11 Feb What makes this piece differen

Section 3: Ragtime, the blues, blues form, and 32-bar song form

Written for the piano, the rag was one of the most influential styles of music on early jazz. The left-hand accompaniment pattern of the rag was adopted in early stride-style jazz piano. Scott Joplin is one of the most famous rag composers.

Listen to The Entertainer. This piece has several sections. Listen specifically from 00:00 to 02:16, and consider the following questions:

How many sections are within this segment? Do any of those sections repeat? How would you label them if you used letters to designate each section?
Is there syncopation in this piece? How prevalent is syncopation in the melody? How important is the steady left-hand rhythmic pattern to our perception of syncopation in the melody?
Are there rhythmic/melodic figures that Joplin uses to build his melodies? How are these figures repeated and varied? Examine a brief passage — a phrase or a section — in as much detail as you can. Provide counter numbers. Then listen specifically to the section at 01:48-02:16. Are there differences compared to the section you chose? Is there variation in the melody?
Do you recognize this piece? It was made famous by the film The Sting in the 1970s.

Section 4: Early Jazz

Among the great New Orleans jazz musicians who recorded in the 1920s were Joe “King” Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong. King Oliver’s piece Dippermouth Blues, in particular, exhibits the characteristic collective improvisation that defines the New Orleans style.

Louis Armstrong was the first great jazz solo improviser, and he has one of the most distinctive solo styles. West End Blues provides an opportunity to get better acquainted with Armstrong’s solo style.

Listen to West End Blues by Louis Armstrong and Hit Hot Five, another example of the New Orleans polyphony. The melody of this piece is played collectively by the three horns at 00:15 to 00:50 after an amazing trumpet introduction of Louis Armstrong (00:00 to 00:13).

Consider the following Questions:

Who has the lead voice during the melody? How many soloists are there after the melody? Briefly describe the soloists and their style of play.
What makes this piece different from the other New Orleans style groups, for example, Dippermouth Blues by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band?
What is more predominant in this piece, the collective improvising or the featured soloist?
Describe Armstrong’s singing from 01:26 to 01:58. Does it sound improvised or written?
Now describe the piano solo that follows from 02:00 to 02:33. Does it sound improvised or written?
Describe the rhythm section in this piece. How do they support the soloists?