To what extent is 'free jazz' really free - Essay Example

To what extent is 'free jazz' really free?  Introduction Expressive, subtle and accommodative that’s how individuals term free jazz music. It is knowledgeable and to a point scientific. These standards it holds are some of the factors making it to have low audience. Compared to other music genres it is one that is diverse and complex to the ordinary mind. In plain comparison with to pop music, contemporary jazz seems to circuitous for most listeners to enjoy casually. Thus the major challenge for jazz musicians is to make it less subtle, simple art that is pleasant to the greater public. It is accredited to having some of the greatest musical minds of all times. These musicians/players were able to master their complex instruments, which in turn saw the redefinition of music.  Many of them did so while navigating through the tumultuous social climate from which the music was birthed. The progress was not easy but they soldiered on having in mind that music redefines the word and makes the word at ease (Batiste, 2012). Throughout history jazz has been viewed as somewhat marginal. This has not made it easy for it neither enjoys the straightforward commerciality as other genres such as pop nor the level of public support offered to classical opera music. Jazz has a deeper meaning than what meets the eye, its termed as a street word meaning sexual intercourse. This has not been taken lightly by the general public especially the conservative type. The term also did not give a justice or a formidable start thus the music has remained a little risqué for mainstream tastes. However, jazz music to a major reaps at the swing era (two decades before elvis gyrated his hips) (Stanbridge, 2008). According to Schuller in his report he found out that at that time it is unquestionably the only time in history when jazz was completely in place with the social environment. It captured and reflected the wide-ranging musical common denominator of popular taste in the nation. From the swing era the music rapidly becomes mysterious and essentially the public embrace is at an art (Baskerville, 2000, p. 49). History has considerable degree of accuracy. The harmonic complication and improvisational enthusiasm of the typical bop combo was far from the user-friendly sound of big band swing, and the forbidding outer reaches of 1960s. Free jazz was plainly antithetical to the notion of a mass audience. During the 20th century most of its mass audience was mostly individuals of: low social class, prostitutes, alcoholics, and drug addicts (Stanbridge, 2008). However, after the world war two, jazz music becomes a major hit especially in the northern America. This saw some of the best recording taking place; this includes Miles davis who composed the kind of blue jazz music tiltle. This still remains on the highest selling to take place in the jazz industry. Also Dave with the song time out was successful in their singing. This is because they brought out freshness and introduced a young audience to jazz. The success that comes from jazz made it to be featured on movies and magazines. Nonetheless, of the break through it still retained its association with substance abuse, criminality and the shabby side of life. Jazz music began to occupy a different role in the community in the early 70s. the beginning of the 21st century marked its complete revolution both to the public and to the music industry. The general conceptualization of the music associated to a narrowly defined notion of the jazz norm, has been instrumental not only as a marketing category but has served to influence the rapid mainstream positioning of an enclosed, neo-traditionalist category of jazz. This has seen particular styles and forms privileged over others. For a period of time jazz become part of life to individuals. Films industries were not left out as they also had a piece of the cake. Movies preferred choice of music was jazz, this had robust impact on the movies for they got publicity faster (Racy, 2004). This influence was broad and deep. This is in turn saw income generation especially to the artist. This goes a long way to answer the question posed above if indeed its free. Evolvement of free Jazz Free jazz represents the freedom the music enjoys. The freedom to improvise as one enjoys. This articles explains if really jazz music is certainly free. Free jazz also called the new thing or Avant jazz. It is a fresh style in music In which some traditional elements of jazz, such as punch, chord changes and formal structures are more often than not deliberately overlooked (Detrick, 2013). Free jazz was created on the basis of the 40s and the 50s bebop. 1949, saw the first recording of free jazz. The recording was done by a pianist Lennie Tristano who was and still stands as a jazz legion of unreasonably neglected genius. Tristiano,   stylish melody sought to extend the innovation of Charlie Parker. Tristiano and his members paid great head to the use of counterpoint in jazz composition and improvising. It should be noted that free jazz emerged and diverged from jazz track. It is now termed as experimental art music. The free jazz movement began when Coleman did his first label. Coleman was born in Texas and was based in California as an alto saxophonist player. Much of what he did was ample model. The music bared an unadventurous sense and used traditional instrumentation. It was Coleman manipulation of jazz basic elements that was unusual. Thus this innovation attracted other musicians to turn to free jazz music (Stanbridge, 2008). The unlimited opportunities it created and the possibilities it offered amused all. While Coleman work was mostly focused on the public consciousness, most of the other practiced their art in relative fame. Coleman album that he did with the Atlantic records doubt the free jazz was the genesis of the word. In that the term was adopted from the title.  The artist who would determine the direction of free jazz participated in the free jazz concert held at the New York café. Layers like the trombonist Roswell Rudd, drummer Milford Graves, pianist/band-leader Sun Ra. The event went far in establishing Free Jazz as a movement, and led later that year to the founding of The Jazz Composers Guild, an ephemeral yet influential performance collective that counted Taylor, the pianist Paul Bley, and composer Carla Bley among its members. Free jazz the tonality should be resourceful and idiosyncratic bebop’s. Tunes should be melodically conceived with the simple harmony underpinning secondary importance. They should have a fast tempo, modal harmony amplified in both melody and the bass. Coleman played bebop alto like a Rhythm & Blues shouter. His solos were vocalized to an extent unheard of in the self-possessed world of modern jazz. Drummer Shelly Manne reported that when Coleman played, he sounds as one crying and at the same time laughing. Coleman’s expressions were chromatic and thrilling. The absolute popularization of his harmonic accompaniment permitted him maximum freedom in his creativeness. Liberated from the need to make the variations Coleman’s imaginative choices were unencumbered by the necessities of functional harmony’s consonant/dissonant relationship. Coleman imaginative and innovativeness always stood up and impressed many. The shift in improvisational accent, from an adherence to a predetermined structure to the spontaneous interchange of ideas among the players, was the most revolutionary aspect of Coleman’s music. Coltrane greatest giving to jazz was the growth of the jazz expressions. This was done after each succeeding fruitful recording. The bounds of folklore through the use of the ever sophisticated melodious techniques in his lateral thinking is what fascinated individuals. Thus Coleman surpassed theoretical position of common jazz practice. This happened once he developed his own system. However, Coltrane explored deeper into jazz unoriginal harmony and rhythm than any of his predecessors (Baskerville, 2000, p. 67). This goes a long way to show how jazz is free. Coltrane after releasing the album called great steps. He saw it fit for greater background simplicity. He thus looked for a way in which he would able to express his spiritual freedom. His main exploration centered on modal jazz. Modal jazz offered a wealth of melodic options and given his capabilities as a soloist, he blended in perfectly. This saw the record of a series of modal inclined albums including one he provided his heart felt offering to God. This song also featured saxophonist’s great quartet with the pianist Mccoy, Bassiet jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvis jones (chaplin, n.d). It is thought-provoking that, over the years, Coltrane’s saxophone playing did not altered nearly as drastically as did the background provided by his instrumentalists. Though he did interchangeably expand and contract his phrasing a bit in his later work, Coltrane’s manner of improvising remained essentially the same; his searing intensity and extraordinary facility never waned. What changed were his musical surroundings (Kesley, 2013). Rashied Ali who was the successor of Jones in free jazz, portrayed rythmis flexibility but was always bared by a sense of pulse. His attempt was nonetheless more coloristic. In that he would drive  the solo with surfs of free rhythim. Coltrane bue to the freedom offered in jazz music he saw it fit to replace the ordinary sturdiness of pianist McCoy Tyner with the more distinct qualityof his wife Alice Coltrane. Also added to the mix was the tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, whose screaming multiphasic attack ignored the horn’s basic doctrines of sound production. With all these qualities the music was sensational and symmetrical. That was just pure genius of him. In addition to that during his last days on earth before he passed on, he amalgamated non -western devises and instruments. Obviously it goes down the book of history that no one did more to expand the definition of jazz than he. His efforts were aided though by how jazz can be free. Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler provoked a revolution of sorts by virtue of his near total indifference to jazz. His style was euphoric and had cathartic whoops and screams. However, there is no recorded evidence to support that he was conversant with bebop.  Ayler’s music sidestepped the principles of modern jazz; his art was, instead, a subjective type of abstract expressionism made promising by the new-fangled aesthetic (Stanbridge, 2008). His group concept was extremely free. Ayler used modest, hymn-like melodic materials played out-of-time and urbanized cooperatively. His techniques on the saxophone were made possible through its speeds ability and tonal variation. Ayler shows us just how jazz can be free with no limits. As jazz music continuously grew, new groups emerged. The Association for the advancement of creative musicians (AACM) This group saw the birth of Chicago pianist Muhal Richard in the early 60s. The ’70s and ’80s saw a greater responsiveness of Free Jazz in Europe; in England, the saxophonist Evan Parker developed an astonishing technique of improvisation that put your faith in  the technique known as circular-breathing. Parker was able to play the most difficult lines without break in proceedings and at the most unbelievable speed. Also British, the guitarist Derek Bailey pioneered the use of alternative tunings and unusual effects; he also wrote a notable text on various aspects of musical improvisation.  Conclusion The article clearly brings out how jazz came about and how free jazz evolved. Free jazz is indeed free in the manner that it allows freedom of diversification. It has no limits as hinted above. One is only limited in his imagination. Free jazz is continually changing due to the innovative authors and also by the opportunities it presents. Musicians are incorporating free jazz into their work and individuals should not worry how to classify that genre. They should just listen to the music without making judgments if it is jazz or not. Bibliography Arnold, C (2009). English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Baskerville, D. (2000) Music Business Handbook and Career Guide. New York: Sage Publications. Detrick, D.(2013) Free jazz and free improvisation: what is the difference? Accessed from web, May 3, 2013. http//www.jazz.about.com Kelsley, C. (2013) Thomas chapin and bull; Free jazz: A subjective history. Accessed on May 3, 2013. web http//www.thomaschapin.com Racy, J. (2004). Making music in the Arab World: the culture and artistry of tarab. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Stanbridge, A. (2008) From the margins to the mainstream: Jazz, Social Relation, and Discourses of Value. Accessed from web. http//www.crticalimprov.com Read More