Module+2

You have landed in the **Jazz Era**. Wow! How things have changed from the Civil War to now! How did we get to this music from the music of the Civil War?





The trumpet was typically the main instrument.

The trombone, clarinet, and saxophone improvised (made up) their own music to go with the melody played by the trumpet. Have you ever improvised your own music?

The banjo, piano, drums, string bass, or tuba made up the rhythm section and could be heard keeping the steady beat.

 Listen to Louis Armstrong play a song with his Dixieland Band. You will hear him play the melody on his trumpet. Listen for the drums keeping the steady beat while the clarinet and trombone improvise other melodies to go along with the trumpet. (//You will also hear how much the crowd enjoys listening to jazz music as they clap and whistle throughout the song!//) I think you will recognize this tune. It is "When The Saints Go Marching In." It is your Blue Belt song for Recorder Karate! Click below to hear Louis Armstrong perform "When the Saints Go Marching In" media type="file" key="Saints Go Marching Clip.mp3" width="240" height="20" align="center"



Duke Ellington is widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians of all times.

Once he was singing and dropped his music. Because he didn’t have the words in front of him, he began singing nonsense syllables instead of real words. This is called Scat Singing. Jazz singers have been scatting ever since!

Duke Ellington composed many famous songs, including “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” made famous by the singer, Ella Fitzgerald.  Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," by Irving Mills and Duke Ellington. Listen for her smooth swing style as well as her scat singing. Just as you heard when listening to Louis Armstrong, the crowds react throughout the performance, not just applause at the end. Click below to hear Ella Fitzgerald sing "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" media type="file" key="It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing Clip.mp3" width="240" height="20" align="center"

You might like to try some Scat singing of your own! Later today, choose a song you know. Sing it, but make up your own nonsense syllables to use instead of the real words. There you go! Now you are Scat Singing! The instrumentation of the Big Bands was divided into three instrument groups:

Brass – Trumpets and Trombones

Reeds – Saxophones and sometimes clarinets

Rhythm Section - piano, bass, drums, guitar

When you listen to a typical Big Band piece you will typically hear:
 *  (Section A) - the entire band playing the melody (with or without harmony), followed by
 *  (Section B) -, soloists improvising the melody (changing it on the spot), ending with
 *  (Section A) - the melody in a more elaborate way.

Listen to the Glenn Miller Orchestra performing "Pennsylvania 6-5000" to see if it follows this pattern. Click below to hear the Glenn Miller Orchestra performing "Pennsylvania 6-5000" media type="file" key="Pennsylvania 6-5000 Clip.mp3" width="240" height="20" align="center"

A Jazz musician knew he made it when he had a nickname!

Louis Armstro ng was known as “Satchmo.” He was also knows as “Pops,” “Satchel Mouth,” and “Dipper Mouth.”

Ella Fitzgerald was known as the “First Lady.”

Glenn Miller was known as “Major.”

If YOU were a jazz musician, what might YOUR nickname be?

**Let's see what you learned about the Jazz Era. ** 1. ** True or False ** - Jazz musicians had nicknames because people were mean and made fun of them. 2. ** True or False ** - Bands of the Big Band Era of Jazz were often called orchestras. 3. ** True or False ** - In Scat songs, singers scat using real words. 4. ** True or False ** - Swing music is called Swing music because people liked to dance to it. Answers can  be  <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 72pt; text-align: center;">found  <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 72pt; text-align: center;">below  <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">Answers:  <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">1. False. Nicknames meant you "made it" in the jazz world. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">2. True. Big Bands WERE often called orchestras (just not symphony orchestras) <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">3. False. In Scat songs, singers used nonsense syllables for singing. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'American Typewriter'; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">4. True. Swing music WAS called swing music because people liked to dance to it. It's time to get ready for your next trip. Climb into the time traveling machine and buckle your seatbelt. Here we go! Next stop - **the 1950's-1970's**!

Click on the link below to fire up the time machine to send you to your next stop. **http://music-history-in-usa.wikispaces.com/Module+3**