LESSON #13

Chicago Styles,

Part 1

This lesson supports the following GOALS:

[Goal #1] Students will gain an appreciation of traditional jazz and the continuing value of this music.

[Goal #2] Students will become acquainted with the variety of styles within the traditional jazz genre, and with some of its major figures.

This lesson supports the following OBJECTIVES:

1.1    Students will become acquainted with what well-played traditional jazz sounds like.

2.20  Students will become acquainted with what the early Chicago Style of traditional jazz sounds like.

2.21  Students will become acquainted with what the later Chicago Style of traditional jazz sounds like.

2.22  Students will become acquainted with the distinguishing characteristics of the early Chicago Style.

2.23  Students will become acquainted with the distinguishing characteristics of the later Chicago Style.

2.24  Students will become acquainted with some of the pioneers of the Chicago Styles.

 

RATIONALE: The later Chicago Style is probably the most familiar of all the traditional jazz styles today, and an understanding of this style and its early incarnation is essential.

NATIONAL STANDARDS SUPPORTED: See Appendix C.

KIT COMPONENTS:

■ Style Guide

■ Audio tracks:

 •  Track 13, “I’ve Found a New Baby” by the Chicago Rhythm Kings

 •  Track 14, “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” by Eddie Condon’s All Stars

 

Billy Butterfield

ACTIVITY (app. 35 minutes):

1. Prepare the students for audio track 13 by sharing the elements of the early Chicago Style as outlined in the Style Guide (app. 5 minutes).

2. Play online audio track 13, “I’ve Found a New Baby” by the Chicago Rhythm Kings, 1928 (app. 5 minutes).  This recording is by a young group of Chicagoans who listened to New Orleans jazz and came up with their own variation of it.  Their music was rebellious and high-energy.  On this recording, the players are all in their late teens to mid-twenties.  Banjoist Eddie Condon was seen in the video segment (on guitar) in Lesson #5, and drummer Gene Krupa was seen in the video segment in Lesson #8.

3. Discuss with the students their impressions of the audio track (app. 5 minutes).  How many of the described stylistic elements were they able to hear?  (See accompanying table)

4. Prepare the students for audio track 14 by sharing the elements of the later Chicago Style as outlined in the Style Guide (app. 5 minutes).  The term “Chicago Style” usually refers to this later version.

5. Play online audio track 14, “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” by Eddie Condon’s All Stars, 1954 (app. 10 minutes).  This is an extended track featuring a double “front line” of top Chicago-style horn players, led by Condon who was  the primary impresario of this style in the 40s and 50s. Trombonist Cutty Cutshall will be seen in the video segment in the next lesson (Lesson #14), and trumpeter Billy Butterfield will be seen in the video segment in Lesson #16.

6. Discuss with the students their impressions of the audio track (app. 5 minutes).  How many of the described stylistic elements were they able to hear?  (See accompanying table)

 

EVALUATION: Do the students understand the elements of the Chicago Styles?

 

Stylistic Elements Chart:

Early Chicago Style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stylistic Elements Chart:

(Later) Chicago Style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The students should be able to hear elements of the styles approximately as outlined above. These are subjective judgements; allow for disagreements.