jazz journal

MUSIC JOURNAL

Ziwei Ma

May 15th, 2017

CLASS INFORMATION

MUSIC 141

15:30-18:40 MONDAY

PROFESSOR MARTINEZ

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #1

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: Strange Fruit

Composer: Abel Meeropol

Performer: Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday performed Strange Fruit, which was written by teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem. It talks about the racism and the unfair society especially for African Americans. Against lynching was one of the most important ideas from this song. In 1939, The New York Post described "Strange Fruit": "If the anger of the exploited ever mounts high enough in the South, it now has its Marseillaise." This song was considered as a historical document and a deceleration of war that appeared the right for black people.

I like this song based on two aspects from this fight song. First, it was from a poem. Personally, I really like to read poem, poems are always short, however, the meaning back from these words are infinite. Poems means that the song has so many background meaning from that period, the strong emotion from the song that Billie Holiday expressed a sad but hopeful voice to give so much power for many black people. Secondly, at that time, the rich expressions from this song gives me a strong connection with the abuse. It seemed to pull me back to 1939s. This song was a typical style of blues and jazz, which related to people who were still at the edge of racism.

From the background information of this song, I started to love the performer, Billie Holiday, she always performed this song in a Café and turned off all lights, she used music as an outburst of the soul against the unfair abuse. This song’s meaning was significant that it represented a hope from both composer and performer.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #2

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: God Bless the Child

Composer: Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr

Performer: Billie Holiday

This song was from a conflict between Billie Holiday and his mom on money. She expressed her mind directly and naturally with her true emotion of hurting. She sang this song based that she indicated that during the argument her mother said the line “God bless the child that's got his own.” The anger for this situation made this song has a turning point in the emotion. Holiday’s version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1976. With Holiday’s emotional intimacy really touched my inner heart. I seemed to understand the feeling from Billie Holiday. As the child, she got hurt from her mom’s attitude and word, which made her feel angry and sad. The strong emotion from this song was spread out from her plaintive voice. I was almost certain that I detected a trace of yearning in her voice. This was maybe the reason why Billie became a jazz artist that Jazz can express out the true feeling from her heart. Beautiful songs convey composers' emotional thinking with marvelous tone, which spread in the form of sounds, and capture audiences' ears with actual listening feelings. Billie Holiday’s song gave a powerful and emotional art form that people identify with. I believe, with the guidance and sympathetic response of music, “God bless the child” was purer to touch the heart directly. It thrills the feeling of emotion on the sympathetic. I can really feel the pain from Billie Holiday’s beautiful voice. Each breath and each pause seemed to represent an expression. I really get touched by this song.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #3

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: Autumn in New York

Composer: Vernon Duke

Performer: Billie Holiday

One of my favorite songs is “Autumn in New York”, it sang by a very famous Jazz female musician, Billie Holiday. In this song, one of lyrics I loved is “its autumn in New York; That brings the promise of new love; Autumn in New York; Is often mingled with pain”. In my opinion, the reason I like it is I felt new wishes, new life. The hope is full of my heart." Autumn in New York" is a jazz standard composed by Vernon Duke in 1934 for the Broadway musical Thumbs Up! which opened on December 27, 1934, performed by J. Harold Murray? Many versions of the song have been recorded over the years by numerous musicians and singers.

Personally, I was born in autumn, so I have a special feeling for a season. In addition, I think that autumn has a strong sense of picture in everyone’s mind; I even can image the tress, wind, leaves, and grass. It was so calm and relaxing. Just as the song, the song gives me many images and pictures about the autumn in New York. I never saw the autumn in New York; this song seems to bring me to walk into New York’s autumn.

I really music that can give me pictures in my mind, because I think that it is an emotional connection between the performer and me. This song is the same name film’s background music. It really fits the style of the movie of the romantic love story. I really love the comfortable feeling from a Jazz song.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #4

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: Take Five

Composer: Paul Desmond

Performer: Dave Brubeck

One of my favorite Jazz music called “Take Five", which "Take Five” is a jazz standard composed by Paul Desmond and originally recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet for its 1959. Later time proved that the complex rhythms have changed; it also changed the old people, the weak and invariable listening habitat that period. At the same time, to explore the possibility of jazz rhythm ，it made a far-reaching influence. 21st century fox has also used it as a movie title. The Dave Brubeck Quartet first played "Take Five" to a live audience at the “Village Gate” nightclub in New York City in 1959: The Village Gate was at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village. What’s more, More than fourteen cover versions have been recorded in. In this song，I like every lyric in this wonderful song, one of I love best is “Though I'm going out of my way; Just so I can pass by each day; Not a single word do we say; It's a pantomime and not a play.” It means the way that we through by everyday in our daily life，when one day we are going to change the way that we go through by, it would be a bad and sad thing for someone who has already used to through it. The lyrics are often lighthearted, with choruses similar to those heard in pop music. In 1970s, I think, the singer who called Don Partridge wrote lyrics to "Take Five”, and the he sung to the saxophone, and always performed the song in live stage performances.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #5

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: What a Wonderful World

Composer: George Douglas and George David Weiss

Performer: Louis Armstrong

"What a Wonderful World” is a song written by George Douglas and George David Weiss. The most famous and first recording were by Louis Armstrong. Its genre belongs to traditional pop. Louis Armstrong’s voice is gorgeous and attractive, he seems to be a speaker rather than a singer, because his performance makes me feel that he is talking to me, which means that the way he sings is so close to me. The audience and Louis Armstrong’s relationship are like friends. I really like this kind of performance because I seem to sit in the hall and listens to the music directly.

Moreover, Louis Armstrong seems to appear a wonderful world that his respectful wish is having a better world. I can hear the positive emotion and hope from his song. This luxuriant and magnetic voice always let a person with great passion for life and yearning. I can feel the strong sense of the musician’s wish and mind. This may be the most attractive part of Jazz music that sometimes the world does not accept someone’ word, however, sometimes the world would receive music instead. Using music to lead the world to be better is one of the significant meanings for these famous musicians.

The meaning of this song drives to have a wonderful world that all people around the world are parts of such a good world. I really love the meaning of this song.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #6

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: My Baby Just Cares for Me

Composer: Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn

Performer: Nina Simone

“My Baby Just Cares for Me " is a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song became a signature tune for Eddie Cantor who sang it in the movie. Nina Simone also recorded the song in 1958 for her debut album, Little Girl Blue. And it became the background music for CHANEL perfume advertisement.

This song provides a sense of fun. The main instrument in this song is piano that every hit on the piano makes me feel that the melody note is dancing. This song’s music video uses cartoon which give more happier and relaxing sense into this song.

“My baby just cares for me” is completely echoed by the cheerful, beautiful melody. With bright rhythm and dynamic melody, I even shake my head with the music. I love this song because I love the lyrics of this song and the lilting rhythms. Each of the notes moved me so much. It is just like every single note that showing in my brain and my heart. I was addicted to listen to this kind of fantastic movement.

This song is full of joy feeling, relaxed rhythm, merry style. The buoyancy and vivid notes represent the vigorous lives of love story. With the Jazz style, the song is so attractive and lovely in the tempo. I personally really love this song.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #7

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: It don't mean a thing

Composer: Ellington Duke

Performer: Ellington Duke

“It don't mean a thing” is a song I like most recorded by Ellington Duke. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, who was born on April 29, 1899, was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death in a career spanning over fifty years. The song was played in saxophone and Bass, and Dukes’ band plays both these instruments.

I really love the lyrics of this song, Although it looks like a little simple, I think it expressed more than it does! That is one of reason I like it. For instance, this part “It don't mean a thing “If it ain't got that swing; No it don't mean a thing; All you got to do is swing.” I think it means when you meet a problem that you do not know how big is it, Be positive, it always do not mean a thing! There are no solos on this recording, I do like the rhythm of saxophone, and I like the way Duke played it. Moreover, I can feel Duke used his heart to play it, and he played the music with his soul.

In my point of view, I pretty much like the song, because the song is in a very relaxing key. It makes me feel happy and it can help me forget unhappiness thing. In addition, the music of guitar is very gentle. The smooth and gentle style makes me so comfortable and relaxed when I appreciate the song.

Music 141

Jazz Listening Journal #8

Name: Ziwei Ma

Song title: Fly Me To The Moon

Composer: Bart Howard

Performer: Frank Sinatra

“Fly Me To The Moon” was created by Bart Howard in 1954. It was the first waltz and one of his most famous works. Kaye Ballard made the first recording of the song in 1954. The publisher tried to rename it "Take Me to the Moon", but Bart Howard rejected. Bart Howard is a famous American lyricist, composer and pianist. Bart Howard wrote this song that he has nothing to do. The song brought him a huge income, And in 1999, he was added to the music hall of fame.

In 1990s, Bart Howard also said: “If I didn't decide to change the song name to ‘Fly to The Moon’, I really don't know how where I living now.” So that we can see how important is this behavior. All tempos in this song are extremely smooth and relaxing. This song talks about the moon, which is quiet and light, that brings so many mysterious imaginations to me. I love the lyrics so much.

Frank Sinatra’s 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions to the Moon. It talks about the moon, stars, Jupiter, and Mars, which represents a wish from humans to travel in the universe. The dream of going to the moon expresses as the dream for all of people. This is a significant memorable song for the moon. This song is so peaceful and Frank Sinatra’s sexy voice makes me fall in love with this song.