And All That Jazz

Perhaps one of the greatest styles of music is also probably one of the most underrated styles out there in the music world. Jazz music typically incorporates trumpets, trombones, saxophones of all types drums, bass and sometimes piano, guitar and vocals. Everything in jazz music seems to form together using harmonies that fit sometimes and sound dissonant at others to form a sort of controlled chaos. To quote my friend Bel, "[Jazz is] a ton of melodies bouncing off each other [with] several unique features blending to make utter glory. It can convey any feeling." The last portion of this statement is especially true, as jazz truly can express every emotion from happy to sad to angry to relaxed. But when it comes to the overall sounds that accompany jazz I separate it into four groups: jazz bands, jazz singers, jazz guitarists and swing bands.

The jazz band is the average jazz band that most people probably think of when the word "jazz" comes to mind. It is the conventional jazz band with four or five trumpets, four trombones, three altos, two tenors and a bari accompanied by drums, bass, guitar and piano. This style of band tends to focus mostly on  the instrumental aspect of their music with no words. Some of the most famous bands that made this style famous are big names like Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, and Count Basie, among many others. They essentially turned the music world on its edge and reinvented the way music was played.

Jazz singers are one of my personal favorites in the jazz world. Unlike many of the auto-tuned "wonders" of our musical world today, singers back then actually had to have at least something that resembled talent, especially with this style. The other thing I greatly admire about this style is the choice of words and how they convey their feelings. One image that I always like to use as an example compares how lyrics used to convey feelings compared to today. "With each word your tenderness grows, tearing my fears apart." This is how the first song goes, "The Way You Look Tonight," originally performed by Fred Astaire and covered by numerous others, including the legendary eponymous voice of Frank Sinatra. This is compared to what's now considered "genius" by some (aka mostly teenage girls), "baby, baby, baby, oooooh." See the difference? One is well thought out, conveys much more meaning in a much more meaningful way and lasts throughout the ages while the other is just "kinda catchy." Some other famous jazz singers are Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and, more recently, Michael Buble.

Jazz guitarists are somewhat of a synecdoche as they typically also have a band accompanying them. They may not be as big as your typical jazz band (Brian Setzer Orchestra being a great example), but have some brass and/or saxophone and almost always with drums and bass.They are guitarists that play a multitude of jazz styles, typically blues or rock, but add it to accompaniment of other instruments. Some of the most influential of these would be B.B King, Jeff Beck and T-Bone Walker.

Perhaps one of the most fun are the swing bands, specifically the nineties revival era bands. These are bands that have very energetic melodies and songs that come in both major and minor keys with few slower songs. These bands have vocalists and use them extensively, but also have some members of the band sing background. With some songs they will also omit vocals for the song, but keep the energy that goes in tandem with their other music. The major three that emerged were Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.