(Some Tips for Understanding) The Language of Jazz Music
Many people find jazz music to be difficult to follow because its traditions and structures are so
far removed from the popular music we are accustomed to hearing today on TV, online, or on
the radio. I would like to offer some modest suggestions for those who wish to have a deeper
appreciation for this vital and vibrant American artform. What follows are the broad outlines by
which much jazz music sticks to. It is by no means comprehensive. Indeed, many jazz artists take
great pleasure in subverting expectations by intentionally undermining the typical “rules” of jazz
composition and performance. But since so much jazz does follow certain conventions, and since
knowing the basics helps one to appreciate the exceptions to the rule, I hope you will find my
explanations useful.
Some Background
Jazz music, though it derived from blues and folk traditions in New Orleans around 1900, went
through several subtle transformations from the early 1900’s through the early 1930’s, when it
developed several traits which became common and persist even today. Before and during the
1930’s, jazz was largely polyphonic: that is, several simultaneous “leading” instruments were heard during
a song (click words in bold for links to songs.) The players intertwined their parts and the music often sounded busy, even frantic during
fast songs. The melody of a song was played once or twice at the beginning of a song and then
everybody jumped in. In time, musicians began to see the effectiveness of taking turns being the
lead “voice” or instrument during a song, which lent the music more variety. This led to jazz
composers and arrangers (who reworked existing songs) writing more complex parts for groups of instruments
to play as backgrounds to that lead (or solo) instrument.
By the 1930’s, Swing (aka Big Band) music had become the leading force in jazz and the
arrangements became increasingly complex, to the point where a song could go through
elaborate changes in tempo (speed), dynamics (loudness, softness), and harmonies several (or
many!) times within its typical 3-minute length (limited by the duration of vinyl records at the
time.) Some players in these bands became solo specialists. Because of their skill and facility on
their instrument, they would be featured prevalently on record after record. Often these players
were trumpeters, saxophonists, trombonists, pianists, or clarinetists because these instruments
tended to be easier for playing complex melodies and could be clearly heard over a group of
other instruments. This led to musicians cultivating a distinctive sound that would be unique
and readily identifiable to listeners.
As economics (travel expenses, the Depression, WWII) forced many swing bands to reduce their
size, smaller combos of 4 or 5 musicians became more popular. These quartets and quintets shed
the more complicated arrangements and played a leaner, simpler kind of jazz. In place of
elaborate written parts and rich harmonies, soloists substituted melodies and solos that were
more daring and dissonant (often harsh and strange for the times.) And it is at this point, in the mid-1940’s, that the modern approach to jazz really solidified into the forms it still largely
follows.
How Jazz Music is Constructed
Basically, one or more instruments plays the melody of the song (and jazz has always
pulled music from everywhere: showtunes, blues, pop songs, ballads, Latin music…) and the
players each take a turn playing an extended and improvised solo while the bass, drums,
and/or piano play along in the background. After the soloists each have a turn, the melody is played again and the song is finished. If a song is played again, the formula
might be more or less identical, but the solos will be played differently, as no two solos are ever played the same way twice. This is one of the cornerstones of nearly all jazz music:
that each time a player does his or her solo, he or she expresses himself or herself in a new way.
This is meant to make each version fresh and to spur the player to experiment and try new
things. Jazz music has a “searching” quality that is characterized by a feeling of being on a
journey where there is no final destination. It is a conversation among the players in a band
where one idea is offered and others respond to it instantly, musically. This is quite different
from most other music where the song is itself the point and therefore seldom varies. In jazz, the
players and their respective styles are the key. In essence, the song becomes largely irrelevant; it
is simply a means to an end: self-expression.
So, let us take as an example the above tune by 60’s trumpeter Lee Morgan. You will hear him
play the catchy (and blues-based) melody once at the beginning of the song. Then the
saxophonist plays his solo over bass, drums, and piano, which are just repeating over and over
(with minor embellishments) the same parts they played during the opening melody. Next
comes Lee Morgan. His solo here is typical of his sound: fiery and brassy and punchy. After
listening to him for some time, a listener would ideally be able to identify his playing just from
hearing a bit of his playing. After all, he does not play like other contemporary trumpeters like
Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie and that is precisely his intention! Next comes a piano solo. Then
the melody is repeated just like at the start and the song ends.
The Feeling of Jazz
Once this formula is absorbed, you might discover that there are infinite variations all
throughout jazz music. Naturally, bands that emulate early jazz (Dixieland, swing) will have an
approach that approximates those older jazz traditions. Also, there is jazz music that is very
modern and defies any and all conventions. There are hybrids like fusion (which is like jazz
mixed with rock and roll) and funk-soul. But even these other forms often lean on the traditions
and methods I explained above.
Far from just noodling aimlessly, jazz musicians are trying to express a feeling and are always
trying to say something in a new way. The paradox of jazz is that musicians want to develop
qualities, like tone and familiar “licks” or patterns, that are consistent from performance to
performance, yet never repeat themselves in terms of the musical story that their solo tells. This
story is always driven by the feelings and circumstances of the moment. It can be joyful or sad
or inquisitive or humorous. It can be introverted or it can be an open dialogue with the audience or other musicians. The greatest jazz musicians each develop a language that, once we learn to
“converse” with them, can unfold into beautiful and surprising works of art.
(Source: jazzpages)
Lee Morgan
Jazz
