INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit! This Kit has been designed to enable you, the music educator, to teach traditional jazz appreciation and performance techniques to your students. Your students are likely to find this music unfamiliar, yet both fun and challenging to play.

 

What is “Traditional Jazz”?

The term “traditional jazz” (or “trad jazz”) is most often used to mean the various styles of New Orleans jazz and their outgrowths, encompassing styles sometimes called dixieland, classic jazz, hot jazz, Chicago style, San Francisco style, etc. A hallmark of traditional jazz is the New Orleans tradition of several wind instruments playing polyphonically, i.e., ensemble improvisation. Creating this tapestry effectively as a team is a challenge your students will enjoy.

While the approaches to jazz performance outlined in this Kit hark back to the beginnings of the art form, traditional jazz continues as a living, vibrant music. It should not be viewed merely as an historical artifact nor an embryonic evolutionary stage in jazz’s development. Some of the most sophisticated and timeless jazz masterpieces ever recorded have been created within the New Orleans paradigm, and this paradigm presents today’s player with unlimited opportunity for further creative development and self-expression. This music offers the young jazz musician an entirely new set of challenges from those typically stressed in scholastic jazz education programs. Across the country and around the world, young musicians are meeting these challenges. Traditional Jazz is today!

 

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About This Kit

This Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit was developed by the Traditional Jazz Educators Network (TJEN) together with the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Jazz Education Network (JEN). The purpose of the Kit is to provide music educators with the tools needed to instruct students in the appreciation and performance of the various traditional jazz styles. These styles heretofore have not been a part of the typical program of scholastic jazz instruction, due in large part to the absence of any pedagogy that deals with them. This Kit provides the opportunity for thousands of students to learn and perform this repertoire. It is intended to supplement, not supplant, existing jazz education programs that emphasize contemporary jazz styles. The aspiring young jazz musician will do well to become conversant in many jazz styles.

It is hoped that this Kit will facilitate: 1) the national revitalization of traditional jazz styles through the increased participation of young people; 2) the formation of youth traditional jazz ensembles in schools; and 3) heightened appreciation and awareness of traditional jazz among jazz educators.

While the materials in this kit have been tailored for musicians at the high school and college level, the music arrangements represent various levels of difficulty. Hence students of any age possessing little or no improvisation skills have something here that they can master, while advanced players have something here that will challenge them. The lesson plan can also be tailored to serve as a traditional jazz appreciation curriculum for non-musicians, by simply eliminating the rehearsal components and instrument master classes.

The lessons herein are primarily centered around guided classroom listening. Included in the lessons are very brief introductory rehearsals of each piece of music. For ensembles wishing to perform these pieces publicly (and please do!), additional rehearsal time will be required.

 Traditional jazz employs both collective ensemble improvisation and improvised solos. This Curriculum Kit is not a primer for teaching students to improvise; there are a great many improvisation method texts and recordings readily available (see Jazz Pedagogy: The Jazz Educator’s Handbook and Resource Guide by J. Richard Dunscomb and Dr. Willie L. Hill, Jr., distributed by Alfred Music). Instead, the lessons in this Kit concentrate on presenting the stylistic nuances that distinguish traditional jazz. However, Appendix D, “Getting Started With Jazz Improvisation”, will help you get your non-improvising students started on the path to becoming proficient improvisers. The music contained in this Kit includes “Black Bottom Stomp” and “Tin Roof Blues” (presented in Lessons #6 and #19 respectively), which do not require improvisation.

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This Teacher’s Guide and Lesson Plans is divided into 23 lessons of approximately 30-40 minutes each. Presentation of the full curriculum is strongly recommended for those instructors who wish to form an ongoing student traditional jazz group, or who wish to make traditional jazz a recurring feature of their existing jazz lab band’s activities. Instructors whose schedules do not permit presentation of the full curriculum may tailor the curriculum according to their time constraints and the interests of their students (note: Lessons #1 and #2 are a must!).

This course is designed to be taught from a PC/Mac, laptop or tablet, with internet access, preferably with a large monitor or projected onto a large screen, with the audio/video sound played through good speakers.  Acquisition of a four-string banjo is recommend­ed for your guitarist’s use in this course.  Also recommended are the addition of a woodblock (or “jam block”) and a 10-12" choke/splash cymbal to your drummer’s setup.  A cowbell is also useful, as is a washboard and thimbles.

This Kit has been designed to support the new National Core Music Standards, as well as the Common Core State Standards. Appendix C identifies the specific lessons herein that support these standards.

 

Components of the Kit

The Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit consists of the following integrated components:

■ Teacher’s Guide and Lesson Plans: 23 step-by-step lessons in traditional jazz, including listening exercises, rehearsal techniques, and suggestions for further study. The lessons draw from the audio tracks, video segments, Style Guide and other components of the Kit.

■ Audio tracks: The online audio tracks comprise 20 outstanding examples of the genre, from historical masterpieces to today’s artists.

■ Video segments: The eight online video segments comprise over two-and-a-half hours of on-screen instruction. The videos begin with an introductory segment showing various youth and adult bands playing traditional jazz, followed by lessons for each instrument given by top professionals in the idiom.

■ Style Guide: Designed for both teachers and students, the Style Guide explains in musical terms the differences and similarities between the various New Orleans-based styles of jazz, placing them in historical context. The Style Guide includes references to suggested recordings.

■ Resource Guide: A comprehensive listing of current sources for traditional jazz arrangements, recordings, “fake” books, transcriptions, etc. Included is a listing of traditional jazz web sites.

■ Music: The Kit contains three previously unpublished arrangements, representing different styles and levels of difficulty. Also included is a tune in “lead sheet” format, as well as a special transcription of a classic historical recording by Jelly Roll Morton.

■ Poster: An informational/promotional piece for display in your school band room. The poster serves as an eye-catching introduction to this Kit, and delivers the important message that “traditional jazz is today!”.

 

Establishing a Student Traditional Jazz Ensemble

Consider using this Kit to establish an ongoing traditional jazz group in your school! Such a group could be set up as a supplemental extracurricular activity, or could be established as a new for-credit course offering of your Music Department. The latter approach will require convincing school officials of the value and cost-effectiveness of having such a program. Music instructors who have successfully established such courses at high schools and colleges suggest that your proposal stress the following selling points:

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■ Your class will instruct students in a combo setting, providing them with an in-depth opportunity to apply their knowledge and abilities in basic theory, performance, and especially improvisation. Large reading jazz lab ensembles provide only limited improvisation experience (the occasional solo), and improvisation is at the heart and soul of jazz.

■ You already have a curriculum kit in hand that provides what is needed to teach the class!

■ By following the lesson plan, your class will support the National Core Music Standards.

■ As an ensemble-based art form, traditional jazz develops teamwork and group interaction skills.

■ The band will perform for school functions such as pep rallies and fundraising events.

■ The band will serve as a PR vehicle for the school in the community, performing at fairs, ground breakings, sporting events, charity events and the like. Some of these performances are likely to attract monetary contributions to your school.

■ Traditional jazz is familiar and appealing to most adults, and your band is sure to prove popular with administrators, alumni, and donors (an important demographic to any institution!).

■ If membership in your ensemble will be by audition, yours will be like an honors class. It will enjoy a high prestige factor among the students and faculty.

■ Student demand: if you’ve already generated an interest among your students, have them each prepare a brief statement conveying their desire for such a class offering, and what they expect to get out of the class.

One challenge you may have to consider is how to maximize class size while retaining the optimal ­ 6-8 piece traditional jazz format. Some schools will not establish a class that involves fewer than, say, 16 students. For a large class, it is not recommended that the students rehearse “en masse”; this essentially turns your ensemble into a big band, and the ability to weave meaningful improvised ensemble counterpoint will be lost. Instead, consider having students share chairs in the ensemble, or you could even split your class into separate bands if you have the right balance of instruments. Chair-sharing could be done on a primary/understudy basis, or on a basis of equal status regardless of ability. Either way, you will rehearse 6-8 players at a time, switching players as you run through a tune several times, so that everyone gets rotated through. In performance, the ensemble will play as a 6-8 piece configuration, and your doubled-chair-holders can take turns on stage during the performance. Alternatively, the two-bands approach has the advantage of developing groups that have a consistent personnel, which facilitates cohesion and a group “sound”. In rehearsal, the bands would take turns playing and listening to/critiquing the other band; both are beneficial rehearsal activities.

Another way to avoid a “low” class size would be to have your traditional jazz combo meet periodically with the large jazz ensemble and/or other combos for a common forum hour, much like a science lab.

Instructors who have successfully set up a traditional jazz ensemble class at their school or university report that they are greatly popular with the students. “It’s considered the ‘class to be in’!” reports one; “I can’t get them out of the band even after they graduate!” reports another.

A helpful resource for establishing a student jazz ensemble is Getting Started With Jazz Band by Lissa A. Fleming, published by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

If you establish an ongoing traditional jazz student group, please advise the Traditional Jazz Educators Network so that your group may be added to TJEN’s youth group roster. See the Youth Group Survey form on the TJEN website: http://prjc.org/tjen/youthgroup.htm.

 

A Word About Uniforms

If you are forming a traditional jazz student ensemble, you’ll want to give some thought to choosing a uniform for the group. The possibilities are endless, from tuxedos (with or without jackets, perhaps with color cummerbunds and bowties), to jackets/ties (dresses for the ladies), to shirts and matching ties, to logo polo shirts or T-shirts. The students may have their own creative idea for a uniform. Be aware that, historically, a number of generally commercial traditional jazz bands outfitted themselves in striped vests, straw “boater” hats and the like. This has become a stereotypical image for traditional jazz that some find disagreeable, a point to consider as you make your uniform choices.

 

Stage Set-up

The typical stage set-up for a six- to eight-piece traditional jazz ensemble centers the drums in the back of the group, with piano to the side, the horns standing in front (the “front line”), and the banjo/guitar and tuba/bass in the middle, like this:

 

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There are of course exceptions and variations. Some New Orleans Revival Style groups seat the front line, while Lu Watters’ Yerba Buena Jazz Band in the ’40s put the “front line” in the back! Feel free to experiment to achieve the best balance of sound for your students. The placement should be such that each musician can be seen by the audience, and has a line of sight to the band’s “floor leader” who will be determining solo order etc.

If your ensemble includes tuba, banjo, or guitar, make sure that armless chairs are available for them wherever the group performs. If you are using your own sound system, an electronic keyboard, or an amplified guitar on stage, make sure that an outlet is within reach.

 

Performance Considerations

Your traditional jazz ensemble will need a “floor leader”—i.e., a designee to determine the order of solos, how many “outchoruses”, etc. (except where pre-determined by a written or “head” arrangement), and to so indicate to the bandmembers as the tune is being performed. The floor leader will need to practice giving pre-defined signals that the whole band can see and interpret, and the bandmembers will need to practice keeping an eye on the floor leader and responding correctly. (Floor leader signals are explained in video Segment 3, presented in Lesson #7.) The floor leader typically points to soloists (with a few bars’ warning); other hand signals commonly used in traditional jazz bands include a rotated index finger to indicate “take another ensemble chorus” and a clenched fist to indicate “this is the last chorus”. Hand signals are also used to call for a key change, such as the hand in the shape of a “C” to indicate a key change from Bb to C, or two fingers extended to indicate a key change from Ab to Bb (two flats). The floor leader may also count off the tunes, or this duty could be assigned to the drummer. The floor leader role is typically assigned to the trumpeter, since he/she is the lead voice in the ensemble and is generally placed front and center, but anyone in the band could be assigned this role. You might choose to rotate this role, which gives more bandmembers the leadership experience.

In developing your program for a performance, it is generally advisable to strive for a mix of styles, tempos, and keys. Once the band becomes comfortable with their repertoire, you could allow the band to program their own sets, keeping the foregoing in mind.

Unless they are playing in the background for a reception, the band needs an MC to announce tune titles and featured soloists, and engage in some banter with the audience. You might assume this duty yourself initially, but you are encouraged to pass this duty to one or more of the bandmembers. Learning to overcome shyness, speak (and play) into a microphone properly, and interact with an audience effectively is essential for professional success, and your traditional jazz ensemble can be an excellent training ground for the development of these skills. In this vein, you should coach your students regarding stage presence and body language. Encourage them to look at and interact with each other; to smile and look relaxed and confident; and to play to their audience, not to their shoes! To the extent that your ensemble can memorize their music, it will facilitate their ability to connect with the audience from the stage. Music stands, if used, should be lowered across the front of the band, so that they do not serve as a barrier between the band and the audience.

 

Learning the Language

The styles of jazz presented in this Kit are both challenging and fun to play, but are wholly unfamiliar to most students today. To play these styles well requires the development of ensemble skills as well as absorption of the musical language of the idiom. This Curriculum therefore can be viewed as similar to a foreign language course. With the exception of the “Black Bottom Stomp” transcription, your students should be encouraged to “find their own voice” within the correct stylistic language as they rehearse the music contained in this Kit. As with all jazz styles, mere imitation of a specific historical artist can be an important first step, but is not the end goal. Conversely, ignoring the correct musical language and playing bebop or funk lines in a traditional jazz setting will seldom result in a satisfying performance.

 

In that regard, a word must be said about the “blues scale” (1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7, 8). This scale is widely taught as a first step for the beginning improviser, and many students employ this scale liberally, against 12-bar blues and non-blues tunes alike. As a general rule, “running the blues scale” in a traditional jazz setting results in a performance that sounds contrived and anachronistic. In traditional jazz, blues improvisations are generally melodic, and the “blue notes” (b3, b5, b7) are employed for color rather than being the primary focus of the line; they are tempered by liberal use of the major third etc. Listening to and transcribing blues solos by such early jazz masters as Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, and Jack Teagarden will help the student to define the optimal musical language for a traditional jazz performance of a 12-bar blues.

 

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Your Local Jazz Society Can Help

There are hundreds of regional jazz support organizations in the U.S., many of which specialize in traditional jazz. If you are starting up a student traditional jazz ensemble, seek assistance from your local jazz society. Most jazz societies are non-profit organizations with an educational mission, and are eager to assist you. There are many forms that this assistance might take, such as:

■ Performance opportunities at jazz society events

■ Financial support

■ Fundraising assistance

■ Scholarships

■ Study recordings/music

■ Uniforms

■ Publicity

■ Sound system

■ Instruments

■ Private tutoring

■ Rehearsal space

■ Administration support

You can locate your local jazz society via an online search engine.

 

Traditional Jazz Festivals

There are many jazz festivals in the U.S. that present traditional jazz, particularly in California and other Western states. For a listing, see ­­

www.theamericanrag.com/ComingEvents.htm. A number of these festivals include youth ensembles in their rosters. These festivals are a great place for your students to play for appreciative audiences and to hear professional groups playing in these styles, often to large crowds. Fundraising may be necessary for transportation and/or accommodations for your group, but you are encouraged to contact festivals within your state and discuss the possibility of your group’s participation.

There is also an annual festival dedicated solely to youth groups playing traditional jazz. Held in Sacramento, California, the Traditional Jazz Youth Band Festival incorporates concerts, clinics, jam sessions, professional adjudication and awards.

 

Towards Professionalism

Student traditional jazz ensembles that become adept at performing these styles, and that build up sufficient repertoire, can be fielded for performances for paying clients. This gives your students “professional gig” training, and can provide funding toward expenses of the program, and/or performance stipends to the students. Striving for professionalism in performance level, dress, and conduct should be a constant priority of your program whether or not paid gigs are the end goal. Students should have fun with this music, yet treat it with respect and accord it their best efforts.

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For those individual students interested in achieving a level of proficiency that enables them to “freelance” with working traditional jazz bands or “pick-up” groups, Appendix A is a listing of standard tunes that any working traditional jazz musician is expected to know by heart. These tunes are found in the various “fake books” (lead sheet folios) listed in the Resource Guide.

 

All Set?  Go to Lesson #1 and let’s get started!

 

Capital Focus Jazz Band with director David Robinson, Jr., Washington, DC

Muskrat Ramblers, Reedley, CA

UCD Claim Jumpers, Denver, CO

BYU Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band, Provo, UT

Hull’s Angels, Fresno, CA