You hear a trumpet blaring, an electric bass thumping, and someone playing weird-sounding chords on a piano and you think, “what is this?”  You’re at a lounge and other people seem to be enjoying it but you don’t. You think, “this must be an acquired taste because I just don’t get it.”  Well, you’re not alone.  Let’s see if we can “get it” for you. 

First, it is important to understand that jazz isn’t for everyone. It is “minority” music.  Although it started with Black musicians,  that isn’t what we’re talking about.  Jazz is similar to classical music – relatively few people (a minority) listen to it. And that probably won’t change. Jazz will never be the music of the masses because most people 1) aren’t exposed to it, and 2) don’t want to learn about it.  But for those with an open mind, let’s begin with the types of jazz, namely Dixieland, Classic/Trad Jazz, Big Band, Mainstream, and Progressive. 

Dixieland

Dixieland, as the name implies, started in the South, mainly in New Orleans but also has   Chicago influences.  It got its roots from the Black community and in the 20’s it took off.  It is very melodic and most of the songs have high energy.  Some of the more memorable hits include Margie, Avalon, When The Saints Come Marching In, When You’re Smiling and the Sheik of Araby. A banjo or two are almost ubiquitous in every Dixieland group.  Other typical instruments would include a piano, trumpet, clarinet, drums, trombone, and acoustic guitar. A word about the piano sound. Usually they are tuned especially for the Dixieland sound – slightly out of tune but not quite.  Once you hear it you will immediately know the sound.

A typical song would feature all of the group, then each person takes a turn with their featured instrument. This, by the way, is true in most jazz groups.  Some of the more famous Dixieland artists include: the Firehouse Five, Eddie Peabody, Louis Armstrong, the Dukes of Dixieland, the Preservation Hall Dixieland Jazz Band, the Original Dixieland Band, Eddie Condon, Al Hirt, and Pete Fountain to name a few.  One particularly unique thing about Dixieland is that it still is played for New Orleans funerals with a procession to the grave site. It begins in somber tones then changes radically for the wake. The bottom line is that Dixieland is really fun and you can tap the soles off your shoes as you listen.

Classic/Trad Jazz

There are plenty of arguments about this category but your author takes the more popular approach to defining this jazz sound. First of all, Classic & Trad (Traditional) Jazz is quite broad, starting with the 20’s and continuing into the 60’s.   In the 20’s the groups had a Dixieland flavor, using many of the instruments but adding  wildly popular “flapper girls” on the dance floor with their short fringe skirts and colorful hairdos, scarves, etc.  The sound was very bright and such popular musicians as King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, Buddy Bolden, Bix Beiderbecke, and Red Nichols delighted audiences with such hits as Clarinet Marmalade, There’ll Be Some Changes Made, Ballin’ The Jack, Margie, Dinah and I’m Just Wild About Harry.   Notice that there weren’t a lot of vocalists. Oh to be sure there were notable exceptions such as the gravel-voiced Louis Armstrong but many of the hits were highly popular without the vocal versions. In fact from the early years of the 20th Century through the 20s, New York was known for its "Tin Pan Alley," named after an actual street, West 28th.  Here music publishers hired songwriters on a permanent basis to come up with all kinds of great music, and they did!

 In the 30’s the sound softened somewhat.  Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees aretypical and the saxophone became a popular featured instrument, along with violins.Banjos weren’t as popular, and although drums were still used, they were kept for themost part in the background.  Vocals came back and most every band had at least one featured vocalist on hand. Ever heard of Ella Fitzgerald? The first half of the 30s was more of the “sweet” sound and Guy Lombardo was a favorite. The last half developed more of a “swing” feel with Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw leading thepack.  Other notable stars in this musical decade include Jack Hilton & his Orchestra, Ted Weems & His Orchestra featuring singer Perry Como, Ray Noble, and Billie Holiday.Favorite songs of the era include: The Very Thought Of You, Goodnight Sweetheart,Vagabond Lover, Heartaches, and Time On My Hands.  Interestingly, although Heartaches was recorded by Ted Weems in 1933 for some inexplicable reason it didn’tbecome a hit until 1947.  It is since regarded as one of the greatest rhythm arrangementsever recorded.

Big Band Era

A huge musical change happened in the 1940s as the Big Band Sound was ushered in. The main instruments were brass and reeds and a lot of it.  Orchestras and bands started getting bigger in the 1930’s and this decade was no exception. It was nothing for a band to have 20 or more musicians.  Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Benny Goodman, for example, had very popular groups. This was the music of the War Years so it gained a lot of nostalgia. And college campuses went wild for the sound.  Now, big-time singers became stars. Doris Day, Mel Torme, Vaughan Monroe, and of course Frank Sinatra took the world by storm.  Although vocal groups were featured in earlier years, they really came into their own in the 1940s and included the McGuire Sisters, Ames Brothers, Andrew Sisters, and the close harmony sounds of the Four Freshman and The Modernaires, to name a few.  “Evergreen” hits included: Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Sincerely, Rum & Coca Cola, I Got You Under My Skin, Moonlight Serenade, and Night & Day.

Mainstream 

At this point, “traditional” jazz becomes Mainstream.  Although the Big Band sound is still around, the decade again adopts a softer sound with trios and quartets gaining popularity.  A “modern”sound evolves and this is where jazz becomes “difficult” for a lot of people because a lot of improvisation occurs.  Many mistake this free floating sound as structureless. Actually it has solid musical structure and much of the music is written note for note on the score.  Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane became household words (in jazz households that is).  It is important to point out that in the decade of the 50’s Rock n Roll became far more popular and from then jazz went one way and R&R, along with Pop took another fork in the road. Also, Duke Ellington deserves special mention.  He, along with such jazz superstars as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, spanned many decades of music, and Ellington in particularl had an evolving music style.  Now he was “cool” and such long-standing hits as Solitude and In A Sentimental Mood, took on a whole new flavor with his smaller groups.  And who can forget the Dave Brubeck Quartet doing the immortal, “Take Five.”  Also, songwriters themselves became very well known. Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter easily come to mind.   Defining Mainstream, otherwise known as “straight ahead jazz,” is a little difficult because, according to a lot of people, it starts with the 50’s and is still continuing. One way to draw a distinction between it and the other types of jazz played today is to compare it with…

Progressive Jazz

This form of jazz also started in the 1950s but took a direction that was much more free-flowing.  You’d probably rather having it in the background as opposed to listening to it straight on. Some might view it as experimental in style.  It can be noisy, with a wide variety of featured instruments, most notably the trumpet, and acoustic bass. A trio sound is typical. A lot of improvisation is used and the overall sound can be described as “complicated.”  Artists such as Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, David Murray and Henry Threadgill would be typical of this musical style.  And this is the jazz form that most people have a hard time listening to and they react by saying,” I don’t like jazz.”

Personal Jazz

What listeners need to do at this point is to sample the different jazz styles.  Listen online to such radio stations as KSDS-FM and find the artists and songs you like. Jazz is certainly worthwhile and enjoyable to listen to.  In this article we’ve just scratched the surface of jazz.  Many great songs and sounds weren’t mentioned so there’s lots more to experience.  Jazz isn’t for everyone’s taste but thankfully there is a wide variety to choose from. So pick your own personal sound and “put a little jazz in your life.”

External Links:

• Jazz 88.3 FM - Straight Ahead Jazz Station in San Diego, California