JAZZ MUSIC
America’s Classical Music
Jazz Music
 Did you know that jazz was
born in the United States?
Jazz Music
 Did you know that the drum
set was invented by jazz
musicians?
Jazz Music
 Did you know that the word
“cool” and “hip” were originally
jazz terms?
History of Jazz
 Referred to as “America’s classical music,”
jazz is one of North America’s oldest and
most celebrated musical genres.
 The music that we call jazz was born around
the year 1895 in New Orleans. It brought
together the elements of Ragtime, marching
band music, and the Blues.
History of Jazz
 Jazz represented a break from tradition music
where a composer wrote an entire piece of
music on paper, leaving the musicians to
break their backs playing exactly what was
written on the score.
 Jazz is the first genre of music to solely
culminate in the United States. All other
forms prior to jazz came from (Western)
Europe, or were formed somewhere else.
History of Jazz
 Jazz is an American Musical Art Form!
 Early records are categorized as “race
records.” Jazz helped breech the race barrier.
Characteristics of Jazz:
 Born in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
 Performed in brothels,
clubs, streets, and river
boats.
 Syncopated (off-beat)
rhythms and swing
(lifting) subdivision.
Characteristics of Jazz:

Encompassed the
‘aleatoric’ or
improvisational nature of
Negro spirituals.
 Three different
components make this
genre distinct:
1) Harmony
2) Rhythm
3) Improvisation
Jazz Music
 “When they study our civilization two
thousand years from now, there will be three
things that America will be known for: the
Constitution, baseball, and jazz music.”
- Gerald Early
History of Jazz
 Jazz was conceived in New Orleans and moved
up the Mississippi River to Memphis, St. Louis
and finally Chicago.
 Jazz spanned many musical forms such as
spirituals, cake walks, ragtime and the blues.
 Jazz is said to be the fundamental rhythms of
human life and man’s contemporary
reassessment of his traditional values.
History of Jazz
 Volumes have been written on the origins of
jazz based on black American life-styles.
 Jazz has to do with human survival and the
expression of life.
 The origin of the word “jazz” is most often
traced back to a vulgar term used for sexual
acts.
History of Jazz
 Those who play jazz have often expressed the feelings
that jazz should remain undefined, jazz should be felt. “If
you gotta ask, you’ll never know.” Louis Armstrong.
 Jazz is the art of expression set to music!
Jazz Movements
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Jazz Dancing
– Is a form of dance that showcase’s a dancer’s individual
style and originality.
– Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and
steps in their own way.
– Jazz dancing is energetic and fun.
– Jazz consists of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps,
and quick turns.
– To excel in jazz, dancers need a strong background in
ballet, because it encourages grace and balance.
Class Structure
A good jazz class explodes with energy.
 Most jazz teachers begin with a thorough warm-up.

– Series of stretching exercises and isolation movements.
 Isolations involve moving one part of the body while the rest of
the body remains still.
– Jazz dancers also practice the art of suspension
 This involves moving through positions instead of stopping and
balancing in them.
– Then the class will end with a short cool down
Jazz Steps
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Technique is the foundation for all modern jazz dance
movement.
Dancers are encouraged to add their own personality to
make each step unique and fun.
Jazz includes
–
–
–
–
–
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Basic turns such as chaines
Piques
Pirouettes
Jazz turns
Ballet turns
Leaps
 Grande jetes
 Turning jumps
 Tourjetes
Miles Davis
1926 - 1991
 St. Louis jazz
trumpeter
 “Hard Bop”
 Influenced by acid rock
and funk music, he
incorporated electric
instruments into his
music
“Shhh - Peaceful” by Miles Davis
1969
Herbie Hancock
1940 - Present
 Piano/keyboard player
in Davis’ “second great
quintet”
 Embraced synthesizers
 In 2007, became the
second jazz musician
to ever win the Album
of the Year Grammy
 “Rockit”
“4 A.M” by Herbie Hancock
1980
Jaco Pastorius
1951 - 1987
 Played in Weather
Report from 1976 –
1981
 One of four bassists to
ever be inducted into
the Down Beat Jazz
Hall of Fame
 Bipolar disorder and
substance abuse led to
his his murder at a
Carlos Santana concert
“Donna Lee” by Jaco Pastorius
1976
Activities For Children

Duke Ellington
Activity
Choose a piece by Duke Ellington
and ask students to describe what
they were listening to. Write all
responses on the board.
 Add following words: Hot-buttered,
sassy, cool, slick-steppin, Daddy-O,
ivory eighty-eights, press on the
pearlies, cats and ace. Ask students
what the words have in common by
suggesting a title for the chart.
 Then ask the students if they can
think of any more words that would
fit the category. Explain the meaning
of the words and have the students
play around and experiment with the
words.

Activity Continued
Have students write their
favorite word or
combinations of words on
paper.
 Play a selection by Duke
Ellington and have
students use the examples
of word combinations and
new examples that they
can think of to create a
poem about what they are
hearing.
 Allow students to share
their poems.

Activities Continued
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

http://pbskids.org/jazz/time
/1900.html
Give background on Jazz
how it is important in New
Orleans culture.
Use the Princess and the
Frog trailer to motivate
students. Encourage them
to get up and move to the
beats they hear.
Activities Continued
After the trailer ask students if
they moved fast or slow and
why. Talk about beats and
rhythm introducing tempo.
 Play the trailer again but have
students pick out instruments
they hear.
 Give each student a different
instrument and see if they can
make different beats or
tempos with that instrument.
Also create different tempos
with pairs and groups.
 Social Studies connection
with New Orleans.
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http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=wCVcVD3s43k