Jazz Blog » Jazz Musicians http://www.thesavagejazz.com Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:01:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 A Brief History of Jazz Music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/a-brief-history-of-jazz-music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/a-brief-history-of-jazz-music#comments Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:52:59 +0000 admin2 http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/a-brief-history-of-jazz-music

The folk songs and plantation dance music of black Americans have much to say about the early jazz. These types of music came about all the way through the Southern United States at some point in the eighteen hundreds.

Ragtime, a musical technique that influenced early jazz, emerged from the St. Louis, Missouri, area in the late 1890’s. It rapidly became the most popular music style in the United States. Ragtime was a vigorous and syncopated assortment of music, primarily for the piano, that give emphasis to a formal composition.

A conventional jazz band would consist of a front line of a trumpet, trombone and clarinet or the saxophone, and a rhythm section of drums, a bass, a piano, and often times a guitar or banjo. The blues is a type of music that has always been an imperative part of jazz. The blues was especially widespread in the American South. Its mournful scale and uncomplicated repeated harmonies helped shape the character of jazz. Jazz instrumentalists have long exploited the blues as a vehicle for improvisation.

Completely developed jazz music in all probability started off in New Orleans at the commencement of the nineteen hundredths. New Orleans style jazz came forward from the city’s own musical customs of band music for black funeral processions and street parades. Today, this kind of jazz is occasionally known as classic jazz, traditional jazz, or Dixieland jazz. New Orleans was the musical home of the first distinguished players and originators of jazz. Jazz soon broaden from New Orleans to the other parts of the country.

The 1920’s have been called the golden age of jazz it the jazz age. Commercial radio stations, which first appeared in the 1920’s, featured live performances by the growing number of jazz musicians. New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, and The City of New York were all significant centers of jazz.

A group of Midwest youths developed a type of improvisation and arrangement that became known as Chicago style jazz. While in The City of New York, a musician named as James P. Johnson popularized a musical style from ragtime which is known as stride piano. In stride piano, the left hand plays alternating notes single notes and chords that move up and down the scale the scale while the right hand plays solo melodies, accompanying rhythms, and interesting chordal passages. Johnson strongly influenced other jazz pianists.

Fletcher Henderson was the first most important figure in big band jazz. In 1923, he became the first leader to arrange a jazz band into sections of brass, reed, and rhythm instruments. His arranger, Don Redman, was the first to master the modus operandi of scoring music for big bands.

By: Jim Oneil

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/a-brief-history-of-jazz-music/feed 0 The Art of Jazz Music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-art-of-jazz-music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-art-of-jazz-music#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:57:51 +0000 admin2 http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-art-of-jazz-music

Jazz music is a very popular form of music, this form of music has been a popular genre since the early 20th century, mostly present and evident in African American neighborhoods and then spread across America and Europe. Jazz has always influenced popular, more mainstream music, over the years it has gone through many evolutions, producing many different sub genres as time has gone on. Jazz is also influenced by the different cultures and regions it is brought into, with each culture adding its’ own distinct twist on the genre. This has created many distinctive and different styles in jazz culture.

It’s hard to define the starting point of the jazz music genre, as there are so many different sub genres and cultures that have involved themselves in jazz music. It’s also very difficult to actually define jazz, and put some kind of label on it’s traits and characteristics, as it has become so widely varied. One huge element of jazz music is definitely improvisation – playing around, rarely playing the same song or melody more than once, not having particular notes or keys to follow and experimenting with the music, which is a huge part of jazz’s liberal, free feel. Early jazz movements also had a kind of call-and-response pattern, in which some players would play a note, only to have other people playing different instruments play the same thing, and so on it would go, making the genre a little bit competitive during live performances. Many early jazz musicians did not even know how to play music. However, this is certainly not to say that jazz players are not talented – they certainly are very talented, often more than classical performers. They often instead learn notes by ear.

Some trace the jazz music genre back to the late 18th century, when African slaves were first brought over to the United States. They would sing, chant or improvise the creation of song and instruments while they were forced to work in the slave trade. This is where jazz’s call-and-response characteristic is from, it became a form of entertainment for the slaves. With the end of slavery, jazz music began to develop even more, as African-Americans were finally treated as people and were entitled to education. They began to perform early forms of jazz music as entertainment in nightclubs and other venues. ‘Ragtime’ was one of the first established sub genres of jazz, which became popular around this time, along with the rise of blues music. Jazz was especially popular in the South during this time, particularly New Orleans, where a lot of jazz music was developed and a lot of famous and influential jazz musicians first became recognized and known.

Throughout the early 1900s’ jazz began to blossom and grow, as musicians played around more with the genre and its’ possibilities. This included sub genres such as swing, gypsy jazz and European styles of jazz.Since this time, jazz has become a major influence and is even partially responsible for the invention and creation of other genres. It’s amazing to see how music has evolved.

By: Gareth L

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-art-of-jazz-music/feed 0 The Facts Beyond Jazz Music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-facts-beyond-jazz-music http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-facts-beyond-jazz-music#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:38:49 +0000 admin2 http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-facts-beyond-jazz-music

Many people think that jazz is the music of the elite and well-established people. But, if you look into the roots of jazz, you will see the opposite. Jazz is an art of expression in the form of music. Jazz music is the fundamental music in human life.

Jazz tradition evolved from the lifestyle of black community in America who has been oppressed. Initially, the tradition began from the influence of tribal drums and gospel music, blues and field hollers (the shouts of cultivators). Its birth process has demonstrated that jazz was closely related to the life defense and expression of human life.

The interesting thing from jazz music was that the origin of the word “jazz” was derived from a vulgar term used for sexual acts. Most of rhythms in jazz were ever associated with the brothels and the women with an unfortunate reputation.

Then, in the journey of jazz, it eventually became an art form of jazz music, both in the specific composition and improvisation, which reflected the spontaneous melodies. Jazz musicians usually expressed their feelings that were uneasily explained because this music should be felt within the heart.

Jazz legend began in New Orleans and grew into the Mississippi River, Memphis, St. Louis, and finally Chicago. Of course, jazz was influenced by music in New Orleans, African tribal drums and the structure of European-style music. Jazz background could not be separated from the facts in which jazz was influenced by a variety of music such as spiritual music, cakewalks, ragtime and blues.

One of jazz legends who was believed was the legend around 1891. An owner of hair shaving shop in New Orleans, named Buddy Bolden blew his cornet and the time became the beginning of jazz music as a new breakthrough in the music world. Half a century later, American jazz music gave many contributions to the world of music. Jazz was also studied at university, and eventually became a serious music and was calculated by the world of music.

Jazz as a popular art began to spread to almost all of American society in the 1920s (known as the Jazz Age). Jazz was more widespread in the swing era in the late 1930s and it peaked in the late 1950s as a modern jazz. In the early 20s and 30s, “jazz” has become a common word.

The influence and development of blues music could not be left when discussing jazz music in the early years of its development. Expressions that shined when playing the blues were in line with the style of jazz. The ability to play the blues music became the standard for all jazz musicians, especially to be used in improvisation.

Blues music itself, which was originated from the southern region, had a very broad history. Blues players usually used guitar, piano, and harmonica, or played together in a group who played his own musical instruments.

By: Stewart B Johnston

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-facts-beyond-jazz-music/feed 0 The 7 Elements of Team Success – Lessons from Jazz http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-7-elements-of-team-success-lessons-from-jazz http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-7-elements-of-team-success-lessons-from-jazz#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:04:19 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-7-elements-of-team-success-lessons-from-jazz

When it comes to learning lessons from jazz about team success, there are few teachers wiser than Frank Barrett. He played in the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, has a doctorate in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University, and teaches in the School of Human and Organization Development at the Fielding Graduate University.

Barrett has identified seven elements of success for teams that find themselves having to improvise in the face of uncertainty, change, and crises. This is the world in which business operates these days. If teams are going to be accountable, adaptable, and agile in their performance, these are the seven elements of team success that they need to learn and apply.

1. Provocative Competence

Successful teams encourage their members to be deliberate in challenging the process and interrupting habitual patterns of behaviour that are no longer delivering the results required. Such disruption stimulates new perspectives, new knowledge, and new skills that will accomplish the common goals more effectively. Developing this kind of competence will keep the team growing and improving. Jazz musicians are constantly testing new ways of seeing and doing things with core melody they are playing together. This skill is the key to productive innovation.

2. Errors as a Source of Learning

Successful teams accept the fact that making mistakes creates a source of new ways of making sense and meaning of what they are doing. Learning from errors is an essential experience in developing team resilience, the ability to deal with the stresses and crises that are increasingly becoming a constant feature of the workplace. Valuable energy and time is wasted in anger and correction that could be redirected to learning and improvement. Saxophonist Cannonball Adderley once said, “There are no mistakes is jazz, only opportunities to learn.”

3. Shared Orientation with Minimal Structures

Successful teams create clear but lean scenarios or charts that give members maximum flexibility in expressing their unique talents in the service of a common purpose. The great temptation is teams is to develop strategic plans that look like symphony scores, scripted in such detail that no room remains for improvising with individual talent and creativity. Jazz musicians trust their fellow musicians to contribute their best within minimal melody lines to create compelling performances.

4. Distributed Tasks

Successful teams engage in continual negotiation and dialogue to create synchronization and alignment among all members of the team. They know what each team member does best and enjoys most. They design their work so they can play to those strengths and spread the work out to those most suited to the task. Jazz legend Duke Ellington regarded his whole orchestra as his instrument. His job as the leader was to discover the true talents of each musician and arrange the music to bring all those talents into play.

5. Reliance on Retrospective Sense-Making

Successful teams encourage their members to reflect on past experiences to open up more possibilities and options. They are constantly revising the stories that give meaning to their work and devising new frameworks of understanding for the future. Jazz musicians review their performances to discover new ideas for interpreting the melodies. Their minds are constantly open to finding new ways of pleasing themselves and their audiences.

6. Hanging Out

Successful teams enjoy hanging out together. They see themselves as a community of practice in which mutual learning takes place as they talk and act with one another. Jazz musicians often just get together to jam, to explore ideas and test possibilities in conversation with each other. It’s an irrepressible inner drive that brings deep enjoyment.

7. Taking Turns

Successful teams align and schedule the work to that co-workers alternate between soloing and supporting. Charlie Parker talked about three aspects of great music – melody, harmony, and rhythm. Every aspect is essential to great performance and every musician in a jazz group takes turns providing support to the soloist playing with the melody by playing supportive harmonies and rhythms.

Thinking of your team as a jazz group opens up a whole new kind of conversation about success and ways of improving the contributions your team makes to your organization.

And remember, the most common form of improvisation or jazz is conversation. You are all jazz musicians. Enjoy the teamwork!

For more of Barrett’s thinking, see F.J. Barrett, “Creativity and Improvisation in Jazz and Organizations,” Organization Science, 9 (1998) 5:605-622.

By: Brian Fraser

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-7-elements-of-team-success-lessons-from-jazz/feed 0 Learn to Play Jazz Guitar http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2 http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:56:01 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2

One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.

By: Rich Matthews

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2/feed 0 The Development of Jazz in New Orleans http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-2 http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-2#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:48:04 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-2

Jazz is known as being one of the only styles of music created in America, though it is a mixture West African and Western music traditions. Jazz’s began in New Orleans, around the 1900’s, but its roots can be traced back hundreds of years earlier when slaves who were brought to America developed spirituals and blues in order to communicate with one another and express sadness, desires and religious beliefs. The music was passed along orally with each new generation making their own unique changes to the songs, which were often of a call and response form and unaccompanied by musical instruments.

Rhythms and melodies from the black community were combined with European compositions leading to the development of Ragtime music around 1895. “Ragging” a song meant dragging out certain notes and livening up music by rearranging notes. Ragtime and Jazz are similar but Ragtime music is predominantly sole piano music while Jazz music is played in ensembles.

Though jazz is closely associated with blues and ragtime, one of the most important elements of jazz music is that it is improvisational music–well-known notes and lines are a starting point for musicians to develop unique songs around. Early jazz musicians often could not read music but they thrilled audiences by bringing emotion, excitement and the unexpected to their pieces. While ragtime music was popular in restaurants, clubs or hotels, Jazz was mobile, versatile music played at funerals, parades, weddings, and at festivals.

The 1920’s were known as the Jazz Age as New Orleans jazz was brought to nightclubs in Northern cities such as Chicago and New York. It was more upscale than the music of New Orleans, and New Orleans Jazz distinguished itself as being a more folksy and spontaneous form of Jazz. Throughout the 20th century, many variations of Jazz music were popular including Dixieland, bebop, Big Band, swing, cool jazz, soul jazz and Latin jazz.

All forms of jazz music and the types of music that inspired it or have preceded it are celebrated during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The event began in 1970 as means of showcasing the musical heritage, arts, crafts and cuisine unique of New Orleans. The first Jazz Festival had a lineup that included Duke Ellington and Fats Domino and only about 350 attendees.

Quickly the Festival’s popularity grew and it now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, world-renowned singers and the top talent of New Orleans and Louisiana. This year, artists including Rod Stewart, Jon Mayer, Harry Connick Jr. and ZZ Top are set to play in the event which will take place during the weekends of April 27-29 and May 4-6.

2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival attendees are invited to stay at the Hotel Maison de Ville in the French Quarter so that in addition to seeing the festival performances, they’ll be right by jazz clubs and bars where they can hear intimate performances by traditional and contemporary jazz artists who have been inspired by the earliest performers.

By: Carolyn Polinsky

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-2/feed 0 Learn to Play Jazz Guitar http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.



By: Sam Bateman

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar/feed 0 The Development of Jazz in New Orleans http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:32:22 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans

Jazz is known as being one of the only styles of music created in America, though it is a mixture West African and Western music traditions. Jazz’s began in New Orleans, around the 1900’s, but its roots can be traced back hundreds of years earlier when slaves who were brought to America developed spirituals and blues in order to communicate with one another and express sadness, desires and religious beliefs. The music was passed along orally with each new generation making their own unique changes to the songs, which were often of a call and response form and unaccompanied by musical instruments.

Rhythms and melodies from the black community were combined with European compositions leading to the development of Ragtime music around 1895. “Ragging” a song meant dragging out certain notes and livening up music by rearranging notes. Ragtime and Jazz are similar but Ragtime music is predominantly sole piano music while Jazz music is played in ensembles.

Though jazz is closely associated with blues and ragtime, one of the most important elements of jazz music is that it is improvisational music—well-known notes and lines are a starting point for musicians to develop unique songs around. Early jazz musicians often could not read music but they thrilled audiences by bringing emotion, excitement and the unexpected to their pieces. While ragtime music was popular in restaurants, clubs or hotels, Jazz was mobile, versatile music played at funerals, parades, weddings, and at festivals.

The 1920’s were known as the Jazz Age as New Orleans jazz was brought to nightclubs in Northern cities such as Chicago and New York. It was more upscale than the music of New Orleans, and New Orleans Jazz distinguished itself as being a more folksy and spontaneous form of Jazz. Throughout the 20th century, many variations of Jazz music were popular including Dixieland, bebop, Big Band, swing, cool jazz, soul jazz and Latin jazz.

All forms of jazz music and the types of music that inspired it or have preceded it are celebrated during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The event began in 1970 as means of showcasing the musical heritage, arts, crafts and cuisine unique of New Orleans. The first Jazz Festival had a lineup that included Duke Ellington and Fats Domino and only about 350 attendees.

Quickly the Festival’s popularity grew and it now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, world-renowned singers and the top talent of New Orleans and Louisiana. This year, artists including Rod Stewart, Jon Mayer, Harry Connick Jr. and ZZ Top are set to play in the event which will take place during the weekends of April 27-29 and May 4-6.

2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival attendees are invited to stay at the Hotel Maison de Ville in the French Quarter so that in addition to seeing the festival performances, they’ll be right by jazz clubs and bars where they can hear intimate performances by traditional and contemporary jazz artists who have been inspired by the earliest performers.

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/the-development-of-jazz-in-new-orleans/feed 0 Play Jazz Guitar http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/play-jazz-guitar http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/play-jazz-guitar#comments Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/play-jazz-guitar Jazz guitar music is based on various guitarists’ attempts to experiment with the form used to express musical ideas. Jazz began with the African slaves combining the song and dance forms they found in America with the musical traditions they carried with them from their homeland. Since then jazz musicians of every nationality have developed certain methods of taking a musical idiom and turning it into jazz by interpreting the music using jazz chord substitution and improvising techniques.

The trademark of the jazz guitar player is that he is inventing new music all the time. When people learn to play musical instruments it is usually with the aim of playing the songs or instrumentals of a famous musician. In jazz the aim is to build new music using other musical genres or the works of composers from outside jazz. A jazz guitarist with a number of years’ experience will have developed his own ways of improvising over a song or instrumental piece. Quite often his improvisation will be based on the techniques of using the notes in the chord he is playing to provide the material for his solo, or to simply use the notes he finds in the melody.

Whichever approach the jazz guitar player uses he will always depart from the melodic structure of the musical work he is improvising over and use melodic figures or “licks” which he has made up or learned from other guitarists. A lick is a combination of notes which can be used in improvising over music in any key. A lick is like a very short tune or fraction of a melody. Listen carefully to a jazz guitar solo. Try imitating some of the licks that you hear. You do not need to play them exactly, just imitate them and see how they fit with other licks to carry the solo to its ending.

Other jazz guitar techniques are the substitution of chords using other chords with more interest or color, the use of walking bass to add interest or changing the rhythm of a song. You can find examples of all these jazz guitar techniques by listening to the music of jazz guitar players like Charlie Christian, one of the pioneers of jazz guitar, Charlie Byrd, an exponent of latin jazz guitar who developed a genre of his own using classical guitar techniques to play jazz, or Wes Montgomery, a guitar player who ventured into many fields of music.

Anybody wanting to learn to play jazz guitar will be wondering what guitars give you that distinctive jazz sound. Of course you can play jazz on any guitar but when musicians think of a “jazz guitar” they usually have in mind a guitar with  “f” holes in the body, an arched top and a piezoelectric pickup. This gives that warm, expressive jazz feel that people associate with jazz guitar and is expressed so well in the work of Wes Montgomery. Epiphone is the brand name most jazz fans associate with this kind of guitar but they are also made by D’Angelico, Gibson and others.

To learn to play jazz guitar, even in a comparatively superficial sense entails listening to alot of jazz guitar music. As you listen you need to analyze what jazz guitarists do and what you, as a musician, WANT to do. Maybe you do not want to learn jazz as a genre but just to play in the style of a certain jazz guitar player. This will cut your work load considerably as you can find tabs for the work of many jazz guitar players on the internet.



By: Ricky Sharples

]]> http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/play-jazz-guitar/feed 0 How Big Band Jazz Music Became Popular http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/how-big-band-jazz-music-became-popular http://www.thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/how-big-band-jazz-music-became-popular#comments Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://thesavagejazz.com/jazz-blog/how-big-band-jazz-music-became-popular Big Band Jazz Music became popular around 1930s, also called as swing era, when it was played in the music concerts held at hot spots, such as New York and Chicago. Radio stations throughout the world begun to play this music thereby becoming the top choice of youngsters and adults who craved for intermediate jazz tools so as to learn and practice jazz piano.

Historical facts suggest that jazz grew popular when the touring musicians started singing songs based on themes of big band jazz music among the natives of America especially on the streets of New Orleans from where the touring musicians started their jazz tour in America. The modern style, steady rhythm and bluesy feel of jazz music got shape in New York and Chicago. Gradually jazz became so popular that the era of 1920s is still called as “jazz age” when people attended coaching so as to know how to play and practice jazz piano. By 1930, jazz emerged as the strongest and most popular mainstream music, and standard jazz songs got composed by the popular jazz musicians of that era.

One of the most common reasons for popularity of Big Band Jazz Music is that the musicians play all intermediate jazz tools in it thereby giving audience more time to dance. Another reason which led to the popularity of jazz is that the Lindy Hop dance introduced in 1930s by Charleston promoted solo dance thereby allowing jazz musicians to play for a long time.

Gradually Big Band Jazz Music became the popular choice of almost all the premier dance clubs throughout the America. The syncopated rhythms and blue notes of jazz emerged through usual waltzes and foxtrots.

Radio was one of the most popular sources by which Big Band Jazz Music became extremely popular. The era of 1930s and 1940s witnessed sky high popularity and huge demand of Big Band Jazz Music. Some of the common Big Band legends of that era include Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Count Basie.

Till date, the Big Band jazz music is considered as a favorite of many youngsters and that is why modern bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers and The Brian Setzer Orchestra performs new and standard songs from Big Band Jazz Music. Youngsters who are passionate about jazz music opt for intermediate jazz tools so as to practice jazz piano.



By: Akhila Choudhary

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