Jeffrey Whalen from Yorktown
by George Mike Marketing managerHistory of Jazz Music
If you’re looking for
some music history, look no further. Jeffrey
Whalen from Yorktown was a jazz music teacher for many years and knows lots of
history. Please enjoy this article on the history of jazz, in memory of Mr.
Whalen.
At the beginning of the
20th century, a new direction in music appeared in America. Although the word
"jazz" came into use only in 1912, this music, distinguished by
volume, audacity, and violence, was heard on the streets of New Orleans at
least ten years earlier. Jazz possessed unique rhythmic energy, which had never
before been encountered in folk music. Also, fusion was bold and unpredictable
- the same song sounded differently with each performance, and this only made
the jazz more attractive. The musicians improvised, following inspiration and
adapting the melody to the sounds of other instruments playing with them on
stage.
Jazz harmoniously
combined the elements of musical trends already existing in America at that
time. He borrowed syncope from ragtime, his sensuality, and tonality from
blues. The march has emotional depth, spirituality, and pressure. Musical
instruments turned to jazz from wind and dance bands. This mixture gave a
different result, which became the perfect accompaniment for the vibrant and
hectic American life of the twentieth century.
According to legend, the
first leader of the jazz orchestra, which gained popularity, was the
African-American cornet player Charles "Buddy" Bolden (1877-1931).
Still, not a single record with his performance has survived to this day. Many
other New Orleans musicians found listeners to the new direction very soon,
including Freddie Keppard, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Sydney Bechet, and,
of course, Louis Armstrong.
Jazz quickly found fans
far beyond New Orleans, traveling on boats on the Mississippi River and on
trains that sent New Orleans musicians to Chicago, New York, California, and
other US music centers. The proliferation of radio and the massive sale of
records with jazz music - tens of millions of them were sold in the 1920s -
ensured rapid growth in popularity for jazz. This music direction, invented by
black representatives of the lower classes from the southern states of America,
soon gained such success in all layers of American society that the 1920s are
still referred to as the century of jazz.
New jazz options began
to appear. In Chicago, jazz dominated the city's nightlife; its dance rhythms
fascinated both the black and white populations. In Harlem, pianists played
strides at private parties and social events. In Kansas City, a calmer, but
persistent swing spread. In New York, George Gershwin combined elements of jazz
and classical music, as in his famous Blue Rhapsody of 1924. Around the same
time, Duke Ellington began recording his works, subsequently playing a vital
role in the formation of jazz in big bands.
With the onset of the
Great Depression, sales of records with jazz music fell, and for some time, it
might seem that jazz would lose its fans. However, the massive popularity of
big bands playing swing in the mid-30s gave jazz a new life. In 1935, America
entered the Swing Era, which lasted until the end of World War II. The
orchestras of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and other jazz
musicians enjoyed great success and sold many records. During this period,
Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra had a significant influence
on the performance of leading jazz compositions. Jazz again began to dominate
the entertainment industry in America.
In the postwar years, a
new direction appeared in jazz - bebop, or just bop. A new generation of
progressive jazz musicians - including saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter
Dizzy Gillespie, and pianist Thelonious Monk - played complex harmonies and
experimented with new melodies phrase construction, their game was very
fast-paced. This peculiar manner of performance was not very popular among the
general public in comparison with the success that jazz had in the 1920s and
30s. However, it made it clear that jazz does not obey only the laws of show
business.
In subsequent years,
jazz regained its freedom rapidly developed. Miles Davis led a calmer direction,
which appeared in the 50s and was called "cool jazz". But soon, Davis
himself and other jazz musicians began to explore new possibilities. Thanks to
the record company Blue Note Records, more incendiary and blues versions of
modern jazz, often called hard-bop or soul-jazz (soul-jazz), began to spread.
On the West Coast, in California, jazz remained calmer, more melodic. In the
1960s, modal jazz appeared, featuring a new approach to organizing music and
atonality, as well as jazz fusion, which included elements of rock and
electronic music.
Since then, jazz has
continued to evolve, following the path of experimentation and streamlining.
Outside the United States, jazz began to play soon after its emergence: the
first European legend of jazz is considered to be the guitarist Django
Reinhardt, which was already known in the 1930s. Soon, jazz became famous all
over the world, and today every major city boasts its talented musicians, local
jazz clubs, and knowledgeable fans. Jazz has found a place in educational
institutions, and recently there have appeared institutions dedicated
explicitly to jazz, for example, the Jazz at Lincoln Center concert hall, the
Thelonius Monk Jazz Institute, and the non-profit organization SFJAZZ. Jeffrey
Whalen always strived to promote the development of this art form and to
do everything so that jazz continues to flourish in the 21st century.
Jeffrey Whalen lived in Yorktown Heights, NY with his wife and two
sons. He grew up in Katonah, NY. Jeffrey
Whalen graduated from John Jay High School in Cross River, NY. He went on to Boston, MA to receive dual
undergraduate degrees in performance and music education from Berklee College
of Music. Friends in high school and college affectionately called him “Al”. Jeff Whalen
also earned a master’s degree in performance with a concentration in jazz at
SUNY Purchase College in Purchase, NY.
Please also visit Jeffrey Whalen
from Yorktown’s other websites, blogs and social media:
http://www.AboutJeffWhalen.com
http://www.AboutJeffreyWhalen.com
https://jeffwhalen.tumblr.com/
https://jeffwhalenblog.wordpress.com/
http://jeffreywhalen.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Jeffrey-Whalen/100012698803368
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-whalen-371528122?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
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Created on Jul 24th 2020 10:13. Viewed 306 times.