Download Kontos 1 Michael Kontos Harry Davidson Music 89S

Kontos 1
Michael
Kontos
Harry
Davidson
Music
89S
November
14th,
2012
Improvisation
–
How
Bach
Spawned
a
New
Generation
of
Music
Improvisation
is
a
specific
style
of
music
where
a
performer
has
the
major
influence
on
his
or
her
music.
The
emotion
and
feeling
that
is
flowing
through
the
performer
at
the
very
moment
of
musical
creation
is
utilized
to
freely
develop
an
individual
idea
on
top
of
the
subject
of
a
piece.
This
style
is
one
that
is
totally
unique
to
the
performer
and
yields
a
different
performance
every
time.
One
of
the
founders
of
this
unique
style
was
composer
Johann
Sebastian
Bach.
Bach
was
born
to
a
family
of
musicians
in
1685
in
Eisenach,
a
small
town
within
Germany.
His
movement
across
Germany
over
the
course
of
his
life
caused
him
to
have
a
dynamic
musical
style.1
Because
Bach
was
born
in
the
early
Baroque
period,
he
was
thrown
into
a
generation
of
music
where
the
composers
“sought
to
describe
with
objectivity,
feelings
and
emotions,
which
were
distinct
from
what
they
actually
felt.”2
For
example,
most
Baroque
pieces
sounded
busy
and
were
full
of
a
diverse
instrumentation
that
one
could
generally
associate
with
a
negative
emotion.3
1
“Johann
Sebastian
Bach’s
Life,”
last
modified
March
29,
2002,
http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/map.html
2
“Baroque
Music
‐
Part
1,”
by
Elaine
Thornburgh,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/M151/Baroque_Music1.html
3
“Baroque
Music,”
Music
of
the
Baroque,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis.htm
Kontos 2
However,
another
style
that
is
not
necessarily
associated
with
negative
emotion
is
improvisation.
This
style,
which
is
seen
today
in
most
Jazz
music
pieces,
really
began
with
a
young
Johann
Sebastian
Bach.
These
early
pieces
spawned
the
generation
of
improvisation,
which
led
to
an
influence
on
future
artists
such
as
John
Coltrane
and
Bobby
McFerrin.
Bach
wrote
and
performed
plenty
of
pieces
that
show
the
basic
idea
that
comes
with
this
improvisational
style,
but
there
are
a
few
in
particular
that
demonstrate
what
the
style
was
about
and
could
have
easily
influenced
future
artists.
Ordinarily,
a
piece
will
start
with
the
introduction
of
a
subject.
This
subject
will
be
played
repeatedly
throughout
the
piece
and
can
be
played,
in
some
cases,
across
all
instrumentation.
Improvisation
is
incorporated
into
these
pieces
usually
by
the
soloist.
Once
he
or
she
has
finished
playing
through
the
subject,
they
will
improvise
and
play
on
top
of
the
other
instruments,
which
are
ordinarily
mimicking
the
soloist
or
playing
in
a
style
called
“comping”.
Comping
involves
the
lower
register
instruments
filling
out
the
chord
while
the
soloist
bases
their
solo
around
the
chord
progression.
This
section
allows
for
bending,
sliding,
trilling,
or
anything
else
that
the
performer
believes
would
better
the
piece
as
a
whole.
For
example,
in
Bach’s
Violin
Concerto
in
A
Minor
(BWV
1041),
the
soloist,
the
violin
1
on
the
top
of
the
staff,
begins
the
piece
by
playing
the
subject
while
the
orchestra
backs
him
to
form
a
basic
chord
progressions
as
seen
here4:
4
“Violin
Concerto
in
A
Minor,
BWV
1041
(Bach,
Johann
Sebastian),”
last
updated
December
5th,
2006.
Kontos 3
But
after
the
subject
is
finished,
the
violinist
begins
to
elaborate
more
on
the
subject
and
add
more
and
more
of
his
own
flourishes
and
elegance
to
the
piece.
The
more
elaborate
subject
can
be
seen
later
on
the
piece
here5
Now,
this
is
not
exactly
improvisation
because
the
soloist
is
not
freely
applying
his
own
style
to
the
music.
He
is
playing
what
is
written
on
the
page,
but,
because
the
subject
becomes
more
complex,
it
shows
the
change
in
the
music
throughout
the
piece.
This
is
just
the
beginning
of
what
we
know
today
as
improvisation.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_in_A_minor,_BWV_1041_(Bach,_Johann_Seba
stian)
5
ibid.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_in_A_minor,_BWV_1041_(Bach,_Johann_Seba
stian)
Kontos 4
Some
of
the
other
pieces
that
Bach
composed
during
his
lifetime
that
showed
his
desire
to
improvise
were
his
short
organ
pieces.
When
Bach
first
began
performing
music
as
an
organist,
it
was
said
that
often
times,
the
chorus
within
the
church
he
performed
in
would
become
lost
because
his
rendition
of
the
piece
would
move
in
directions
they
did
not
recognize.
One
of
his
pieces
that
easily
demonstrates
the
improvisational
style
is
his
organ
work
titled
“Wo
soll
ich
fliehen
hin?”
(BWV
646)
which
can
be
translated
as,
“Whither
shall
I
flee?”
This
piece
immediately
begins
with
the
subject
being
introduced
on
the
organ.
As
the
piece
progresses
however,
Bach
begins
to
layer
multiple
other
parts
on
top
of
the
subject.
Not
only
does
this
make
it
is
almost
impossible
to
determine
what
the
rhythm
of
the
piece
is,
but
the
subject
of
the
piece
also
becomes
lost
within
the
chaotic
new
piece.
While
this
is
not
exactly
what
improvisation
is
defined
as,
it
still
shows
how
a
performer
can
take
what
was
provided
to
him
and
incorporate
his
own
style
to
the
piece.
Bach
chose
to
layer
his
original
subject
with
what
he
felt
would
sound
best
over
top
of
that.
Throughout
the
rest
of
his
career,
Bach
continued
to
emulate
the
style
associated
with
improvisation.
This
must
have
reflected
upon
John
Coltrane
as
he
integrated
into
the
world
of
Jazz
music.
Coltrane,
the
world
famous
saxophonist,
was
born
in
1926
in
Hamlet,
North
Carolina.
Similar
to
Bach,
Coltrane
was
always
surrounded
by
music.
His
father,
who
was
employed
as
a
tailor,
had
an
immense
love
for
music
and
fueled
John’s
desire
to
become
a
musician.
Even
from
the
early
age
of
13,
John
Coltrane
listened
to
and
imitated
the
sounds
of
saxophonists
such
as
Charlie
Parker
and
Johnny
Hodges.
Unfortunately,
in
1939,
when
Coltrane
was
only
Kontos 5
13,
his
father,
grandparents
and
uncle
all
passed
away,
leaving
his
family
to
be
run
solely
by
Coltrane’s
mother,
Alice.
When
his
family
decided
to
move
north
in
order
to
find
work,
Coltrane
stayed
and
finished
high
school
while
living
with
family
friends.
In
1943,
he
ended
up
moving
toward
his
family
in
order
advance
his
career
as
an
aspiring
musician.
He
studied
at
both
Granoff
Studios
as
well
as
the
Ornstein
School
of
Music
in
Philadelphia.
Unfortunately,
wartime
came
calling
and
Coltrane
was
asked
to
serve
the
country.
Despite
the
negative
connotation
associated
with
wartime,
Coltrane
managed
to
make
his
first
Jazz
recording
with
a
few
of
his
fellow
Navy
sailors.
At
the
conclusion
of
his
service,
he
returned
to
Philadelphia
and
began
playing
with
more
jazz
bands.
He
managed
to
play
with
prestigious
performers
such
as
Dizzy
Gillespie
and
Duke
Ellington,
all
the
while
building
a
name
for
himself.
Soon
after
being
fired
from
his
gig
with
Duke
Ellington
due
to
his
drug
dependencies,
Coltrane
managed
to
sign
with
Columbia
records
and
join
the
Miles
Davis
Quintet.
He
filled
out
their
group
with
a
smooth
tenor
saxophone
sound
that
complimented
the
groups’
brass
and
piano.
Unfortunately,
after
a
brief
stint
together,
Miles
Davis
fired
Coltrane
for
his
inability
to
give
up
heroine
and
soon
afterwards,
John
Coltrane
began
his
solo
career.
This
new
opportunity
would
allow
him
to
release
to
the
world
what
he
believed
to
be
his
own,
unique
sound
and
style
of
Jazz
music.6
Jazz
music
is
“not
the
result
of
choosing
a
tune,
but
an
ideal
that
is
created
first
in
the
mind,
inspired
by
one’s
passion,
and
willed
next
in
playing
music.
Its
unique
expression
draws
from
life
experience
and
human
emotion
as
the
inspiration
of
the
creative
force,
and
through
this
discourse
has
chronicled
the
history
of
a
6
“John
Coltrane:
biography”
last
updated
2012,
http://www.biography.com/people/john‐coltrane‐9254106
Kontos 6
people.”7
It
truly
depends
on
the
performer
to
put
their
personalities
and
feelings
forward
and
play
the
music
from
their
soul.
It
is
the
epitome
of
improvisation,
in
that
any
performer
must
be
providing
their
individual
influence
on
the
work.
This
strikes
the
listener
very
similarly
to
the
way
Baroque
style
music
would:
full
of
emotion.
There
is
the
potential
for
the
music
to
be
crazy;
anger
rushing
through
the
artist’s
mind
conveyed
through
a
loud
and
chaotic
tune
with
an
innumerable
amount
of
brass
instruments,
or
it
could
be
a
slow
and
quiet
piano
concerto
that
depicts
someone
suffering
from
hidden
love.
The
parallels
between
the
two
styles
are
simply
obvious.
Just
as
Bach’s
music
began
this
offshoot
of
musical
style,
some
of
Coltrane’s
most
iconic
works
were
excellent
representations
of
improvisation.
For
example,
in
one
of
his
most
widely
recognized
pieces
“Impressions,”
Coltrane
introduces
the
subject
in
the
first
bar
of
the
music
and
then
proceeds
to
make
up
the
entire
song
within
the
moment.
Even
the
sheet
music
just
shows
an
oversimplified
version
of
the
subject
and
then
encourages
the
performer
to
improvise
from
there8:
7
“Jazz
History
and
Jazz
Education”
last
updated
2012,
http://www.apassion4jazz.net/
8
“John
Coltrane‐Impressions”
(screenshot),
Online
Sheet
Music,
accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/impressions‐
p403769.aspx?utm_expid=47617476‐
1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3
Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D5%26ved%3D0CFAQFj
AE%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.onlinesheetmusic.com%252Fimpres
sions‐
p403769.aspx%26ei%3D29KjUNe_KYSm8gSRg4DoDQ%26usg%3DAFQjCNGSf2Upa
YqKav5VVVgtwHE4clC4MA
Kontos 7
It
can
almost
be
guaranteed
that
the
recording
of
“Impressions”
is
unique.
Any
performance
or
any
other
opportunity
Coltrane
had
to
record
that
piece
would
almost
certainly
be
different,
because
ordinarily,
a
human
would
not
be
feeling
exactly
the
same
way
emotionally
each
time
they
performed
the
piece.
A
second
piece
that
demonstrates
improvisation
was
“In
a
Sentimental
Mood,”
which
Coltrane
popularized
with
fellow
performer
Duke
Ellington.
Despite
being
similar
to
Impressions
in
form,
this
song
has
a
much
slower
tempo
and
adds
Duke
Ellington
on
the
piano.
Instead
of
the
subject
being
introduced
by
the
soloist
and
then
having
that
transition
into
complete
improvisation,
each
performer
has
an
individual
subject
that
they
introduce.
Despite
the
fact
that
these
two
subjects
are
completely
different,
there
is
a
very
obvious
“mirroring”
to
what
Ellington
and
Coltrane
are
playing.
This
performance
is
indicative
of
the
fact
that
each
performer
is
fully
involved
within
the
music.
The
two
are
capable
of
having
a
conversation
back
and
forth,
throwing
their
emotion
into
their
respective
sections
of
the
piece.
Ellington
is
given
an
extended
period
of
time
to
solo,
changing
the
overall
key
of
the
piece
from
minor
to
major,
forcing
the
listener
to
change
their
mentality
from
the
initial,
sad
minor
key
to
this
happier
sounding
one.
Once
again,
it
is
obvious
that
this
Kontos 8
musical
style
of
improvisation
was
the
main
focus
of
John
Coltrane.
Without
Bach’s
initial
pieces
in
the
Baroque
period,
Coltrane
would
not
have
had
one
of
his
major
influences
to
guide
his
music.
Another
artist
that
advanced
the
genre
of
vocal
music
and
improvisation
was
a
man
named
Bobby
McFerrin.
McFerrin,
“ranks
among
the
most
distinctive
and
original
singers
in
contemporary
music
‐‐
equally
adept
in
jazz,
pop,
and
classical
settings,
his
octave‐jumping
trademark
style,
with
its
rhythmic
inhalations
and
stop‐
on‐a‐dime
shifts
from
falsetto
to
deep
bass
notes
often
sounds
like
the
work
of
at
least
two
or
three
singers
at
once,
while
at
the
same
time
sounding
quite
unlike
anyone
else.”9
Despite
being
slightly
biased,
this
source
continues
to
say
“Many
have
tried
to
describe
the
Bobby
McFerrin
experience,
but
there
is
simply
no
way
to
explain
a
voice
that…goes
where
no
man’s
has
gone
before…
Bobby’s
vocal
technique
is
often
non‐verbal,
a
construction
of
his
own
invention.
When
he
engages
in
song,
he
surrenders
to
his
creative
mind,
not
to
the
whims
of
the
marketplace.”10
Similar
to
both
Bach
and
Coltrane,
McFerrin
was
born
in
March
of
1950
to
a
family
of
musicians.
As
he
grew
up,
he
was
surrounded
by
the
music
of
his
mother
and
father;
a
beautiful
mix
of
classical
vocals.
McFerrin
attended
and
studied
piano
at
California
State
College
at
Sacramento
and
Cerritos
College.
After
his
college
days,
he
performed
with
multiple
cover
bands,
cabaret
acts,
and
dance
troupes
just
as
any
rising
star
would
do
to
spread
his
name.
Soon
after
1977,
he
decided
to
make
his
vocal
debut,
which
earned
a
lot
of
attention,
including
an
invite,
extended
to
him
via
9
“Bobby
McFerrin,
Extended
Bio.”
Written
by
Jeff
Tamarkin
for
BobbyMcFerrin.com.
Accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://bobbymcferrin.com/whos‐bobby/press‐
kit/extended‐bio/
10
ibid.
http://bobbymcferrin.com/whos‐bobby/press‐kit/extended‐bio/
Kontos 9
Bill
Cosby,
to
attend
the
1980
Playboy
Jazz.
In
1984,
McFerrin
released
his
album
“The
Voice,”
which
revolutionized
Jazz
music.
It
was
the
first
album
released
by
a
major
record
label
where
the
soloist
recorded
the
album
in
its
entirety
without
any
sort
of
accompaniment
or
overdubbing.11
Throughout
the
rest
of
his
performance
career,
which
is
still
continuing
today,
McFerrin
continued
to
revolutionize
music.
His
own
website
describes
his
genre
of
music
as
“go‐with‐the‐flow
music,
created
on
the
spot,
never
to
be
repeated.”12
This,
again,
is
the
exact
definition
of
the
improvisational
style
that
was
created
by
Bach
and
then
carried
over
by
John
Coltrane.
While
McFerrin’s
entire
style
emulates
“improvisation,”
there
are
plenty
of
examples
that
can
be
picked
out
to
demonstrate
how
perfect
of
an
example
he
is
of
a
performer
influenced
by
Bach.
The
first
tune
that
shows
how
McFerrin
adopted
the
improvisational
style
is
titled
“Good
Lovin’”
As
more
of
an
a
cappella
piece,
this
song
incorporates
multiple
vocal
levels,
all
done
by
McFerrin.
He
creates
a
moving
bass
line
underneath
the
more
lyrical
melody.
This
bass
line
is
also
filled
out
with
slightly
higher
voice
parts
that
complete
the
moving
chords
underneath
the
melody.
In
this
song,
the
improvisation
shows
within
McFerrin’s
lyrics,
which
contrasts
with
the
other
two
artists.
While
they
solely
improvised
on
their
instruments,
McFerrin
uses
language
to
express
his
emotions
and
feelings.
Despite
the
fact
that
the
lyrics
of
this
song
are
not
particularly
complicated,
McFerrin
still
conveys
through
the
words
“I
was
feelin'
11
“Bobby
McFerrin”
written
by
Jason
Ankeny
for
allmusic.com.
Accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby‐mcferrin‐
mn0000768367
12
“Bobby
McFerrin,
Extended
Bio.”
Written
by
Jeff
Tamarkin
for
BobbyMcFerrin.com.
Accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://bobbymcferrin.com/whos‐bobby/press‐kit/extended‐bio/
Kontos 10
so
bad,
I
asked
my
family
doctor
just
what
I
had.
I
said,
Doctor
‐
Doctor
‐
Mr.
M.D.
–
Doctor,
now
can
you
tell
me
what's
ailin'
me,”
that
he’s
been
hurting
for
something,
to
which
the
Doctor
replies
“Good
lovin'‐Gimme
that
good,
good
lovin.
Good
lovin'‐
All
I
need
is
lovin.”13
While
the
overall
sound
of
the
piece
seems
“pop‐like”
and
happy,
this
song
is
describing
how
alone
someone
can
feel,
and
how
much
companionship
and
“good‐lovin’”
can
better
a
person’s
mood
and
state
of
mind.
This
expression
of
emotion
again,
is
a
perfect
representation
of
the
improvisational
style.
Yet
another
piece
that
represents
this
style
is
McFerrin’s
rendition
of
Bach’s
“Air.”
The
original
piece
is
almost
exactly
the
same
as
Bach’s
other
violin
concertos;
there
is
a
violin
soloist
with
an
orchestral
accompaniment.
The
piece
starts
out
with
a
basic
introduction
of
the
subject
and
then
the
soloist
opens
up
and
continues
to
play
a
smooth
melody
on
top
of
the
moving
chords
created
by
the
lower
instrument.
The
whole
introduction
can
be
seen
here14
13
“Bobby
McFerrin‐Good
Lovin’
Lyrics,”
last
modified
2012.
http://www.lyrics007.com/Bobby%20Mcferrin%20Lyrics/Good%20Lovin'%20Lyr
ics.html
14
“Bach,
Johann
Sebastian‐Air
on
the
G
String
Sheet
Music”
(screenshot),
8
notes.com,
last
modified
2012.
http://www.8notes.com/scores/560.asp
Kontos 11
However,
in
McFerrin’s
rendition
of
the
piece,
he
uses
his
voice
to
represent
the
violin
1
while
an
orchestra
is
used
for
accompaniment.
A
performer’s
voice
has
tremendous
power
compared
to
an
instrument,
especially
during
a
performance
like
this
one.
With
someone
with
such
excellent
vocal
control
like
McFerrin,
the
emotion
that
he
is
feeling,
along
with
the
emotion
that
is
meant
to
be
conveyed
by
the
piece
are
easily
meshed
and
conveyed
to
the
audience.
Also,
because
he
is
not
restricted
by
a
physical
piece
of
music
or
a
conductor,
McFerrin
is
able
to
add
extra
musical
flourishes
to
the
piece
to
further
make
it
his
own,
unique
improvisational
performance.
With
his
unique
performing
style,
McFerrin
coveys
the
emotion
and
meaning
that
Bach
had
demonstrated
during
his
initial
writing
and
performance
of
the
piece.
Kontos 12
By
studying
all
of
these
artists’
personal
musical
styles,
we
are
able
to
see
the
effect
that
Bach’s
music
had
on
the
future
of
the
art.
If
Bach
had
chosen
to
conform
to
the
music
presented
in
front
of
him
rather
than
perform
the
organ
pieces
in
his
style,
then
the
idea
of
improvisation
would
have
never
been
fleshed
out
in
his
later
works.
Without
Bach’s
violin
concerto,
with
the
soloist
performing
high
above
the
orchestra,
Jazz
music,
with
its
soul
and
emotion,
would
not
have
attained
such
popularity.
As
a
result,
John
Coltrane
would
not
have
found
his
own
niche
as
a
solo
performer
and
could
have
possibly
overdosed
on
heroine,
rather
than
focus
on
his
dream
to
become
an
acclaimed
musician.
If
Coltrane
had
not
continued
his
work
after
being
fired
from
his
gig
with
Miles
Davis,
Bobby
McFerrin
could
have
quite
possibly
neglected
his
dream
to
become
such
a
prestigious
vocalist,
and
a
cappella
music
could
have
been
changed
for
forever.
One
would
not
expect
how
much
of
an
effect
an
early
composer,
such
as
Bach,
could
have
on
the
world
of
music.
Without
his
courage
and
desire
to
go
beyond
the
musical
norm
and
create
a
style
known
as
improvisation,
our
music
today
could
have
been
drastically
different.
Kontos 13
Works
Cited
1.
“Johann
Sebastian
Bach’s
Life,”
last
modified
March
29,
2002,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/map.html
2.
“Baroque
Music
‐
Part
1,”
by
Elaine
Thornburgh,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/M151/Baroque_Music1.html
3.
“Baroque
Music,”
Music
of
the
Baroque,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis.htm
4.
“Violin
Concerto
in
A
Minor,
BWV
1041
(Bach,
Johann
Sebastian),”
last
updated
December
5th,
2006,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_in_A_minor,_BWV_1041_(Bach,_Johann_Seba
stian)
6.
“John
Coltrane:
biography”
last
updated
2012,
accessed
November
9th,
2012.
http://www.biography.com/people/john‐coltrane‐9254106
7.
“Jazz
History
and
Jazz
Education”
last
updated
2012,
November
9th
2012.
http://www.apassion4jazz.net/
8.
“John
Coltrane‐Impressions”
(screenshot),
Online
Sheet
Music,
accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/impressions‐
p403769.aspx?utm_expid=47617476‐
1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3
Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D5%26ved%3D0CFAQFj
AE%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.onlinesheetmusic.com%252Fimpres
sions‐
p403769.aspx%26ei%3D29KjUNe_KYSm8gSRg4DoDQ%26usg%3DAFQjCNGSf2Upa
YqKav5VVVgtwHE4clC4MA
9.
“Bobby
McFerrin,
Extended
Bio.”
Written
by
Jeff
Tamarkin
for
BobbyMcFerrin.com.
Accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://bobbymcferrin.com/whos‐bobby/press‐kit/extended‐bio/
11.
“Bobby
McFerrin”
written
by
Jason
Ankeny
for
allmusic.com.
Accessed
on
November
10th,
2012.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby‐mcferrin‐
mn0000768367
13.
“Bobby
McFerrin‐Good
Lovin’
Lyrics,”
last
modified
2012,
accessed
on
November
11th,
2012.
http://www.lyrics007.com/Bobby%20Mcferrin%20Lyrics/Good%20Lovin'%20Lyr
ics.html
Kontos 14
14.
“Bach,
Johann
Sebastian‐Air
on
the
G
String
Sheet
Music”
(screenshot),
8
notes.com,
last
modified
2012,
accessed
on
November
11th,
2012.
http://www.8notes.com/scores/560.asp