The Role of Improvisation in Jazz

Improvisation in Music

Improvisation in music refers to the creative activity of instant musical composition that involves performance, utilizes communication of emotions, as well as instrumental techniques and spontaneous reaction to other composers (Fellezs 41). It is a central component of the jazz aesthetic because the jazz artists often make new melodic accompaniment parts or solo lines. Jazz improvisation can be distinguished from other music genres due to its chordal complexity, altered chords, extended chords, and unusual chords like augmented chords, all of which are expected to move through various keys within one song. Improvisers should be able to give their songs a sense of a formulaic and distinct ending (Fellezs 42). They are free to venture into different keys, fragments, in addition to modifying themes of the music before it, and ultimately transitioning back into the last movement with the aim of accomplishing the piece.

Miles Davis and Kind of Blue

Miles Davis’ Bye Bye Blackbird and Kind of Blue are examples of jazz improvisation, which made the genre to be linked with modal harmony as well as improvising over the static key centers (Poe). Miles Davis began his journey together with Charlie Parker while playing bebop and went ahead to shape Cool jazz, Fusion, and Modal Jazz. Kind of Blue became one of the most-played jazz tunes and helped to nurture the talents of musicians. Miles’ style of jazz improvisation often laid back, as it relied more on the tunes rather than introducing the changes (Poe). He proved to be good at working with motifs as well as developing them from one note to a great flow of ideas.

Fusion

Fusion in jazz began in the late 1960s when artists combined elements obtained from jazz and grooves as well as the rhythm of funk, R&B beats, and the amplified electronic devices used in rock. Jazz fusion has helped in expanding several improvisation techniques employed in the 1980s and 1990s (Fellezs 66). It uses woodwind as well as brass instruments like saxophone and trumpet as melody and soloing devices, but other musical instruments can be employed as well. Fusion instrumentalists often require a high level of proficiency to create the desired rhythm. It involves playing several instruments, which can be challenging to most music composers (Fellezs 67). Fusion arrangements differ in complexity as some employ odd or changing time signatures with extensive melodies, chord progressions, as well as counter-melodies.

Sunset Dancing

Sunset Dancing developed by Paul Banman was significantly inspired by a jazz tune, which exploits samba rhythm and batucada whose origins are Rio de Janeiro and Brazil respectively. Several drums are played together, and the composition has a chromatic, descending, and syncopated melody lines in one area while static whole notes are in the other section. Its harmony moves chromatically especially in ii-V sequences over with the pedal tones. Furthermore, the form ends with alterations of time signatures at its coda.

Multiculturalism

American musicians and historians take pride in jazz music because it was founded in multicultural New Orleans. Many people consider it as one of the most original and greatest American export to other parts of the world (Lawrence). Its origin can be traced to a number of various cultures as well as societal influences, which converged in the 19th century New Orleans. African American songs were crucial in the development of jazz. These include work and spiritual songs associated with West Africa where most slaves were obtained. The interactions between Africans, Europeans, French, Scottish, Italians, and Spaniards led to borrowing and adoption of different cultures (Lawrence). While African music was more rhythmic, the European music was focused on melody and harmony. They borrowed from one another leading to the development of jazz.

Old Grooves for New Streets

Old Grooves for New Streets is a jazz music that depicts multiculturalism in the industry. Jazz musicians including Peter Knight, Dung Nguyen, Paul Williamson, Ray Pereira, Dave Beck, and Howard Cairns under their group Way out West produced it. The group has developed an extraordinary and alluring sound, combining African and Vietnamese influences with jazz in a unique and surprising manner (Lawrence). Their work has earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting and innovative new groups in Australia.

Nationalism

The whites and African Americans were divided ethnically during the colonial period, which influenced the jazz music. Therefore, the development of jazz has roots in slave spirituals that were recorded and marketed using the jazz style (Nicholson 112). African Americans used jazz to establish their black nationalism, which the artists employed to transcend their identity that was not bound by subjugation. It led to the introduction of Black Arts Movement and Harlem Renaissance that highlighted the plight of African Americans. The development of jazz assisted the artists and African American leaders to further their Black Nationalism activities and advance the new frontier of black music.

Song from a Cotton Field

Song from a Cotton Field by Bessie Brown demonstrates how jazz was used to advocate for nationalism. African Americans used the song to castigate their white oppressors. They used the song to give them hope for a better future since they worked hard on the farms to improve their living conditions. It gave them hope of freedom and helped in advancing the activities of Black Nationalists. Furthermore, the African American activists relied on such songs to advocate for the rights of the slaves. They used the song to bring them together since they faced the same challenges as African Americans in foreign lands.

Recent Jazz

Jamie Saft is one of the established American jazz musicians. He released an album in 2017 together with Steve Swallow, Bobby Previte, and Iggy Pop. One of the songs used as the title of the album is Loneliness Road. The song has a deeper concept of original improvised music, which transcends genre. The composition show allegiance to the famous American song forms of composers like Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, The Band, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Evans, and Charles Ives among others. Moreover, Swallow and Previte are excellent orchestrators because they both contribute significantly to the songs (Collette). A rhythm section often allows them total freedom as it complements their primary harmonic voice. It allows them to have vast open spaces with their counterparts. Therefore, the artists were able to give their inputs, and it helped the songs to flow by combining aspects of improvisation and fusion.

Loneliness Road

Saft deliberately wants his listeners to pay attention and contemplate the sentiment. Therefore, the song aids him to express his emotions, experience and allows him to tell a story. The artists briefly engage with one another in the song, infiltrate the materials before concluding their performance swiftly (Collette). Loneliness Road brings out the great achievements made by jazz artists, as they currently use their songs to entertain and pass information. There is additional artistic work that is involved in creating jazz music because the composers have to blend it with other genres to reach out to many people. The target audience of jazz music has grown, and this necessitates the incorporation of other tunes to appeal to the listeners.

Works Cited

Collette, Doug. “Jamie Saft: Loneliness Road.” All About Jazz, 2017, https://www.allaboutjazz.com/loneliness-road-by-doug-collette.php.

Fellezs, Kevin. Birds of Fire: Jazz, Rock, Funk, and the Creation of Fusion. Durham: Duke University Press, 2011.

Lawrence, Cameron. ”How Jazz Works.” HowStuffWorks, 2018, https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/jazz2.htm.

Nicholson, Stuart. Jazz and Culture in a Global Age. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2014.

Poe, Alexander. ”Six Giants of Jazz Improvisation | Musical U.” Musical U, 2016, https://www.musical-u.com/learn/six-giants-jazz-improvisation/#.