Written Assignments 2 must be at least 300 words to receive full credit and written in essay format to receive full credit. Hint: Microsoft Word indicates how many words your document currently contains at the very bottom of its (Microsoft Word’s) window. Your goal on these written assignments is to sound knowledgeable and professional. Proofread your work. Take into account that grammar and syntax are factored into the grading of your assignment. Do not use colloquialisms, slang, or unspecific terms. For example, the term “hook” is not a specific musical term; do not use the term “hook” in your written assignments. Refer to the course syllabus for more detailed guidelines for Written Assignments.
To do well on these assignments, you must listen to the entire recording. You must be running the FULL version of Spotify to listen to the entire recording. If you are using a mobile device only for this course, the full version of Spotify will cost you a monthly subscriiption. However, the full version is FREE on a laptop or desktop computer. When you click on the Spotify play button within the assignment, the button will only activate a randomly-selected thirty-second sample of the recording. You will need to click the “Play on Spotify” link to play the entire recording. The “Play on Spotify” link will appear after you click the play button.
Listen attentively to this entire performance of “Anthropology” performed by Cliff Jordan, tenor saxophone; Art Farmer, trumpet; Sonny Clark, piano; George Tucker, bass; Louis Hayes, drums; and address the following questions:
1. After the Introduction and Melody, the order of improvised solos for this track is: Art Farmer, Cliff Jordan, and Sonny Clark. After Clark’s improvised solo, Farmer, Jordan, and Hayes trade short improvisations back and forth. Provide timestamps (for example, 0:00-0:05) for the beginnings and ends of the following parts of the performance:
Introduction (If the performance has an Introduction, it always starts at 0:00 and goes until the start of the Melody section.)
Melody
Trumpet improvised solo
Tenor Saxophone improvised solo
Piano improvised solo
The trading short improvised phrases between trumpet, tenor saxophone, and drums
Melody (Hint: This will be a repeat of the same melody material that you heard earlier in the performance)
Outro (aka, return of Introduction material, this time used as an ending)
2. Which soloist improvised for the longest amount of time? You can use your watch to time who took the longest improvised solo.
3. Describe the performance style of drummer Louis Hayes during the melody and improvised solo sections? During the melody, is Hayes playing in a calm, mellow way, and never communicating, or is supporting the melody playing accents? During the improvised solos, is Hayes occasionally interjecting hits (accents) as the soloist takes a breath for the next phrase? Or, is Hayes solely playing in the background to not distract the listener from the soloists? Is Hayes playing mostly on the cymbals or is he mostly playing on the bass drum and snare drum, or a combination of everything? Does Hayes get louder or softer at any points or does he stay at the same volume throughout? These are examples of some of the things you could discuss when describing Hayes’ style. Use specifics and timestamps (for example, 0:01) to support your answers.
4. How do these bebop improvising soloists differ from the swing era improvising soloists that you’ve heard? Listen to the speed of the notes that bebop improvisers play. Do they tend to play faster notes or slower (longer) notes than swing-era improvisers? Do bebop improvised solos go on for a longer amount of time or are the solos generally shorter than swing era improvised? How does the melody of “Anthropology” contrast to most of the melodies hear during the Swing Era? Does the melody of “Anthropology” seem more complex or more simple when compared to earlier swing-era melodies? These are some of the things (among other topics) you could discuss. As you write, remember that “soloist” is singular while “soloists” is the plural form.
5. Generally speaking, this band would have performed for what type of audience in 1957? Is this dance music or more listening music? Keep in mind that casual dancers find dancing at fast tempos grueling if not impossible
6. Jazz reached its popularity peak during the Swing Era big bands (e.g., Benny Goodman) of the mid-1930s through the mid-1940s. Jazz was the pop music of that time period. Bebop did not garner the same amount of public support that the Swing Era did. Why do you think this was the case? Musically, how was Bebop different than Swing? For example, were the tempos similar between these two subgenres of Jazz? Did the danceability of the music play a role?
