Listening Examples – Jazz
It is near impossible to find an example of a musical piece that fits clearly into one musical genre. There are, however, certain characteristics in a piece of music that allow it to be classisfied within a category, with other pieces, with similar traits. Very often (and particularly with Jazz Music!), a piece will fit into several categories.
The examples below are meant only as a guide and a platform for more discussion with your teacher/students regarding the classification into that genre.
Sub-Genre | Description | Song | Artist | Listen Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The (early) Blues
|
– Often follows a 12-bar blues chord progression in 4/4 time – Usually uses the blues scale for melodic material (flattened 3rd, 5th and 7th) – Lyrics are often themed around sadness, pain, or unrequited love – Lyrics are in AAB form – Uses a shuffle feel and a walking bass line |
Dallas Blues |
George Lewis and His Band |
|
Shake That Thing |
Kokomo Arnold |
|||
Back Water Blues |
Bessie Smith |
|||
Blue Spirit Blues |
Bessie Smith |
|||
Billie’s Blues |
Billie Holiday |
|||
Crazy Blues |
Mamie Smith |
|||
Ragtime
|
– Written in 2/4 or 4/4 time – Bass notes generally played on beats 1 & 3, while chords are played on 2 & 4 – Often contain four distinct sections or themes – Highly syncopated, with rhythmic accents on weak beats |
Maple Leaf Rag |
Scott Joplin |
|
Sensation |
Joseph Lamb |
|||
Rusty Rags |
Vess Ossman |
|||
A Ragtime Medley |
Vess Ossman |
|||
The Mississipi Rag |
William H. Krell |
|||
12th Street Rag |
Euday L. Bowman |
|||
New Orleans (Dixieland) |
– Combined brass band marches, ragtime and blues with collective improvisation – Trumpet, trombone & Clarinet was the ‘front line’ while any combination of guitar, banjo, tuba, bass, piano and drums made up the rhythm section – Rhythm section plays chordal accompaniment underneath melody (homophonic) but has a ‘polyphonic’ feel, due to multiple melodies being played at the same time. |
Basin Street Blues |
Louis Armstrong |
|
When The Saints Go Marching In |
Dukes of Dixieland |
|||
Dippermouth Blues |
King Oliver |
|||
Dixie Jazz Band One-Step |
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band |
|||
Potato Head Blues |
Louis Armstrong |
|||
Original Jelly Roll Blues |
Jelly Roll Morton |
|||
Stockyard Strut |
Freddie Keppard and His Jazz Cardinals |
|||
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans |
Kid Ory |
|||
Swing |
– Generally played by big bands (more than 10) and orchestras – More melodic structure than New Orleans – less polyphony and improvisation – Arrangers and band leaders adapted compositions to suit their own orchestras and often, individual musicians – Call and response was regularly used between instrumentalists and sections – Primarily for dancing |
Wrappin’ It Up |
Fletcher Henderson |
|
One O’ Clock Jump |
Count Basie |
|||
The New East St. Louis Toodle-o |
Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra |
|||
Jumpin’ At The Woodside |
Count Basie |
|||
Main Stem |
Duke Ellington |
|||
Sing, Sing, Sing |
Benny Goodman |
|||
It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) |
Duke Ellington |
|||
Don’t Be That Way |
Benny Goodman |
|||
Bebop |
– Often uses a very fast tempo – Melodies are intricate and difficult to play – Rapid harmonic rhythm (frequent chord changes) – Smaller formations of musicians resulted in more freedom in melodic interpretation and more soloing opportunities |
Salt Peanuts |
Dizzy Gillespie |
|
Shaw ‘Nuff |
Dizzy Gillespie |
|||
Koko |
Charlie Parker |
|||
Now’s The Time |
Charlie Parker |
|||
Groovin’ High |
Dizzie Gillespie Sextet |
|||
Tempus Fugue-It |
Bud Powell |
|||
Blue Monk |
Thelonious Monk |
|||
How High The Moon |
Ella Fitzgerald |
|||
Cool Jazz |
– Brings back simpler melodic and harmonic structures, but maintains the phrasing of Bebop – Often filled with silence and great expression – Is generally thought to be more ‘listenable’ than Bebop – Was the precursor to the fusion of several styles with Jazz ie. rock, rhythm and blues, soul, funk etc. |
Israel |
Miles Davis |
|
Take 5 |
Dave Brubeck |
|||
Boplicity |
Miles Davis |
|||
Bernie’s Tune |
Gerry Mulligan Quartet |
|||
Hard Bop |
– Not ‘harder’ or ‘heavier’ than Bebop as many expect – Generally a slower tempo than Bebop – Stronger rhythmically as the drums take on more of a role – A rection to Cool Jazz, it was influenced by rhythm and blues, blues and gospel |
Giant Steps |
John Coltrane |
|
Nica’s Dream |
Horace Silver |
|||
Walkin’ |
Miles Davis |
|||
Moanin’ |
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers |
|||
St. Thomas |
Sonny Rollins |
|||
Free Jazz |
– Typically played in small groups – Generally busy, aggressive and dissonant – Improvisation is at the heart of Free Jazz – Often uses a pulse, but not in any particular meter |
Enter, Evening |
Cecil Taylor |
|
Lonely Woman |
Ornette Coleman |
|||
Fusion |
– Also known as Jazz-fusion and Jazz-rock – Uses amplified instruments and takes characteristics from jazz, rock, rhythm and blues, soul, funk and even Classical music |
The Spin |
The Yellowjackets |
|
Chameleon |
Herbie Hancock |
|||
Birdland |
Weather Report |
|||
In A Silent Way |
Miles Davis |
|||
Spacy Country |
Uzeb |
|||
Smooth Jazz |
– Usually a more relaxed tempo than Fusion – Melody is usually played by sax, piano or guitar and has Jazz characteristics of syncopation and exploration of tone colour (but not to the extent of the other styles!) – An easier to listen to, more ‘commercial’ form of Fusion – Smooth Jazz emerged in the mid 1970s and 80s. Definitley not to be confused with the more recent ‘elevator music’ and ‘easy listening’ background music. |
Morning Dance |
Spyro Gyra |
|
Breezin |
George Benson |
|||
Mountain Dance |
Dave Grusin |
|||
Mister Majic |
Grover Washington |
|||
A Change Of Heart |
David Sanborn |
|||
Latin Jazz |
– This style combines rhythms from African and Latin-American countries with Jazz harmonies from the US – There are two main categories of Latin Jazz… 1. Afro-Cuban Jazz includes salsa, merengue, songo, son, mambo, bolero, charanga and cha cha cha 2. Brazilian jazz includes bossa nova and samba |
The Girl From Ipanema |
Antonio Carlos Jobim |
|
500 Miles High |
Chick Corea |
|||
Song For My Father |
Horace Silver |
|||
Desafinado |
Stan Getz / Joao Gilberto |
|||
Acid Jazz |
– Also known as Groove Jazz or Club Jazz – Combines Jazz influences with soul, funk, disco and dance music – Repetitive beats and grooves are a feature – Modal harmony is common |
Radio |
Jamiroquai |
|
Worlds Keep Spinning |
The Brand New Heavies |
|||
Mystic Voyage |
Ronny Jordan |