Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians (Jazz Instruction)

269 Pages·2009·15.32 MB·English

by  Robert Rawlins, Nor Eddine Bahha

PREFACE

Jelly Roll Morton once claimed to have invented jazz in 1902. Aside from being one of the most brazen remarks
ever made by a musician, the statement approximates the truth in two regards: Jelly Roll certainly was one of the
significant pioneers of jaz z. and 1902 seems as good a year as any for identifying the birth of the genre. Perhap.s .
a reasonable conclusion is that jazz is just over one hundred years old and Jelly Roll was one of its most colorful
characters.

The first century of jazz has been a tremendously active one. Spawning a host of substyles and a plethora of cre-.
ative giants,jazz moved through many high points in terms of geographic or regional activity. A brief chronolog-
ical list would include Storyville in the 191Os,Chicago in the 1920s, the "Golden Age" of jazz recording in the
late 1920s, Kansas City in the 1930s, 52nd street in the 1940s, and the classic jazz LPs of the 1950s and 60s.

But if I were to choose the optimum time to be a jazz musician, that time would be now. For just as popular cul-
ture began to lose interest in jazz , the larger musical and educational establishment began to embrace it. During
the past several decades thousand s of dedicated jazz scholars and musicians have been hard at work creating, pre-
serving, studying, and exploring the music. Jazz is now a viable course of study in most universities, and more
young musicians are being
tE~ined in this style than ever before. Interest in jazz is greater and more widespread
today than at any time in its history. This is borne out by the collaborative effort that resulted in Jazzolog y: that of
an American college professor and an African jazz musician, united by our deep dedication to this great art form.
The jazz age is here.

Fifty years ago, no one would have thought of "jazz theory" as a separate entity. Certainly there were devices and
procedures in jazz that were not easily explained by traditional theory, but no separate discipline had been devised
to account for the difference s. Gradually , over the years, the creative activities of jazz musicians began to receive
labels and explanations. Slowly but surely, a separate realm of jazz theory began to develop. In recent years a myr-
iad of methods, details, devices, procedures , and explanations have appeared in print, in lectures, or sometime s
only in conversation , to add to the discipline. This book is an attempt to assimilate , organize , and explain those
phenomena as understood by the authors.

This book differs from others of its type in several ways. First of all, the authors themselves have completely dif-
ferent backgrounds that are likely to reflect the diverse audiences for which this book is intended. One is a key-
board player and composer, self-taught, with a deep knowledge of jazz literature and vast experience with sever-
al genres of non-Western music . The other is a saxophonist, college professor, with a Ph.D. in musicology , and
extensive experience as a jazz and theater musician in the United States. Our backgrounds are as different as can
be. Our understanding of the music is as one.

This book also differs from others in its pedagogical view. The authors have presented the material in the order
that seemed best for assimilation. While explanations are given in encyclopedic fashion for use as ready reference,
it has been borne in mind that many will wish to work through the book methodically. Moreover , a classroom set-
ting was always envisioned. Thus ample exercises are provided that will not only give students practice with the
material, but also provide teacher s with a way of judging students' understanding and progress.

Finally, wherever possible , theoretical explanations are given for the concepts presented. In our view, it is not
enough to provide practical instructions for the working musician. Describing what jazz musicians do without
attempting to understand why those procedures work can lead to a formulaic approach to jazz . The student will
have no alternative ex~ept to extract and insert devices exactly as he or she learned them, without alteration or cre-
ative input. On the other hand, understanding the theoretical reasons behind musical decisions opens up vast realms
for experimentation and creativity. Instead of "copping that lick" from a favorite musician, a student will be able
to invent an original one that works the same way. And that is what jazz is all about.

The authors welcome
any discussion
or comments
pertaining
to this book . They can be reached
at: