Lazy Bird Assignment: In order to demonstrate you understanding of form, performance practice and the identification of the instruments, I would like you to outline the performance of a typical jazz t

Lazy Bird Assignment:

In order to demonstrate you understanding of form, performance practice and the identification of the instruments, I would like you to outline the performance of a typical jazz tune.  I have outlined our “Killer Joe” example from the previous pages. It is simply an outline of the sequence of events through the performance. Both tunes demonstrate the “head-solos-head” method of how a jazz band approaches a tune. All I am looking for in “Lazy Bird” is for you to identify when the “head” comes in/out, when each solo comes in/out, and what instrument is playing that solo.

Here is what it ought to look like:

This is the outline of "So What" from the "directed listening" (I inserted little comments) video of a few pages prior to this.

The "Head" to this song is simply a bass "lick" answered by the horns, back and forth. You will hear it at the beginning and the end (Head -solos- head).

0-50 sec                   band plays the head

50sec-2:37            Trumpet solo (Miles Davis. Straight trumpet, no mute)

2:37-4:20                Tenor sax solo (John Coltrane)

4:20-6:03               Piano solo 

6:03-7:45               Trumpet solos again

7:45-7:55               Bass takes a very short solo to set up the return to the head

7:55 -end                The head is restated to end the performance.

Here's your song:

20 points

This assignment is due by midnight on the Monday following the week’s unit.

Download, or play from the player given,"Lazy Bird" off of John Coltrane's Blue Train album. Listen to the performance and create and outline similar to the one I created above.  Identify when the “head” is played and tell me what instrument is soloing at what point. The actual list of musicians  and the instruments they play is given. Just create a document in “Word” or whatever program you use. Save it (for your files), copy and paste, or attach it in the assignment tool, and submit it. PS~ Can you hear the "AABA" form of the head? .....Short little melody(A)-repeat of it(A)-different counter melody(B)-original little melody comes back(A). The Chord progression they solo against is the same.

Remember, the very basic format of this performance is  "Head-solos-head". (There is a very short intro and outro tacked on either end, but basically, head then each musician takes a solo-then they restate the head.

Lazy Bird.m4a

Play media comment.

This is a very popular John Coltrane album. Recorded in 1957 at the very famous Rudy Van Gelder studio. It features a very standard head-solos-head type of approach to most of the performances and has a great band featuring:

·        John Coltrane (Links to an external site.) – tenor saxophone (Links to an external site.)

·        Lee Morgan (Links to an external site.) – trumpet (Links to an external site.)

·        Curtis Fuller (Links to an external site.) – trombone (Links to an external site.)

·        Kenny Drew (Links to an external site.) – piano (Links to an external site.)

·        Paul Chambers (Links to an external site.) – bass (Links to an external site.)

·        Philly Joe Jones (Links to an external site.) – drums (Links to an external site.)

Please "appreciate" (this is "jazz appreciation" after all) that each of these musicians is making up their solos as they go along. The basic framework of the chord progression is there through the head and subsequent choruses, but the melodies they come up with, and the  rhythms and chord voicings  the rhythm section comes up with, are all spontaneous. This is a totally opposite mindset to other styles in which you practice like crazy to get your part down and then, your job is to execute that part perfectly (and with feeling) every time. (like Classical, most hip hop and pop, most metal, Broadway musicals, etc...)

Jazz, blues, bluegrass, Indian ragas, and "jam bands" like the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, or Phish (you can probably come up with many more) are examples of styles that use this improvised method of creating a performance. Of course, these methods often overlap too. A primarily worked out style might have an "open solo" in it or, a primarily improvised tune might have a totally arranged section. One isn't necessarily "better", they are just different methods of making music.

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