That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

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Part II: Jazz Greats and Great Jazz: An Evolutionary Riff
saxophone section providing a subtly shaded backdrop. Miller was a
trombonist and arranger in bands led by Ray Noble and Ben Pollock
before he formed his own group in 1937.
� Paul Whiteman (1890–1967): Whiteman was a famous bandleader
during the 1920s and the self-proclaimed “King of Jazz” — although
purists don’t even consider his music jazz, because it lacked swing and
improvisation. Whiteman’s group included star soloists Bix Beiderbecke
(see Chapter 5), trombonist Jack Teagarden (see Chapter 6), trumpeter
Bunny Berigan, and guitarist Eddie Lang. Despite his stellar lineup of
jazz musicians, Whiteman preferred melodic, intricately arranged popular
music. For instance, he commissioned George Gershwin’s famous
composition, “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Traveling the Highway: Midwest
Territory Bands
New York big band jazz reached new levels of sophistication with fresh
arrangements and technically proficient players. But looser, blues-based
bands played and toured through the Midwest in the 1930s. These bands,
known as territory bands, performed on stages in San Antonio, Dallas,
Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Memphis, St. Louis, and Omaha.
The competitiveness of the regional bands reached an all-time high. Passion
motivated their music more than the desire for commercial success drove
many of the New York big bands. In the following sections, I introduce you to
Bennie Moten, an important territory bandleader, and some of the biggest
bands of the day.
Bennie Moten
Moten (1894–1935), a ragtime pianist who formed his band in Kansas City,
first recorded in 1923 with a six-piece New Orleans-style lineup. By 1924,
he returned to the recording studio but this time in Camden, New Jersey.
The ensemble expanded to 10-pieces — only two pieces shy of Fletcher
Henderson’s big band across the Hudson River in New York City (I discuss
Henderson in detail earlier in this chapter).
Moten’s music grew out of early jazz and blues, with impromptu head
arrangements (short melodic themes) that led to extended improvisational
jams. Moten’s band had a buoyant rhythm section that served as a model for
big band rhythm sections to come.