Download Ragtime/Dixieland - Town of Mansfield, CT

Early Jazz
Ragtime
Why did people listen to ragtime? They listen so they can dance to it.
Ragtime was the “pop” music of turn-of-the-century (previous one)
America. Sheet music sales of ragtime outsold all other types until 1910. It
originated as music for the solo piano, but by the early 1900’s, it was
performed by bands and orchestra. It became a national and international
craze, though old people typically hated it.
Musically, ragtime features a strong 2/4 beat. The rhythms are
characteristically “ragged,” with many syncopated rhythms. The left hand
typically plays straight bass while the right hand plays a melody. Ragtime,
unlike most jazz, is not improvised.
Scott Joplin- Song The Entertainer. He was the most famous composer of
ragtime. He aspired to be a successful composer of opera, a dream that was
never realized.
Dixieland
Where is “Dixieland” and why is it called that? Dixieland is another name
for New Orleans. It’s called that because many people in New Orleans are
French, so it said “dix” on the back of the $10 bill (French for “ten”).
A Dixieland combo has a frontline and a backline. The frontline is usually
comprised of wind instruments playing polyphonically. The other name for
the backline is the rhythm section.
Buddy Bolden- NO SONG. He was a barber and trumpet player who is
reputed to be the first real jazz player.
Jelly Roll Morton- Black Bottom Stomp. He was a pianist who was the first
great jazz composer.
King Oliver- Song Dippermouth Blues. He was a trumpet player who led the
Creole Jazz Band and invented the plunger mute. He also performed the
first recorded improvised jazz solo.
Louis Armstrong- Songs West End Blues and Hello Dolly. He was the
greatest of all jazz players. Ever. He played trumpet and sang, creating and
innovating with both. He got his start playing in the Creole Jazz Band. He
popularized swing, which became a craze in the 30’s. He also popularized
scat singing, which is singing on nonsense syllables. His incredibly
successful career spanned five decades and influenced nearly every jazz
musician who followed him.
Bix Beiderbecke- Song Riverboat Shuffle. He was a Chicago Dixieland (?)
cornet player who established the tradition of making space for soloists. The
fact that he was white set him apart and inspired many other players.