You do not need a vast knowledge in jazz music for the name Herbie Hancock to sound familiar to you. Having had an amazing career over the course of more than half a century, Hancock has become known as a remarkable jazz pianist, an innovative composer and an explorer of original musical forms. Hancock has had an enormous influence on both electric and acoustic jazz and more recently on hip-hop and R&B. His career is not only acclaimed by numerous jazz music enthusiasts, but also by the music industry, as Hancock has won fourteen Grammy awards along the way.
The autobiography intrigued me with the very first sentences in the opening paragraph: “I’m onstage at a concert hall in Stockholm, Sweden, in the mid 1960s playing piano with the Miles Davis Quintet. We’re on tour, and this show is really heating up. The band is tight—we’re all in sync, all on the same wavelength. The music is flowing, we’re connecting with the audience, and everything feels magical, like we’re weaving a spell.” This sounds like the perfect beginning of an amazing journey through Hancock’s life and career. It made me expect to read a typical
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In the beginning of the book, he said that he had a fondness for all things Avant Garde, from Stravinsky to Jerry Garcia, which made me appreciate him a lot. This open-mindedness that he preaches was probably the reason why Hancock was so interested in technology and mechanical gadgets. To go along with this pursuit of new musical forms that Hancock embarked on, was this passion of his for technology, a passion that probably played a role in taking him from a pivotal role in Miles Davis’ second great quintet in the 1960s to his Afro-centric Mwandishi band of the early 1970s, from the funk explorations of his Headhunters outfit and the Davis-inspired music of the V.S.O.P ensemble of the 70s to subsequent experiments in 1980s techno, 21st century pop and film
In conclusion, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was of the most talented jazz composers and pianists of the 20th century and did amazing work and composed some of the most famous compositions of jazz. He has gave so many jazz composers motivation to do what they love and think outside the box, he was a genius. His compositions will live through the decades inspiring musicians and composers, his talent will live forever.
Though Jelly Roll Morton began his career without formal training, he grew to live an influential life. His piano style, musical notations on paper, and creative compositions thrived in the 1910s and the 1920s and even weaved its way into the later eras as musicians used Morton’s music as the foundation for their own. Even past his death, Jelly Roll Morton remains a legendary figure. His works are meticulously preserved and displayed in the prestigious Smithsonian Museum and universities around the world continue his legacy by teaching students about Jelly Roll Morton and his influential career.
When it comes to jazz music, there is one name that everyone knows, whether they’ve never listened to jazz before or if they’ve listened to it their whole lives. That name is Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was one of the pioneers of jazz music, from his humble beginnings in one of New Orleans roughest districts, “the Battlefield”, to playing concerts for sold out crowds in Chicago and New York City, Louis left a massive impact on the way America listened to music for a long time. One of his premier tracks, “West End Blues”, left an impact on jazz music, which other musicians would try to emulate for years.
All types of music require musicians. In the H.R (Harlem Renaissance), there were many who contributed to this new style of music known as jazz. These musicians all have their own style and form. Each of these styles has in some way influenced the evolution of jazz. Louis “Sachmo” Armstrong is recognized as the most famous trumpet player of this time. His “hot bop” style was heard in places like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theatre. Everyone from all over the country would come to see him. Armstrong recorded such works as I’m in the Mood for Love, and You Rascal you (http://library.thinkquest.org/26656/english/music.html). Another famous person during this era was Coleman Hawkins, a saxophone player. Hawkins is recognized as the first great saxophonists of Jazz. His most famous work was a piece named Body and Soul (http://library.thinkquest.org…). Hawkins has also recorded with artists such as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Other people such as Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker, Duke Ellington, and “Dizzie” Gillespie have also made many contributions to the development of Jazz.
Leonard Bernstein is widely known not only as one of the greatest American conductors, but also as a composer whose creativity and passion was spread over a wide range. His social and cultural influences helped shape his career into a musical icon and his music rekindled the American spirit. Above all, he will be remembered as one of the most amazing and influential musical personalities of the twentieth century.
Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington."
Miles Davis started his career at the age of fifteen and continued this work for the next fifty years. He is considered to be not only an important figure in the history of jazz, but also a pioneer as many of new jazz genres came into existence thanks to him. Being a solo
Miles Davis and John Coltrane are huge in the jazz world. They both have impacted jazz in many ways and are very well-known. Some may even say that they are the greatest jazz musicians that ever lived. They both have won
A single artist can have a very strong impact on a whole genre of Music. We have seen this time and time again through artists such as Charlie Parker, David Brubeck, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and various others. All of these artists had tremendous influences on the different eras that evolved throughout the history of Jazz. Bill Evans, and American jazz pianist, was no different. Just as Charlie Parker had started the evolution of Bebop and influenced the subsequent generations of Jazz Artists, Bill Evans has influenced Modern Jazz and the generations of artists that followed him. Throughout his career and his works with various other artists, Bill Evans has cemented himself as one of the great influences on modern day Jazz.
Missed notes, unfamiliar formal structures, and technical intricacies have plagued musicologist’s understanding of Miles Davis’s performances and why he is considered “someone who is indisputably one of the most important musicians in the history of jazz.” However, as Robert Walser discusses in his article, “Out of Notes: Signification, Interpretation, and the Problem of Miles Davis,” part of the problem is the approach taken by musicology for analyzing jazz music itself, attempting classicism of jazz to legitimize it as part of the European classical music tradition. Walser decries that when attempting to analyze and understand jazz music and performance we may need to consider alternative analytical methods.
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best'' , quoted a major figure in the history of jazz music, Duke Ellington. Ellington brought jazz into the nightclubs, and later into the lives of Americans in the early 20th century. He was a leader of a band called ''Black Sox Orchestra'' later called, ''The Washingtonians''. Ellington changed music life of Americans by introducing jazz. Duke Ellington had slathers of success in his music career.
On October 23, 2017, I attended a jazz concert at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. This concert was a celebration of the music of Freddie Hubbard. Freddie Hubbard was an Indianapolis native and a jazz legend. According to the program I received before the performance, Freddie Hubbard had a unique trumpeting style that characterized him as being one of “the most influential [trumpet players] to come out of the 1960s”.
In the jazz world, more specifically during the age of Dixieland it’s hard to not talk about Sidney Bechet and the wailing cry of his soprano saxophone. Beating Louis Armstrong by a few months, Sidney Bechet was the first important jazz soloist in history. Having heavy vibrato sound, he was arguably one of the best saxophonist and clarinetist the world has ever seen. Bechet had the ability to duplicate anything he heard, with an infallible music memory and perfect pitch he never learned to read music. There was never a need.
“With the writing of Jazz, Morrison takes on new tasks and new risks. Jazz, for example, doesn’t fit the classic novel format in terms of design, sentence structure, or narration. Just like the music this novel is named after, the work is improvisational.”
Herbie Hancock has played an incredible role in jazz history, particularly jazz fusion and funk jazz. Jazz fusion incorporates musical elements from other musical styles such as, rock and roll. Funk jazz is characterized by the Hammond B-3 and organ. With my love for electronic instruments and funky sounds I decided to watch Herbie Hancock’s performance at the Newport Jazz Festival located at Newport, Rhode Island. Originally, the performance was done in 2008 making it a relatively recent performance. Hancock performed alongside some wonderful musicians and artists: Dave Holland, a bass player; Chris Potter, a saxophone player; Vinnie Colaiuta, a drum player; Lionel Loueke, a guitar player; and lastly the two beautiful vocalist, Sonya Kitchell