CHAPTER 10: Rhythm in Transition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. All of the following instruments are included in the swing rhythm section EXCEPT:
a.
piano
b.
bass
c.
drums
d.
guitar
e.
banjo
2. Which was NOT a typical role for a pianist within a swing band?
a.
long unaccompanied solos
b.
spare accompaniment for horn soloists
c.
solo introductions
d.
brief solos accompanied by the rest of the rhythm section
e.
extensive accompanied “mini–concerto” features
3. All of the following describe the career of Fats Waller EXCEPT:
a.
flashy stride pianist who learned from James P. Johnson
b.
prolific songwriter
c.
was able to record all the songs he composed
d.
had a comic persona on stage and screen
e.
had great success on Broadway and in movies
4. Which of the following Fats Waller compositions became an all-time favorite standard at jam
sessions?
a.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’”
b.
“Honeysuckle Rose”
c.
“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”
d.
“Sing, Sing, Sing”
e.
“Christopher Columbus”
5. Which physical disability did Art Tatum have?
a.
arthritis
b.
no sight in one eye, very little in the other
c.
back problems
d.
difficulty walking
e.
no hearing in one ear, very little in the other
6. Which pianist interrupted his performance and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I play piano, but God
is in the house tonight!” when Art Tatum entered the club where he was playing?
a.
Duke Ellington
b.
George Gershwin
c.
Count Basie
d.
Fats Waller
e.
Vladimir Horowitz
7. All of the following describe Art Tatum’s style EXCEPT:
a.
primarily an ensemble pianist
b.
fast right-hand runs
c.
master of stride technique
d.
rich repertoire of harmonic substitutions
e.
improvised based on elaborate “routines” based on his favorite songs
8. Which company introduced the first solid-body electric guitar?
a.
Fender
b.
Steinway
c.
Gibson
d.
Conn
e.
Selmer
9. Why is Charlie Christian considered the father of the electric jazz guitar?
a.
He showed that the electric guitar could be played in exactly the same style as acoustic
jazz guitar.
b.
He had a lengthy career in which he mentored many young guitarists.
c.
He worked primarily as a soloist, rather than as an accompanist.
d.
He revealed the broad expressive range and lyricism that the electric guitar could produce.
e.
He was the very first musician to perform on electric guitar.
10. All of the following people helped bring Charlie Christian to public attention EXCEPT:
a.
Fats Waller
b.
Mary Lou Williams
c.
Benny Goodman
d.
Ralph Ellison
e.
John Hammond
11. Where was Charlie Christian’s solo on “Swing to Bop (Topsy)” recorded?
a.
at a recording session in a recording studio
b.
at a concert in a concert hall
c.
at a jam session in a nightclub
d.
in a practice session in his apartment
e.
at a live radio broadcast
12. Which bassist established a model for walking bass in his work with the Blue Devils, Benny
Moten, and Count Basie:
a.
Israel Crosby
b.
Walter Page
c.
Milt Hinton
d.
Jimmy Blanton
e.
Wellman Braud
13. Which of the following does NOT describe the career of Milt Hinton?
a.
active as a photographer
b.
worked with a wide range of jazz and pop vocalists
c.
jammed with Dizzy Gillespie
d.
was known for his technique in playing the bass with a bow
e.
used advanced harmonies and syncopated rhythms in his walking lines
14. Which technique would Wellman Braud use in the Duke Ellington orchestra in order to blend the
sound of his bass with the winds?
a.
singing while he played
b.
playing with the bow
c.
brushing the strings with his fingers to minimize the attack
d.
play in the high register
e.
all of the above
15. The “Blanton–Webster Band” referred to a group featuring bassist Jimmy Blanton and saxophonist
Ben Webster, and led by which iconic Swing Era bandleader?
a.
Duke Ellington
b.
Count Basie
c.
Benny Goodman
d.
Glenn Miller
e.
Chick Webb
16. All of the following describe Jimmy Blanton’s approach to the bass EXCEPT:
a.
strong rhythmic pulse
b.
regular use of chord substitutions
c.
rhythmically free improvised solos
d.
a beautiful, supple timbre
e.
consistent use of the bow
17. Despite a serious physical disability, this drummer led a powerful band with his aggressive
drumming.
a.
Gene Krupa
b.
Jo Jones
c.
Chick Webb
d.
Buddy Rich
e.
Sid Catlett
18. Why did Gene Krupa leave the Benny Goodman band?
a.
He used his celebrity status to start his own band.
b.
He was fired for keeping poor time.
c.
He was fired for being a distraction.
d.
He was disappointed that Goodman only hired white musicians.
e.
He left to join a group with the Austin High Gang.
19. Later in his life, drummer Jo Jones gained which reverent nickname?
a.
Father
b.
Papa
c.
Padre
d.
Gramps
e.
Deacon
20. Country musicians who incorporated elements of swing into their music began a new style referred
to as:
a.
rockabilly
b.
southern jive
c.
western swing
d.
Appalachian groove
e.
country gallup
TRUE/FALSE
1. Fats Waller was known as a subtle and expressive interpreter of ballads and blues.
2. Art Tatum’s approach to the piano was shunned by the classical establishment.
3. Because of their larger size, transcription discs enabled higher fidelity playback.
4. Jerry Newman recorded many jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse using a transcription disc
recording lathe.
5. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the technical advances of bassists far outpaced the
development of other rhythm section instrumentalists.
6. During the Swing Era, drummers tended to stay in the background, drawing as little attention to
themselves as possible.
7. Gene Krupa became famous for his tom-tom solo on the Goodman band’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
8. Jo Jones is known for shifting the rhythmic emphasis from the snare and bass drum to the hi-hat
cymbal.
9. The Swing audience was exclusively young people.
10. Swing flourished in the 1930s because the American public had significant expendable income.
SHORT ANSWER
1. Fats Waller earned the respect of his peer through his success at _____________, serious
competitions that pitted solo pianists against each other.
2. ____________________ were sixteen-inch records produced exclusively for radio broadcast.
3. Guitarist Barney Kessel compared the importance of Charlie Christian to that of the inventor
_______________.
4. Charlie Christian, Jimmy Blanton, and Chick Webb all suffered from _________________.
5. The band led by drummer ______________ had a long-standing residency at the Savoy Ballroom
throughout the early 1930s.
MATCHING
Match each instrumentalist to their musical innovation.
a.
Art Tatum
d.
Slam Stewart
b.
Charlie Christian
e.
Jo Jones
c.
Jimmy Blanton
1. Bassist who recorded the first melodically and rhythmically free solos on the instrument
2. Guitarist who showed the expressive range of the electric guitar
3. Bassist who would scat-sing while playing solo lines with a bow
4. Drummer who moved the primary pulse from the bass drum to the hi-hat cymbal
5. Pianist of unparalleled dexterity and virtuosity
ESSAY
1. New technologies had a big impact on the work of musicians in the 1930s and 1940s. Choose two
examples from Chapter 10 of musicians whose stylistic approaches were affected by the
technologies available to them, and provide specific examples of the relationship between
technological possibility and musical aesthetics.
2. Compare and contrast the piano styles of Fats Waller and Art Tatum. Provide specific examples
from the recordings of “Christopher Columbus” and “Over the Rainbow” to support your points.