Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion

by Bill Messenger

The uniquely American music and art form, jazz, is one of America's great contributions to world culture. Now you can learn the basics of jazz and its history in a course as free-flowing and original as jazz itself. Taught by Professor Bill Messenger of the Peabody Institute, the lectures in this course are a must for music lovers. They will have you reaching deep into your own music collection and going straight out to a music store to add to it. Professor Messenger has spent his life in music as student, teacher, and professional musician. He has studied and lectured at the famed Peabody Institute and written an acclaimed book on music activities aimed at older adults. And as a pianist, he Played in ragtime ensembles, swing bands, Dixieland bands, and modern jazz groups Been a successful studio musician in the early days of rock 'n' roll Accompanied performers as renowned as Lou Rawls and Mama Cass Elliot Opened for Bill Haley and the Comets. So it is no wonder that the course he has created is so thorough and enjoyable. Lectures, Piano, and Guest Performers It's a rich mix of jazz, its elements, era, and practitioners. Professor Messenger frequently turns to his piano to illustrate his musical points, often with the help of guest performance artists and lots of original music. The lectures follow the story of jazz in its many shapes, Ragtime The blues The swing music of the big band era Boogie-woogie Big band blues The rise of modern jazz bebop, cool, modal, free, and fusion. Cakewalks, Vaudeville, and Swing Beginning with the music and dance of the antebellum plantation, Professor Messenger reveals how the "cakewalks" of slave culture gave birth to a dance craze at the 19th century's end that was ignorant of its own humble roots. He considers how minstrel shows, deriving from Southern beliefs that held black culture to be decidedly inferior, eventually created a musical industry that African American musicians would dominate for decades to come. You will learn how and why jazz, a difficult genre to define, was central to the music they created. Roots in Ragtime Professor Messenger explains how jazz was born-or conceived-in the ragtime piano tunes of turn-of-the-century America. Together with the Dixieland funeral music of New Orleans, this new, "syncopated" music popularized a sound that took America's vaudeville establishments by storm. Professor Messenger notes that ragtime's most popular composer, Scott Joplin, at first resisted the new craze. But after becoming intrigued by that "ragged" sound at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, he became the writer of the most memorable rags ever, including "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer." Drawing on the blues, an emotional but harmonically simple music, jazz was ensconced as a popular genre in the American psyche by the 1920s. The Surprising Origin of the "St. Louis Blues" One interesting story about the blues covered in the course concerns W. C. Handy, a man often referred to as the "father of the blues." As Professor Messenger reveals that, in truth, Handy didn't like the blues very much and wasn't convinced the public would buy it. It was only after he saw a band of blues players literally showered with money after a performance that he began writing the music in earnest. Handy was at the same World's Fair Joplin attended, and he heard a song he later arranged into what became the famous "St. Louis Blues." Professor Messenger points out, nothing about the song was original; it was a melting pot of many influences. The blues is, in his words, the "emotional germ of jazz." It is the place jazz always returns to when it veers too far into the abstract or academic. An Innovation that Changed Jazz Forever One of the most important events in the history of jazz, and all performance, was the invention of the microphone in 1924. Before the microphone, singers needed big voices to project their voices across large music halls, and the booming styles of performers such as Bessie Smith and Al Jolson met those requirements admirably. After the microphone, though, things were very different. The new invention did more than simply allow for the use of quieter instruments like the guitar and string bass. It also brought smaller-voiced singers-Bing Crosby, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, for instance-into the limelight. Into the 1930s and 40s, popular music became heavily arranged for bigger and bigger bands. By the time the swing era of America's big bands took hold around World War II, jazz had reached new popular heights. You will learn why swing became so popular-the syncopation and improvisation of early jazz, in the context of careful arrangements, combined planning and spontaneity in a unique way. Though not to be confused with the sound of competing society bands, swing music gave talents like Benny Goodman a chance to improvise within the framework of Top 40 hits.More than Swing The development of jazz into swing electrified popular music. ...

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History, Education, Academia, Art

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a particularly ambitious topic to be covered in eight lectures.
LECTURE 1
Plantation Beginnings...............................................................
LECTURE 2
The Rise and Fall of Ragtime.....................................................
LECTURE 3
The Jazz Age..............................................................................
LECTURE 4
Blues..........................................................................................
LECTURE 5
The Swing Era.............................................................................
LECTURE 6
Boogie, Big Band Blues, and Bop ...............................................
LECTURE 7
Modern Jazz................................................................................
LECTURE 8
The ABC’s of Jazz Improvisation...................................................

Messenger’s lectures are worth the time. There is an ample amount of music (as there should be) to illustrate his points. But I can only excerpt the talk. Here are some of the points that he makes in Lecture 6 – Boogie, Big Band Blues, and Bop

“The age spawned many other kinds of jazz. Big band blues, like other musical genres, was a hybrid of styles. The blues evolved during the big band period; big bands sang and played the blues, but not in the traditional way. By the 1940s, for example, more innovative jazz chords had appeared. The blues even blended with the 32-bar pop song, as in Harold Arlen’s “Stormy Weather.” Arlen wrote for jazz singers, not Tin Pan Alley. In
his work, blues was carried to the level of the art song. Though some purists consider such “blues” too complex to be the real thing, many of the people who recorded the music disagreed. They used such standard devices as blue notes, repetition, and 12-bar phrasing. Labels like ragtime, boogie-woogie, and blues are species labels for a generic kind of music. We can call it jazz—or, for that matter, African-American syncopated music…

“A solo piano music, boogie-woogie long predates the first popular recording of it in 1929. In fact, boogie is probably as old as the blues, marked as it is by 12-bar blues patterns and characterized by a repeating ostinato bass figure…”

For those who have musical training (mine is very limited) there is substantial depth. But that doesn’t prevent the layperson from getting a fine foundation from these lectures for future critical listening.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lectures consist of 8 45 minute discussions (along with a 39 page guidebook), and are a mix of music examples, interviews with performers and lectures.
There are many fine reviews of this course (please visit The Great Courses website), so I won't repeat all the praises here.
For those considering buying these lectures, know that it only scratches the surface of both the history of this uniquely American music genre, as well the the infinite varieties of 'jazz'...from cakewalk to boogie-woogie to dixieland to ragtime to blues, all the way down to modern ('60's to 90's) rock 'n roll (fusion jazz). And know that it is great fun.

Bill Messenger, with his clear, friendly voice and wonderfully flawless piano licks provides a good balance between lectures and music...you can actually learn stuff about the 'structure' of music that makes it more fun when listening to both the older classics (Scott Joplin and Louie Armstrong) as well as the newer Winton Marcellus....even the oldies with those great voices (Sinatra, Martin, Bennett,etc). As an aside, I've even found a very nice 'station' on Pandora...Kevin Spacey Radio...very entertaining...that has songs that show all the elements discussed in these lectures

These lectures are often on sale (might be because it was produced in the '90's) and can be had for bargain-basement prices (so wait for that sale and that special coupon). You will listen to these lectures again and again....

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the evolution of jazz, an exciting series of lectures ornamented with many examples of the music.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise.” George Gershwin


1. Plantation Beginnings
2. The Rise and Fall of Ragtime
3. The Jazz Age
4. Blues
5. The Swing Era
6. Boogie, Big Band Blues and Bop
7. Modern Jazz
8. The ABC’s of Jazz Improvisation

I really enjoyed this class as I have always liked Ragtime and Dixieland Bands and as I grew I, loved going to a place in Portland, Oregon called Jazz de Opus where they would have a trio playing or just some classic records that the owner had. Alas, it is no longer in existence so I have to listen at home. Disneyland introduced me to the Dixieland music because they always had a great band playing at one of their restaurants near Frontierland.

Professor Bill Messenger is a musician who opened for Bill Haley and the Comets, played with Cass Elliott and many other musicians over the years before becoming a professor for The Peabody Institute.

Each class is forty-five minutes in length. Prof. Messenger always includes many musical examples, played by him or guests or sometimes pre-recorded. The class is lively and easy for a non-musical person to follow along.

Every class flows by so fast that I began looking for examples of music he talked about so I could continue my education. The only Jazz variant I wasn’t wild about was fusion, which from some of the examples he played seemed just like a lot of noise. No beat, no rhythm and no blues.

I highly recommend this class for anyone that wants to learn more about Jazz and the different versions it has undergone. The Professor makes his class fun and begging for more.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, informative, compelling, even if it largely glossed over my favorite era of jazz music.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been impressed with all of The Great Courses I have viewed or listened to over the years. This 8 lecture series on jazz is no exception. I only wish Bill Messenger made another more comprehensive series on jazz.

[Fin Moorhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some nice etymology scattered through these lectures:

Cakewalk: dance developed from the "prize walks" (dance contests with a cake awarded as the prize) held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on Black slave plantations before and after emancipation in the Southern United States (from wiki). Gives us a cakewalk as in "easy" and also takes the cake.

The origins of boogie (originally boogie-woogie) seem especially mysterious but the Hausa word "Boog", and the Mandingo word "Booga" both mean "the beat" as in a drum, and another West African word "bogi" means "to dance".

I've heard conflicting stories about ragtime. One goes that "rag" came to refer to a social underclass from "rag, tag, and bobtail" meaning "the rabble". When ragtime music was associated with the "rabble", it was dubbed "rag time" as a play on e.g. "march time". Alternatively, "ragged time" (referring to its syncopated rythms) becomes simply "rag time" then "ragtime".

What about jazz itself? That is "one of the most sought-after word origins in modern American English". "Jism", "gism", later "jasm" was a piece of mid-19th c. slang for "verve, energy". When the French brought perfumery to New Orleans, they brought oil of jasmine, where to where a perfume would be to "jass it up". Or did it come from baseball journalism, where it meant “enthusiasm, “fighting spirit”? The most difficult to guess musical genre in hangman, in any case.

[Behrooz Parhami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me begin by listing the lecture titles, which provide a good sense of what the course is about.

Lecture 1: Plantation Beginnings
Lecture 2: The Rise and Fall of Ragtime
Lecture 3: The Jazz Age
Lecture 4: Blues
Lecture 5: The Swing Era
Lecture 6: Boogie, Big Band Blues, and Bop
Lecture 7: Modern Jazz
Lecture 8: The ABCs of Jazz Improvisation

The guidebook ends with biographies of performers/bandleaders/singers/composers, a timeline, and bibliography.

Jazz had its beginnings in plantations and slaves singing using primitive banjos made of a bowl and a stick and similarly primitive percussion devices. One context in which early jazz was played was cakewalk, in which contestants would emulate the walk of their masters as they moved toward a cake, which they could win as a prize.

Before the age of microphones and amplifiers, guitars, drum brushes, and other instruments with small sounds were not used, as they could not be heard in the back of the room. Subtler instruments such as guitars and clarinets replaced banjos and tubas, as the loudness of sound was no longer a factor.

Plantation music evolved through ragtime, jazz, and blues. Swing music was the big-band version of jazz, with elaborate production and minimal or non-existent improvisation. Swing bands played music that people danced to, but their music quality was impressive. By contrast, society bands just focused on dance tunes. Blues music later gave rise to rock-n-roll.

I found the course very useful for understanding and appreciating jazz in its many forms.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

THOROUGHLY enjoyed Bill Messenger's romp from cakewalks and minstrel shows on into ragtime and jazz.

His comparison of the 1890's with the 1950's was a fascinating insight. In the 1890's the older generation were listening to parlor tunes and ballads while the younger generation were listening to ragtime. In the 1950's the older generation were listening to big band and ballads while the younger generation were listening to rock-and-roll. The 1890's were a decade of an explosion of innovation and creativity (see the Chicago World's Fair in 1893), and the 1950's also saw that explosion of innovation and creativity after WWII. Interesting parallels!

Also worthwhile to learn the of the amazing impact of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, inspiring many musicians and composers who went there, as they saw and heard music they had never heard. Scott Joplin didn't begin composing ragtime until after the Chicago World's Fair. Before that, he wrote parlor tunes only. Interesting to connect the dots there.

[Don Heiman]

“The Elements of Jazz: From Cake Walk to Fusion” by Bill Messinger was published by the Teaching Company Great Courses in 1995 and updated in 1998. The 8 lecture course traces the history of jazz music from the early days of pre civil war plantation and ragtime Dixieland funeral music thru the big band and boogie woogie era to the late 1990’s fusion jazz period. Bill Messinger demonstrates the evolution of jazz through his piano playing examples and by performances of highly accomplished musicians/singers. I learned so much from Bill’s narration about the evolution of musical forms and the social influences of African and European 18th century societies. (P)

[Eileen McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and enjoyable introduction to jazz from its earliest precursors to fusion. I listened to it twice. The lecturer, Bill Messenger, is extremely knowledgeable, obviously a professional jazz musician and fun to listen to. I loved the way he took the same melody and carried it through the types of jazz, thus making more obvious the differences in style.

The source for this excellent course is "Audible.com" since The (formerly) Great Courses no longer offers it. Some libraries may also have the course. I initially listened to a library copy but bought a copy since I want to have it permanently.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bright and fun look at the development of Jazz using recordings and improvisation by the professor, an accomplished jazz musician. The professor also has interviews with current jazz musicians, talking about the history of jazz and what they think they are doing today... why does it continue to be popular with musicians.

Some musical theory with examples are included. Nothing too trying. The professor simply demonstrates how a simple tune can change its character entirely by changing into a minor key, or using syncopation.

I will probably listen to this audio course again.

[Steve Agland · Rating 4 out of 5]

While relatively brief at only 8 lectures, this was a wonderfully interesting tour of the history of jazz music. There's a little assumed knowledge, like music theory basics, US history and geography, and plenty of musician name dropping, but I was able to follow.

The lectures are a pleasant mix of music theory tidbits, musical and cultural history, and copious live and recorded musical examples and guest performances.

[Zach Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Great Courses I've listened to thus far, but that might have just been because I was expecting something slightly different. Just know that the course is primarily talking about differences between styles of jazz moreso than the history of those styles or much interesting information about them. I liked the earlier lectures the best, as they had some cool historical facts about cakewalks, minstrel shows and ragtime.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. This survey provides a short history, introduces the different types of jazz (swing, bebop and fusion, for example) and explains the musical elements typical of the form, such as syncopation, improvisation, and polyrhythm. The numerous musical examples as well as the lecturer’s enthusiasm make for an excellent introduction to this musical form.

[Joseph VanBuren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the history of jazz music in its different forms throughout the decades. The instructor is very knowledgeable and has some fascinating insight into how certain sub-genres reflect and inspired the times in which they were popular. All the examples you can listen to in the audiobook version are a big bonus. The only con I can think of is I wish it were longer.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that Bill Messenger is more of a musician than a historian, or even maybe than a music theorist. I feel like I learned a lot but there were also a few things that seemed lacking or that were confusing to me in this course; I think it was a great starting point, however, and I'm excited to learn more.

[Terri Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable series of lectures, which opened my eyes about the various forms of Jazz. I won't claim to be an expert after listening to this 'book', though I've gained a better appreciation of a type of music I paid little attention to prior to listening to Bill Messenger.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! What a fantastic experience. Bill is as engaging a lecturer as he is a musician. I came away with not just a new appreciation for music, but a view of US history from a different lens. This course is very accessible for a layperson and full of hilarious anecdotes.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, the earlier sections are better. He does nice examples, at times, of styles; however, the section on "modern" jazz is just very poor. He does not illustrate the variety of styles/sub-genres available, and his description of "free jazz" is comical and disrespectful. Oh, well.

[Jason Baldauf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive introduction to the genre. Topics covered are it’s beginnings on the plantation, rag time, the jazz age, blues, swing, boogie, big band and bop, modern jazz and improvisation. It contains a plethora of musical examples.

[Erwin Rossen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the topic of jazz music, but didn't learn too much. It's nice to hear some old classics. I was hoping that it would get more technical what makes the different genres all jazz, and what sets them apart, but there is not much of that.

[Pete Busche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful introduction to the history and various types of jazz. Loved the demonstrations and live music played along with Bill Messenger's excellent explanations. Wish it would've been 3 times longer

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good nutshell look at the history of jazz.

[Dr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the content was good, I just wished for much more.

[Betsy Starks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audible. I'm searching for what further I can listen to with Bill Messenger. He was delightful, articulate, informative, and entertaining. And he's an excellent musician.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this course!

[Iron · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s mostly very easy to give 5 stars to the great courses. It was just great and incorporated lots of live music, exactly what I hoped for.

[Yassine Alouini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good first introduction to the history of Jazz.

[Naty · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! The evolution of Jazz through time. I enjoyed every minute of this audiobook.