  Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Our illustrious moderator, pianist/famous father Robert Ringwald, suggested
that I post this correspondence with trumpeter/ bandleader Mike Vax.  The
discussion on the Musicians & Jazzfans list related to the definition of
jazz--- each of us on the list has our own, of course-but as you can
determine from the following, Mike offers this  piece which he gives to  his
students.

For the rare person on this list who may be unfamiliar with Mike, I have
listed some background information below Mike's educational piece.

 

Thanks, Bob Ringwald, for suggesting that I post on DJML as well.

 

 

 

Mike Vax wrote:

Great thread.  I think that there might be a bit of a difference to
answering the "what is jazz" question for fans and for students.  I sure
agree that the word "jazz" has been so watered down, that it has almost no
meaning for listeners.
But - for those of us trying to teach jazz music to young people, we need to
try to define it for them to learn.  So it does come from an historical
place.  When I talk to young people, I tell them that - for me - jazz must
include improvisation and creativity.  I try to convince educators to not
let students play the written out solos that occur in way too many big band
charts for school bands.  I tell them that a big band with no improvisation
is really a "swing concert band."  They have a good laugh and seem to get
the meaning.
I have a hand out that I give to all students in improvisation clinics all
over the country.  It's a bit long, but if it will work Norman, please do
post it.

Mike Vax

____________________________________________________________________

TEACHING JAZZ PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVISATION CONCEPTS

THROUGH THE USE OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

 


DESCRIPTION:

Knowledge of jazz history as it relates to accomplishment in lead, section
work and improvisation, is a key element to student success in jazz.
Teaching from within a chronological order in the development of jazz music
proves to be an excellent and enjoyable way to impart understanding about
jazz performance.

 

I have always felt that any musician, who wants to perform up to their full
potential, must understand where the music came from and how it has evolved
over the years.  In the case of jazz music, too many young people think it
started with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, or even more extreme - John
Coltrane.  These musicians were extremely important in the evolution of
jazz, but of course they came out of the prior 50 years of musical
development before them.  We have to go back to before the turn of the 20th
century and the early part of the 1900's to find the roots with which to
build our musical structure.  Then we must learn to play stylistically
correct for each different era of jazz development.

 

EARLY JAZZ IN ITS SIMPLEST FORMS

 

BASICS:

1.       Vocal Tradition: spirituals, work songs and hollers from the days
of working as slaves.  (These came from African roots.) Church services of
the white slave owners.

2.      Rhythmic Tradition: patterns also retained from African roots.

3.      Military Band Music: a main influence with regard to
instrumentation, form, feel, rhythms and presentation.

MUSICAL TRAITS:

1.       Improvisation based mainly on the melody, never straying too far
from it.

2.      Rhythmic content had much to do with a march feel.

3.      Trumpet clarinet and trombone each fulfilling their own duties, much
as in a marching band.

 

JAZZ FROM THE "ROARING 20'S" (ALSO KNOWN AS THE "JAZZ AGE")

 

BASICS:

1.       Jazz became the real "pop" music of this era.

2.      Mainly played for dancing - rhythms moved away from the march feel
and more towards what we now call two beat or traditional jazz.

3.      Some bands start adding more pieces - beginnings of the big band
idea.

MUSICAL TRAITS:

1.       Arrangements starting to be used, rather than just playing by ear.

2.      Improvisation is less important than the total arrangement for many
of the most popular bands.

3.      Solos use a lot of rhythmic variety and not too much of a flowing
line.  Stabs and punches are prevalent.

4.      Much improvisation is based on triads and simple chords, outlying
the melody.

5.      Some bands, like Louis Armstrong Hot 5 and Hot 7 are breaking new
ground by using the chord changes to base improvisation on, instead of just
the melody.  This is a real break through in the development of jazz
improvisation.

 

THE BIG BAND OR "SWING" ERA

 

BASICS:

1.       Most bands play for dancing.

2.      The big band format is in place: reeds, trombones, trumpets and
rhythm section.

3.      Sometimes strings are use with the more successful bands.

4.      Vocalists and vocal groups are used with many bands.

5.      There are more than 300 full time bands in the United States; most
are working on the road or in hotels and ballrooms.

      MUSICAL TRAITS:

1.       Arrangements are used almost entirely.

2.      Improvised solos are kept to a minimum, usually only 8 or 16 bars,
at most one full chorus.

3.      Rhythm section keeps very steady beat for dancers.

4.      "Jazz" is not brought out too much.  The music is really the "pop"
music of it's time.

5.      There are "hot" bands that play closer to what we know now as big
band jazz, and there are "sweet" bands that play music very much for dancing
in a much more sedate style, with lots of vibrato.

6.      There are some small group players who are starting to stretch out
from the "Dixieland" roots that smaller groups had used previously.

   

      THE ADVENT OF BE-BOP

      

        BASICS:

1.       Played as an escape from the boredom of playing the arrangements of
big bands night after night.

2.      Started in "jam sessions" after the regular jobs were over at night.

3.      Became very cerebral music - more for the intellect of the
musicians, rather than to entertain an audience. (This is what eventually
drove the audiences away.)

        MUSICAL TRAITS:

1.       Many fast tempos with technical virtuosity being shown by playing
running 8th note patterns.

2.      Chord changes and structures become much more involved.

3.      Improvisation definitely based on the chord changes and not the
melody.

4.      "Quotes" from other tunes become popular with the musicians as a
means of joviality and for entertaining each other (and the "hipper" people
in the audience).

5.      Many tunes are written based on the chord changes of earlier popular
"standard" tunes.

6.      The rhythm section is freed up to be more creative and not just time
keepers.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Mike Vax is an International Artist for the Getzen Company and has performed
workshops in over 2500 high schools, colleges and universities over the past
40 years. He has performed with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Glenn Miller
Orchestra, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra,  the US
Navy Show Band, and many jazz greats, including Art Pepper, Al Grey, Freddy
Hubbard, John Handy, Don Ellis, Don Jacoby, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams,
Anita O'Day, Barbara McNair, the Four Freshmen, the Beverly Hills Unlisted
Jazz Band, and the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans.  He has appeared as
guest lead trumpet and soloist with symphony pops orchestras around the
United States, as well as the All-American Collegiate Orchestra at
Disneyworld.

 

As a recording musician, he has performed on more than 75 albums, including
20 under his own name.

 

Currently he is leading his own groups: The Stan Kenton Alumni Band, The
Mike Vax Big Band,  TRPTS (Trumpets), the Great American Jazz Band, and the
Mike Vax Quartet, Quintet and Sextet.

PO BOX 10701 * PRESCOTT, AZ * 86304

(925)872-1942 * Vaxtrpts at aol.com

 <http://www.mikevax.net/> www.mikevax.net *  <http://www.bigbandjazz.net/>
www.bigbandjazz.net

www.prescottjazz.com