HOW JAZZ MUSIC WORKS
Jazz is like a musical language. When the musicians play, it’s as if they are talking to each other in jazz language. Most jazz music is based on a tune or a theme. The tune might be made up specifically or it might be based on a popular tune. A jazz group, or line-up has two parts: the rhythm section and the front line.
THE FRONT LINE
Front-line instruments are the ones that play solos during a jazz piece. They are given this name because the players usually stand in front of the rhythm section. Front-line instruments include the clarinet, trombone and the right-hand side of a piano.
THE RHYTHM SECTION
The rhythm section is a part that keeps a steady pulse. It also plays harmonies for the front-line instrument to improvise over. Rhythm section instruments include the bass guitar, double bass, drums, and the left-hand side of the piano.
RHYTHM AND SYNCOPATION
Most rhythms have a regular pulse or beat. Normally the stress, or accent, comes on the first beat, in a measure. In Jazz, the stress sometimes comes on the second beat, or in between the main beats. This is called syncopation. A tension is created between the steady pulse and the syncopated rhythm.
JAM SESSIONS
When musicians get together without an audience and experiment with tunes, it is known as a jam session. It is during sessions like these that most Jazz evolves.
COMPOSING JAZZ
Although jazz involves lots of improvisation, there are some fixed elements in a piece. Instead of writing down every note, jazz composers provide a rough outline, usually consisting of a tune and the chords that go with it. Chords are two or more notes played or sung together. They are usually written as chord symbols, which tell the musician which chords accompany a tune. The musicians improvise around this hotline. Most jazz composers base their work on music they come up with during jam sessions.
By: Diana Rogers
When Jack Welch wrote a book with his wife, Suzy, called Winning (2005), I don’t think anyone was surprised. Winning was what Jack Welch was all about during his career in business. And he believed fervently that such winning produced a broad range of benefits that were the foundation of a free and democratic society.
Welch identified eight essentials of leadership that can be linked in provocative ways with the dynamics of jazz.
1. Leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence. Every performance provides jazz musicians with an opportunity to hone their capacity to perform better. They are constantly helping and encouraging each other to reach their full potential, then reach beyond that.
2. Leaders make sure people not only see the vision, that they live and breathe it. When a jazz group really swings, they have tapped into their passions, applied them to the chosen music, and allowed that spirit to infuse their whole beings.
3. Leaders get into everyone’s skin, exuding positive energy and optimism. Jazz groups thrive on the possibility of achieving something truly inspiring and satisfying, both for themselves and for their audiences.
4. Leaders establish trust with candor, transparency, and credit. Relationships that are characterized by honesty, openness, and mutual acknowledgment lie at the heart of great jazz.
5. Leaders have the courage to make unpopular decisions and gut calls. Jazz musicians rely heavily on their instinct and feel for the best interpretation of the piece with this group for this audience at this time. It takes courage to push both performers and audiences beyond their comfort zones at times, but that’s what real jazz does.
6. Leaders probe and prod with a curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure their questions are answered with action. Jazz is created through questions such as, “What would happen if…?” and “Why don’t we try this …?,” then doing it.
7. Leaders inspire risk-taking and learning by setting the example. Leaders of jazz groups motivate others to improvise by first taking the risks themselves.
8. Leaders celebrate. Watch a live jazz group. Not only the leader, but everyone involved is nodding, smiling, appreciating, and celebrating what is being created. That keeps the spirit and momentum up for ever improving performance.
This flow of leadership practices works well in whatever field of endeavor your have chosen. You will notice that most of the practices are shared by all the members of the group. In jazz, the leadership role shifts from player to player and all contribute to the desired results. Developing the capacity to perform in this manner will improve your leadership performance significantly, regardless of the position you hold in your organization.
By: Brian Fraser
The exceptionally talented Jazz group Weather Report have released their CD entitled Heavy Weather. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Weather Report fans, and Jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Heavy Weather their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.
I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Heavy Weather. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.
Heavy Weather is a nicely varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly superb musicians. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.
Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and this is clearly the work of a group of musicians in top form. So much so that if you’re even mildly into Jazz music you’ll enjoy this CD.
While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 – A Remark You Made, track 5 – Rumba Mama, and track 8 – Havona.
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Birdland. This is a great track!
Heavy Weather Release Notes:
Weather Report originally released Heavy Weather on September 23, 1997 on the Legacy Recordings label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Birdland 2. A Remark You Made 3. Teen Town 4. Harlequin 5. Rumba Mama 6. Palladium 7. Juggler, The 8. Havona
Weather Report: Joe Zawinul (vocals, piano, synthesizer, melodica); Jaco Pastorius (vocals, fretless bass, mando-cello, drums, steel drums); Manolo Bandrena (vocals, percussion); Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones); Alex Acuna (drums, percussion).
Recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios, North Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by John Ephland.
By: Clyde Lee Dennis