Posted: March 30th, 2022

Mood Indigo

Out of the 10 tunes, pick 2 to discuss.

Mood Indigo

Echoes of Harlem

your post
● Your discussion must list the Name and Artist of each of the 2 songs you choose to talk about
● Must be a minimum of 250 words
The songs on these playlists will be a combination of the jazz that represents the style of that specific period, but I have also included some modern versions of those same tunes to give you a perspective on how jazz has evolved. It should be fairly obvious which tracks are from the more modern era.

Listening objectives to help guide you through the listening process

Required things to write about:
1. Give the “Road Map” of the song. List and name the instruments in the order they improvise on the track. (outline what happens from the beginning to end of the recording and make notes that help describe the solo. Use terms like aggressive, relaxed, simple, complicated, smooth, jagged, space, dense). These will help you discuss what you like about that particular track or particular solo.
● Is there collective improvisation or one solo at a time?
● Collective improvisation will be difficult to describe in way, but do your best to outline what happens from the beginning to end of the recording.
2. What instruments do you hear?
3. Why you chose those pieces? What do you like or don’t about them?
4. Have you heard this song before? (different songs can appear in previous modules or variations of the same song in the current module). Compare and contrast (Always list the song and artist you are discussing) When was the first time you heard this song? (prior modules may have had a distinct set of songs, whereas the present module may have variations of the same song). Contrast and compare the two (Always list the song and artist you are discussing)

Other things to discuss:
● Is the music relaxing or tense? (some key words: dissonance, energy, space or dense)
● Is is slow, medium or fast?
● Is there little or a lot of interaction between the musicians?
● Is the song mostly filled with improvisation or does most of it sound written (organized)?
● Can you hear the jazz interpretation? (example: does a specific player sound unique compared to other musicians you’ve heard through the course? Reference a player form a pervious module if needed, to compare the interpretation)
● Do you hear syncopation? Does there seem to be more syncopation on track compared to the other?

Creating a roadmap of the song:
Example:
Artist: Count Basie
Song Title: Splanky

00:01 starts with piano
00:12 sounds like brass playing the melody
00:35 brass continues with the melody saxes come in with call and response
01:00 sax solo
Sounds relaxed and simple
01:46 band comes back in with a loud section with everyone playing the same thing
02:30 piano
02:39 brass comes in with saxes call and response
03:00 loud section come back with everyone playing the same thing
03:24 piano plays an ending

Listening Objectives
1. Identify the primary instruments performing.
2. Listen to the dynamics and tempo of the music and identify whether it is loud or soft or fast or slow.
3. Listen for melody and harmony as well as solo or large group playing.
4. Identify any special sounds that may give clues about whether the music is swing (a lot of cymbals), rock (a lot of bass drum), latin (a lot of tom toms and clicking sounds), or some other form of jazz.
5. Identify any sections where a musician or musicians seem to be improvising.

Key Music Terms:

Instrumentation describes what kind of instrument or voice produced the music.
Jazz ensembles can be organized into groups of any instrumentation, but there are some standard arrangements. One of the most common groupings today is the standard big band setup

Other instrumentation combinations may be larger, as in the case of a jazz orchestra, or smaller, such as the jazz combo or a bebop ensemble. In each case, there is generally a complete rhythm section supporting other musicians comprised of a drum set, piano or synthesizers, guitar, and bass guitar.

Timbre, or tone quality, describes the quality of a musical sound. Timbre is generally discussed using adjectives, like “bright,” “dark,” “buzzy,” “airy,” “thin,” and “smooth.” Jazz musicians explore a wide variety of timbres, including the wah-wah of a plunger mute on trumpet or trombone, the buzz of a trumpet Harmon mute, the ocean-wave sounds of “brushes” on a drum set, the unique sounds of cymbals of all sizes and thicknesses, and the occasional doubling of saxophone players on flutes, clarinets, or other woodwind instruments. Some jazz musicians can produce growling or flutter-tonguing sounds on wind instruments, and some keyboard players switch to various synthesized sounds for specific genres and styles within jazz. Timbre is a musical element that is often manipulated in jazz music.

Texture is a term that describes what is going on in the music at any moment. Musical texture is the way that melody, harmony, and rhythm combine. The texture in many jazz works is homophonic (having one melody predominating), with one group playing the melody and other instrument groups playing related chordal accompaniment.

In other types of works, such as big band jazz (swing era), more than one melody competes in polyphonic texture (having two or more melodic lines). At times, the three brass sections—trumpets, trombones, and saxophones—may all have different competing melodies in polyphony or polyrhythms, or both. Additional chordal notes that do not normally occur in the key often enhance textures in jazz music.

Melody is a recognizable line of music that includes different notes, or pitches, and rhythms in an organized way. One instrument, an entire section, or the entire ensemble in unison may perform the melody in a jazz piece. Sometimes, a band may pass around a melody, with each player playing a small chunk or motif.
● Is the melody singable?

Harmony is created when two or more voices perform together. Jazz harmonies are known for being colorful, including dissonant notes or widely spaced intervals, and adding or releasing tension in the music.
● When considering musical texture, ask yourself these questions:
● What instruments or voices am I hearing?
● Do I hear one melody or more than one?
● Are the extra voices or instruments changing together or at different times?
● Is it difficult to identify the melody, perhaps because there are several melodies happening at once?

Tempo is the speed of the music. Tempo also may be referred to as “time.” One of the staples in jazz music is syncopation, which shifts the emphasis of rhythms off the beat and creates anticipation or delays. Some jazz works have a “driving” rhythm that moves forward quickly with a strong pulse, and other jazz works seem relaxed in “swing” style, keeping a steady tempo but swinging just a bit behind the beat. Tempo is one factor that helps listeners identify jazz styles.

Dynamics are changing volume levels of musical sounds. Sudden dynamic changes to louder or softer volumes occur frequently in jazz music and add character to the sound. Brass kicks are a common technique used to change dynamics in jazz. This technique includes sudden loud, punchy notes performed by the bass section against a quieter background, which surprises listeners and add expression.

Form is the organization and structure of a musical selection. Many jazz pieces are organized in AABA or ABA form, with the initial melody returning at the end of the work. Improvisation sections may be included.

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