Comparison of Two Jazz Bands - Essay Example

Two Jazz Bands – A Compare and Contrast Essay Order No. 831446 Introduction In the pre-Swing Era, Jazz took root and developed in the New Orleans during the early 19th century. The genre of Jazz further spread to different areas by the steamboats that plied across the Mississippi because many Jazz bands performed on these boats as a means of entertainment. By 1917, the original Dixieland Jazz Band was the first recorded Jazz band to cut a Jazz record in the history of Jazz. Though their Jazz music spread across the country and sold over a million copies, yet many Jazz historians never gave them due credit. However, during the 1920’s Jazz music evolved into a big band format, by combing with other elements of Blues, Black spirituals, Ragtime and even European music. With these elements Jazz music introduced a new ‘Swing Style’ which spread across the country making Jazz even more popular and enjoyable. In this research paper I have chosen to discuss two very important Jazz bands – The first one is the ‘Benny Goodman and his Orchestra’ and the second is a modern Jazz band which is the ‘Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra. 2 The years of Jazz that followed held great significance as major Jazz figures with their own inimitable style, aesthetic sense and technical skills emerged. Some of these greats on the Jazz scene were – Louis Armstrong (1932), Duke Ellington and others who set the stage for the progress of Jazz music. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg.3) The socio-economic backdrop with the Depression on one hand and the Wall Street Crash on the other provided potent ground for the flourishing of Jazz. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg. 4) The economic conditions were poor and unemployment was rampant and musicians found it hard to make ends meet. It was during this difficult period that the ‘Swing Era’ emerged when Jazz became synonymous with American Popular Culture. Benjamin David ‘Benny’ Goodman, clarinetist and bandleader of the group, was crowned the ‘King of Swing’ in History during this period. Born in Chicago on May 30th, 1909, Benny went on to lead one of America’s most popular Jazz orchestras. (Benny Goodman- The King of Swing, www.bennygoodman.com/) It was his popularity that epitomized the Swing Era because his music was heard by both the Blacks and Whites equally as he strived hard to quench the thirst for Jazz music for the new mass audience and finally emerged as a ‘symbol of the era’. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg. 6) Benny Goodman’s career began when he joined the Henderson band which was one of the best bands of that time whose form, style and sound was so remarkable and unique. An alliance was formed and the Benny Goodman band went on to create history by shaping the future of Jazz. 3 Teenagers were swept off their feet as they craved for swing music and very soon they had a good fan following of Jitterbugs who went crazy for his music. (Benny Goodman, www.jazzhotbigstep.com/45801.html) One of his popular numbers that I listened to was ‘Swingtime in the Rockies’. It was an interesting dance number that was so foot tapping that I felt like dancing myself. It was rhythmic from beginning to end filled with staccato snatches from the clarinets and trumpets which were joined in by the trombones. The drums kept a steady rhythm right through the composition which was so energetic as it was fulfilling. (Benny Goodman, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47798F00A3AF3280 The music of Benny Goodman and his Orchestra is unmistakable because most of the compositions are so lively and energetic. One of the other songs I listened to is ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ which featured in a film titled ‘Hollywood Hotel’. Besides Goodman, the other players were Gene Krupa on the drums and Harry James – Trumpet. The song was fast paced and rhythmic and the orchestra played it flawlessly with the entire group joining in the last piece. (Sing, Sing, Sing’, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJ4dpNal_k The Benny Goodman Orchestra was the most popular swing band between the 1930 and the 1940’s. His trios, quartets and sextets were so unique and this influenced the small Jazz band style. He gave the clarinet the role of assertive leadership within the Jazz ensemble. In fact, he is believed to be the Swing Eras best Jazz clarinet improviser. 4 His astonishing accuracy, creativity and control had the influence of players from New Orleans like Leon Rappolo, Jimmy Noone and Albert Nicholas. The success he had with it made it one of the most popular instruments for other band leaders to follow. A documentary titled ‘Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing’ was televised nationwide. This incredible and comprehensive documentary had the complete story of Benny Goodman from the time he began his career to reaching the heights of success. The documentary is also packed with never before seen orchestral performances, movie clips and some of the most memorable hits by Goodman that was quite interesting. (Benny Goodman- Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing, 2000) Some of the posthumous awards received by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra was a Grammy in 1987 for ‘And the Angels Sing’ (1939) and another Grammy for the Benny Goodman Quartet was in 1998 for ‘Moonglow’. He was also presented with an award in 1982 by the Kennedy Center. (Benny Goodman’s Official Website) During his career, that lasted right up to the early 70’s, he sold over 100 million records which he made from over 5000 recordings. Benny Goodman’s Jazz music was a definitive statement that influenced American popular culture and it served to pave the way for the development and progress of 20th century music. The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra was formed by the end of 1966 and went on to make a name for themselves. The decade that followed saw the band as quite 5 successful headed by Thad Jones who was a harmonically advanced trumpeter/cornetist and Mel Lewis the drummer. The orchestra was a potent platform for Jones’ writing and he composed many memorable pieces such as ‘A Child is Born’ ‘Little Pixie’ and many more. (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, www.allmusic.com/) The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra as they called themselves was a 16 piece orchestra that was established by the duo Thad Jones and Mel Lewis in 1966. Every Monday night the orchestra performed at the world famous ‘Village Vanguard’ for the past 47 years. Unlike the Benny Goodman Orchestra who kept to few styles such as swing, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra played in a wide number of styles such as Ballads, Jazz Funk, Bebop and Hard Bop, the 70’s style, swing and even avant – garde interspersed with modern rhythms. In fact, the rich sound and wide repertoire are reasons why the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra gained recognition and fame worldwide. (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s official website, www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com/ The members of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra comprised of a group of highly skilled studio musicians who made time for their midnight practices. They were immediately recognized for their virtuosity by Jazz lovers, when they made their debut at the Village Vanguard in 1966 in New York. Just like the Benny Goodman Orchestra, the Vanguard Orchestra was on the lines of a big band that had its own unique style and sound. The band drummer Mel Lewis produced a unique drumming style with a rich texture in his cymbal work that rose to be one of the band’s hallmarks. The sound and 6 style of the orchestra was powerful, speedy and fun which attracted Jazz lovers from all over the world. Following the swing era, this orchestra was arguably one of the most sought after and influential bands that were successful even during the racially tense periods. This point seems to strike a similarity with the Benny Goodman Orchestra that also faced hardship during the period of Depression and the Wall Street crash. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was highly innovative in their approach as they created new styles and sounds that they incorporated into their music and this was one of the reasons for their success. They were nominated many times for the Grammy and finally won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance – Big Band in 1978 (Live in Munich) and also for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 2008 for Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thad_Jones/Mel_Lewis_Orchestra One of the performances of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra that I listened to was ‘Groove Merchant’. The piece was medium paced with such clean sounding that was so relaxing and laid back. However, in this piece, each section and each solo musician was given prominence by each being given a part to play separately. The skill and virtuosity of the performers were very evident all through their presentation and I enjoyed listening to the piece many times over. ‘Groove Merchant, www.youtube.com/watch?v=S--rHh-nzeY 7 Though the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra faced a lot difficulties especially the crisis of Mel Lewis’ passing away, the members of the big band stood by each other and carried on with Thad Jones on their successful journey earning accolades and awards wherever they went. Both the Denny Goodman Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra made history in the field of Jazz and have definitely left their imprint on the Jazz scene thus paving the path for fresh and modern Jazz artists to take over from where they had left off. Works Cited Benny Goodman – Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing, (2000) released by Sony on November 7th, 2000. www.amazon.com Benny Goodman, Jazz Rhythm, Web, April, 2013 www.jazzhotbigstep.com/45801.html Benny Goodman- The King of Swing, The Official Website of Benny Goodman, Web, April, 2013. www.bennygoodman.com/ Benny Goodman – Very Best of Benny Goodman, Web, April, 2013 www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47798F00A3AF3280 Benny Goodman – ‘Sing, Sing, sing’ from ‘Hollywood Hotel, Web, Jan. 2006 www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJ4dpNal_k Groove Merchant – Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra – 1969, Web, Nov, 23rd 2009 www.youtube.com/watch?v=S--rHh-nzeY Schuller, Gunther. The Swing Era. The Development of Jazz (1930 – 1945) NY, NY: Oxford University Press 1989 www.books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0195071409 Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra by Scott Yanow, Web, April, 2013 www.allmusic.com/.../thad-jones-mel-lewis-orchestra-mn000152143 The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra’s Official website, Web, April, 2013 www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com/ Read More