Jazz Appreciation Final
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School
University of Texas, Dallas *
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Course
6365
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
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2
Uploaded by DeaconAntMaster944
Jazz Final Exam Part 2
Short Answers
1.
Name the jazz eras in chronological order, and give the decade that each era began
1920s: Early Jazz
1930s: Swing Era
1940s: Bebop
Early 1950s: Cool Jazz
Late 1950s: Hard Bop
1960s: Modal/Free Jazz
1970s: Fusion
1980s: Neoclassical
3.
Name 3 features of the Swing Era
Big band instrumentation, Jazz’s most popular era, and Music for dancing
4.
Name the three categories of John Coltrane’s recordings
Giant Steps, Modal, and Free
5.
Name the two eras discussed in class that used Collective Improvisation
Early Jazz and Free Jazz
6.
Why was Charles Mingus’ music “beyond category”?
He combined elements from different jazz eras.
Essays
Part I:
1.
Name the 5 categories of Miles Davis music as discussed in class. Briefly describe each
category and give a representative song title for each category.
The 5 categories of Miles Davis’ music are Hard Bop, Free/Fusion, Cool, Post Retirement
Fusion, and Modal. The Hard Bop category had his “First Great Quintet” and highlighted
the personalities of soloists, such as in the song “Trane’s Blues” from the album
“Workin’”. His Free/Fusion category combined elements of Free Jazz and Fusion, such as
in the song “Bitches Brew.” However, the reception of this music was controversial and
divided. His Cool category had a mournful and dark tone, with long, dense sounds. A
representative song in this category is “Summertime.” The Post Retirement Fusion
category was when he returned to music with a different fusion band, where he seemed
more precise and rehearsed. It was unlike his usual self, and a representative song is
“Jean Pierre” from his “We Want Miles” album. In the Modal category, he emphasizes
melody, rhythm, motivic development, and texture more than harmony, which is
minimized. He changed his approach to improvisation (harmonic basis) so that one
mode/scale is used for a long period. A representative song for the Modal category
would be “So What” from his album “Kind of Blue.”.
Part II:
1.
Name a jazz artist discussed in the course that you either liked or disliked. Give specific
musical reasons that support your opinion.
I particularly liked Louis Armstrong for his profound impact on the genre. Armstrong's
innovative trumpet playing, characterized by its vibrant tone and inventive rhythm,
brought jazz a new level of expressiveness and technical power. His skill in improvisation,
especially his ability to create various melodies within a song's harmonic structure, was
really intriguing. Additionally, his distinctive gravelly voice added a unique texture to his
performances, making his vocal renditions as enjoyable as his trumpet playing. These
elements combined to make Armstrong not just a masterful musician but a
transformative figure in the evolution of jazz.
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