Traditional Jazz

In traditional jazz, each instrument improvises with a well-defined role. The whole band often improvises simultaneously.

A Jazz Improvisation Almanac
Unit: Jazz Styles
Chapter: Classic Jazz

Roles and Structure
Musicians

This is a preview of the educational program A Jazz Improvisation Almanac which is under development for the Outside Shore Music Online School. Feel free to browse this preview and learn what you can from it. For a more completed product, though, check out the original freely browsable jazz textbook, A Jazz Improvisation Primer.

The term "traditional jazz" refers to the style of jazz originally played in New Orleans around the turn of the century. The term also includes the style of jazz associated with Chicago musicians of the 1920's. Some refer to these styles as Dixieland, but this term has come to take on negative connotations for many fans of traditional jazz, so I try to avoid using it here.

Roles and Structure

In traditional New Orleans style jazz, the typical combo is composed of a front line consisting of trumpet or cornet, clarinet, and trombone, and a rhythm section consisting of piano, guitar, or banjo, plus tuba and drums. Each instrument has a well-defined role. The cornet plays the melody, or some syncopated or "ragged" variation of it. The clarinet plays a flowing line that contains bits of scales and arpeggiated chords, similar to what in classical music is called an obbligato. The function of the trombone is more complex. In the absence of a tuba or other bass instrument, the trombone takes on that role. If a bass instrument is present, the trombone usually plays countermelody to the trumpet; this style is referred to as "tailgate" trombone. Often, trombone players will combine these responsibilities.

The rhythm section has two roles: to state the harmony and to keep the pulse. A pianist can easily do both by himself, by playing the root of each chord in the left hand and chords in the right, usually in alternation, as in the left hand of a ragtime composition. Between them, a banjo or guitar and a tuba or string bass can perform this function as well. The drums usually serve to reinforce the strong beats of the music, by playing what is called a two-beat rhythm. This rhythm emphasizes beats one and three of a measure in 4/4 time.

The following example is of a typical New Orleans style traditional jazz performance, from cornetist "King" Oliver, featuring Louis Armstrong on second cornet. Listen to how each of the various instruments fulfills its role:

In the above excerpt, the musicians were all playing at once in group improvisation. Often, there will also be arranged passages where the instruments play in unison, harmony, or counterpoint, as in the following excerpt from Jelly Roll Morton:

Whether the ensemble sections are arranged or improvised, there may also be instrumental solos as well, where one of the players improvises to the accompaniment of only the rhythm section for a chorus or two. The first great soloist in jazz was Louis Armstrong:

Note that for a two measure passage in the middle of the above solo, the rhythm section dropped out, leaving Armstrong to solo unaccompanied. This is called a break. A break can also occur within an esnemble passage. In the following example, trombonist "Kid" Ory takes a break within a collectively improvised ensemble section:

A related device is stop time, in which the entire band plays a note on the first beat of every measure, or every other measure, but leaves the rest of the space open for the soloist. This may last anywhere from two measures to a whole chorus, as in the following short stop time segment featuring soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet:

The composition in traditional jazz is often based on the blues form or a relatively simple ragtime form. Arrangements often call for specific introductions, codas, stop time figures, and interludes of group improvisation. If there is more than one solo, it is as likely as not that each soloist would get a different chord progression, or at least a different feel in the accompaniment - one soloist over a stop time chorus, another soloist accompanied by the rhythm section playing time, and another accompanied by the full band.

Chicago style is similar to the New Orleans style described above, but it places a higher emphasis on arranged lines and instrumental solos rather than the group improvisation that typifies the New Orleans sound. Also, the Chicago style is usually characterized by more of a four beat rhythm, where the drums and bass accent all four beats of a measure equally. The saxophone also first became popular in Chicago style groups, and guitar was more common than banjo in these ensembles. While the distinction between New Orleans style and Chicago style was often fuzzy, all of these aspects of the Chicago sound influenced the swing combos of later years. Here is an excerpt from a Chicago style performance from the band of Eddie Condon:

Musicians

Louis Armstrong, also known as "Pops" or "Satchmo", is the towering figure over all others in the realm of traditional jazz. He was born in New Orleans, and later moved to Chicago, although he was usually considered more of a New Orleans player than a Chicago player stylistically. Not only was he acknowledged as the greatest cornetist of jazz at a time when cornet was the most important instrument in jazz, he is also considered one of the greatest improvisors of all time. His sense of rhythm - swing and syncopation - was more sophisticated than anything that had been heard until that time, as was his inventiveness. He also played with a confidence and sense of humor that won many converts for the music. The example given earlier in this section demonstrates these qualities. However, Armstrong was also a pioneering vocalist who is credited with the introduction of "scat" singing, which is vocal improvisation using nonsense syllables. Here is an example:

Bix Beiderbecke also deserves special mention, as he was one of the Chicago style soloists whose cool, melodic cornet playing paved the way for musicians of later eras. Here is an example of his music:

Musicians who played in traditional styles include: