Greg Henry Waters Performance
What is jazz?
We start out this introduction to
jazz with a tune from the 1930’s called (1) Honey Suckle Rose. The main instruments in jazz are Trumpet,
Clarinet and Tenor Sax. These were the instruments that began the jazz tradition, especially
the trumpet.
(2) When Sunny Gets Blue is a
ballad from the 1970 when jazz musicians were using pop songs to promote their
music. Remember that jazz is not a
popular art form like pop music now, but it was the most popular art form in
(3) Now’s the Time, is a blues
which all jazz music is supposedly based on.
It is 12 bars and it repeats those bars every 48 beats. The difference between rhythm and blues and
jazz blues is the harmony and the rhythmic style. People get these two styles of music all
confused in their minds.
(4) Solitude is a traditional jazz
ballad from the 1940’s that is very popular song with jazz musicians. Jazz is supposed to be a creative art form
and allowing the musician to express his individual self. However, in the last 30 years, this idea has
been completely miss understood and there are so few real individual jazz
musicians. Most jazz musicians play traditional
jazz so that they can find work rather than be experimental and creative.
(5) The Days of Wine and Roses was
arranged in a modern style to express a modern mode and not so traditional. This is a standard and
popular tune that jazz musicians liked to improvise too. Remember, jazz music is an art form where the
musician changes the melody and harmony to his own way. This is
called improvisation.
(6) Song is You,
a Big Band arrangement of this song. The
big bands were very popular during the forties and they were the most popular
form of music at that time. In addition,
some bands like Benny Goodman even got into instrumental art music.
Thank You so much for your
attention: Greg Henry Waters
E-Mail greg@greghenrywaters.com