Rhythmic Connections - Jazz

Jazz and Improvisation " Imagination is more important than knowledge, knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Albert Einstein

Jazz musicians improvise around a structured rhythm, based upon a melody and harmonic pattern that all the players in the group are aware.

Improvisation means to perform at will, without preparation, and to spontaneously create an "on the spot" performance. Improvisation has existed throughout the centuries.

In the Baroque period, harpsichord players or organists would read from a figured bass line. The cello would play this line and from the numerals that were placed underneath the notes, the harpsichordist or organist would improvise and fill in the harmonies.

In the Classical period, the concerto (a piece of music for a solo instrument and an orchestra) has a cadenza as one of its features. The cadenza is an improvisation which usually comes at the end of a movement. The orchestra becomes silent, and the soloist improvises around one or more of the main themes of the movement.

Jazz was born in New Orleans. It evolved through fundamental Afro-American elements such as the blues, ragtime, spirituals and work songs. Improvisation was critical to this art form. All the performers stuck to the basic rules of tempo, form and harmonic progression.

Polyphonic textures (many sounding) were established by the trumpet player, the clarinet having another melody above the main tune, an improvisation beneath this from the trombone, and then a rhythm section which consisted of drums, string bass, piano, banjo etc.

One of the first great jazz musicians was the trumpeter Louis Armstrong (Click here to listen to Louis Armstrong). He introduced the term "scat singing" in which syllables are sung and improvised with no literal meaning. His friend Ella Fitzgerald developed this work of art (Click here to listen to Ella Fitzgerald). He also introduced new improvisations developed on chord changes (choruses), instead of around a repeated melody.

Ragtime (or ragged rhythm) was a popular influential early style of jazz. The king of ragtime was Scott Joplin (1868-1917). He was a great improviser on the piano, and he developed intricate rhythmic syncopated patterns and melodies. The best known of his piano works was The Maple Leaf Rag. (Click here to listen to Scott Joplin)

Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington (1899-1974) was an excellent pianist, who played in the New York jazz clubs in the 1920's. He was known as an orchestrator and arranger of music for the big band or swing music. One of his best known works is "Ko-Ko" 1940, set on a twelve-bar blues (Click here to listen to Duke Ellington). He was inspired to compose this work from listening to African religious rites drum ceremonies that were held in a square in New Orleans.

Beat Poem: from Beat Voices, An Anthology of Beat Poetry Edited by David Kheridian