CHAPTER 19: Jazz Today
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. All of the following are aspects of the term “post–historical” EXCEPT:
a.
suggests that the current moment offers a privileged vantage point from which to view the
past
b.
argues that the past should be set aside and no longer studied
c.
attempts to convey the idea that the great political and cultural movements are all behind
us
d.
frees artists and thinkers from the burdens of the past, allowing a clean slate for new
beginnings
e.
recalls former arrogance that leads to moral chaos and military struggle
2. In acknowledging their freedom to adapt material from any time, place, or genre, the next
generation of jazz stars may be best described as continuing the ideology of:
a.
swing
b.
repertory bands
c.
bebop
d.
fusion
e.
ragtime
3. Which definition of classical applies to the sense in which it is being used to define a modern
phase for jazz?
a.
constituting a standard or model
b.
any music from European folk traditions
c.
the European tradition of composed music
d.
rock from the 1960s and 70s
e.
having permanent interest and value
4. All of the following describe the “genesis” phase of jazz history EXCEPT:
a.
firmly established as art
b.
1890s–1920s
c.
emerges in the black South
d.
loose and blues-based
e.
social music
5. Which of the following does NOT describe the second phase of jazz history as described in
Chapter 19?
a.
influential in popular and classical idioms
b.
firmly established as art
c.
supported by academia
d.
embraced as a generation’s dance music
e.
generated serious intellectual interest
6. All of the following apply to the third phase of jazz history as described in Chapter 19 EXCEPT:
a.
supported by academia
b.
subsisting primarily on public and private grants
c.
overtaken in popularity by newer styles
d.
alienated the general public
e.
no longer focused on dancing
7. Which is not one of the ways in which the classical status of jazz defines a fourth phase, beginning
in the 1970s?
a.
Jazz is a specialty interest, largely absent from the commercial marketplace and dependent
on academic and institutional support for its survival.
b.
New musicians must compete for listeners’ attention with music of the past.
c.
The status liberates new musicians to freely explore the past.
d.
Musicians must continue to explore and reinvent the music.
e.
Jazz works after 1970 began to be fully notated, with improvisation largely absent.
8. The shared language of modern jazz, grounded in bebop but with broad knowledge of other jazz
styles, is primarily a consequence of what development?
a.
formal jazz education
b.
the internet
c.
the death of Louis Armstrong
d.
the importance of the piano
e.
the end of history
9. What do the authors suggest is a consequence for modern jazz pianists of the deeply ingrained
lingua franca of modern jazz?
a.
a retrenchment into local communities and idiosyncratic styles
b.
a boring collection of recordings that all sound the same
c.
a loss of the vitality of jazz as a relevant art
d.
a common ground that allows for border crossing
e.
all of the above
10. Carnatic music was brought to the attention of the American public through the music of:
a.
Vijay Iyer
b.
Frank Zappa
c.
Ravi Shankar
d.
Rudresh Mahanthappa
e.
George Harrison
11. The “percussive” school of piano playing to which Vijay Iyer belongs features a lineage including
all of the following pianists EXCEPT:
a.
Thelonious Monk
b.
Bill Evans
c.
Earl Hines
d.
Ahmad Jamal
e.
Cecil Taylor
12. Which of the following is true of the Vijay Iyer Trio’s recording of “Lude”?
a.
a fluid treatment of the backbeat
b.
a loose structure based on two eight-measure segments
c.
a repetitive series of chords
d.
precise rhythmic interplay between the musicians
e.
all of the above
13. During her time at Berklee College of Music, Esperanza Spalding worked with all of the following
musicians EXCEPT:
a.
Joe Lovano
b.
Gary Burton
c.
Pat Metheny
d.
Yo-Yo Ma
e.
Patti Austin
14. Reflecting her post-historical breadth as an artist, Esperanza Spalding cites all of the following
musicians as career archetypes EXCEPT:
a.
Wayne Shorter
b.
David Bowie
c.
Milton Nascimento
d.
Madonna
e.
Ornette Coleman
15. Who was the first jazz artist to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist?
a.
Esperanza Spalding
b.
Miles Davis
c.
Jaco Pastorius
d.
Wynton Marsalis
e.
Diana Krall
16. The 6/8 rhythm at the core of Esperanza Spalding’s “Short and Sweet” reflects the important place
of which musical culture in her work?
a.
Afro-Cuban
b.
Swing
c.
Brazilian
d.
South African
e.
Islamic
17. Which of the following is NOT a reason why modern female singers have difficulty in gaining the
same level of recognition as instrumentalists?
a.
The best standards have become too familiar and overplayed.
b.
Male jazz vocalists are preferred by the jazz press.
c.
Songwriters are often their own best interpreters.
d.
Avant-garde aesthetics have made the voice seem passé.
e.
The pantheon of legendary singers is rich and secure.
18. Which of the following best describes the musical style of Cécile McLorin Salvant?
a.
subtle, reserved, and calm
b.
shows no ties to the tradition of jazz vocal styles
c.
narrow, focused timbral range
d.
deep exploration of traditional jazz repertory
e.
intensely dramatic and searching
19. Who is John Henry?
a.
Cécile McLorin Salvant’s music director and pianist
b.
a recently rediscovered 1920s jazz vocalist
c.
legendary recording engineer associated with Blue Note Records
d.
mythical railroad worker from nineteenth-century American folklore
e.
important midcentury jazz educator
20. On Cécile McLorin Salvant’s recording of “John Henry,” how does Aaron Diehl make his piano
sound like a banjo?
a.
dampens the strings with his hand
b.
plucks the inside of the piano
c.
plays very gently
d.
uses the pedals
e.
all of the above
21. All of the following are important influences on Abdullah Ibrahim’s style EXCEPT:
a.
the jazz of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk
b.
the African Methodist Episcopal Church
c.
the early recordings of the Beatles
d.
the South African popular music of Hugh Masakela
e.
traditional African songs
TRUE/FALSE
1. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, virtually all critics’ best-of lists still feature artists
who were active in the 1960s.
2. When Herbie Hancock recorded an album of modern pop songs as “new standards,” he chose to
improvise on the original harmonies of each tune.
3. Because of the formalization of jazz education, most modern jazz musicians create strikingly
similar, mostly unoriginal music.
4. In 2013, pianist Vijay Iyer won a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as a “genius grant.”
5. Esperanza Spalding was appointed concertmaster of the Chamber Music Society of Oregon as a
fifteen-year-old.
6. Since 1970, no female jazz vocalists have established themselves and maintained lasting careers.
7. Cécile McLorin Salvant’s multicultural upbringing is clearly reflected in her music.
8. Around the world, musicians play jazz with deep ties to American blues and improvisation.
9. Duke Ellington’s Afro-Eurasian Eclipse was an important early example of how fluidly jazz style
can blend with African cultural traditions.
10. Abdullah Ibrahim’s international success began with a recording called Charles Mingus Presents
the Dollar Brand Trio.
SHORT ANSWER
1. The common language shared by today’s jazz musicians, grounded in bebop but connected to
earlier and more recent styles, is referred to as the ____________ of modern jazz.
2. Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa have undertaken an intense consideration of the relationship
between jazz and the _____________ music of southern India.
3. In 2009, Cécile McLorin Salvant won the ____________________ International Jazz Competition.
4. Before his conversion to Islam, Abdullah Ibrahim was known as _________________.
5. Abdullah Ibrahim’s signature septet is named Ekaya, which translates as ________.
MATCHING
Match each artist to a cultural tradition that influences their work.
a.
Carnatic music
d.
Brazilian bossa nova
b.
South African Cape Jazz
e.
French chanson
c.
Cuban son
1. Eddie Palmieri
2. Esperanza Spalding
3. Vijay Iyer
4. Abdullah Ibrahim
5. Cécile McLorin Salvant
ESSAY
1. Critically evaluate the authors’ argument that jazz today is best understood as a classical music.
Does this describe your experience of the music? Why or why not? Support your points with
musical references from throughout the book.
2. Compare “Lude,” “Short and Sweet,” and “John Henry” through lens of a modern lingua franca
shared by contemporary jazz musicians. What elements are shared by all three recordings that link
them as examples of modern jazz? How does each artist leverage a personal history in order to
carve out an individual space within the jazz scene?