Student Projects


1			Using an anthology like the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, compare the music of white bands during the swing era (Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Paul Whiteman) with that of the African American bands (Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson). Make a list of the differences: might any of these differences have social implications?




2			Read some contemporary accounts of the bebop "revolution," pro and con, such as those found in issues of Downbeat magazine from the 1940s or those found in Robert Walser's Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History. What criticisms are leveled against the beboppers? How did bop musicians defend the new music? How much of the argument is concerned with social aspects of the music (clothing, jargon, etc.)?




3			Find a vocal recording of Ray Noble's "Cherokee" (by Sarah Vaughn, for example). Listen to it several times to fix the form of the tune (AABA) in your mind. Now listen again to Charlie Parker's recording of Cherokee: can you hear the tune underlying Parker's performance? Make a few notes about what you hear; do the musicians emphasize the beginning of each chorus? Can you hear the bridge? How many choruses of "Cherokee" do Parker and Gillespie actually play?