Jazz Heritages• Jazz did not develop from any one musical culture• Emphasis on rhythm came from Africa– Religion was important in African cultures– African religions were oriented towards rituals– Rituals involved dancing– Call and response

• Traced to African tribal traditions• Leader shouted cry and group responded• Everyone participated• Trading fours - instrumentalists improvise over alternating groups

of four bars or measures

• *youtube examples=Call and Response / Trading Fours

European influences• Diatonic and chromatic scales• Harmony in strictly from European

school• Forms are very symmetrical

(balanced proportions), Africans were not concerned with symmetry of form• Jazz was a blend of cultures

African Americans• Latin slaves were allowed to play drums sing and

dance when they were not working• Protestants wanted to convert slaves and

considered this “pagan” (exposed them to western church music)

Congo Square - • New Orleans• Slaves were allowed to dance, sing and play once

a week• Began around 1817• Cross between French, Spanish, and African

rhythms

Creoles• Mix between African and French or Spanish

ancestry• Segregation movement caused Creoles to join the

ranks of African Americans• Before this the Creoles had the same rights and

privileges of whites• 1894 - Code 111 (read page 25)• This cause the conservatory trained Creoles to

play music with the African Americans– African Americans contributed spontaneous oral

traditions and rhythms– Creoles contributed harmony and form

Field hollers• Slaves weren’t allowed to talk while working• Singing was permitted• Slaves established communication with field

hollers• Whites couldn’t understand

Work songs• Sung without accompaniment• Associated with monotonous physical tasks• Include grunts and groans emphasis on rhythm

and meter

(Listening Journal)*Axe cutting song – Julie Ann Johnson

by Huddie Ledbetter(our example does have simple guitar accompaniment)

• SPIRITUALS• Jazz expression can be traced to the early American Church• White Spiritual tradition mixes in the African American

traditions• Hymns are sometimes improvised melodic versions of

scripture• Call & Response (preacher to congregation)• Style is similar to Western Church (Monks, Gregorian Chant) • Rhythm & Melodic singing style is of African Tradition.• The mix results in a free time flow and new harmonies.

• LISTENING JOURNAL• Dry Bone – Rev. J.M. Gates