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Music > Count Basie > Flashcards

Count Basie Flashcards

1
Q

What is Big Band music?

A

Music made by large bands with potent brass sections post WW1.

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2
Q

What was the rhythm section for Big Band?

A

Backing section, not lead. Comprised of percussion, bass, piano, rhythm guitar.

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3
Q

What is a riff?

A

A repeated 1 or 2 bar motif found throughout a piece.

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4
Q

What is swing?

A

A dotted/triplet rhythmic feel.

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5
Q

What is twelve bar blues?

A

A twelve bar jazz structure generally based around chords I, IV and V.

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6
Q

What is shuffle?

A

A style of swing groove played by the percussion.

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7
Q

What is the key of “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Ab major

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8
Q

What is the general structure of “Everyday I have the blues”?

A 
10 bar intro, 
12 bar blues (x2), 
8 bar bridge, 
12 bar blues verse (x2), 
12 bar blues verse (x2), 
12 bar blues verse (x2), 
12 bar blues verse (x2), 
2 bar coda.
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9
Q

What general features of harmony are there in “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Use of chromatic harmony.

Use of extended chords like 7ths and 9ths.

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10
Q

What role does the percussion play in “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Provides steady pulse to back the heavy syncopation of the melody.
Accentuates important beats.
Gives the swinging shuffle rhythm.
Gives clear indication of phrasing by having fills at the end of each phrase, almost like a “rhythmic cadence”.
Bass drum plays with string bass to emphasise bassline.
Plays drums at end to give “jazz hand ending”.

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11
Q

What role does the bass play in “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Plays a walking bassline gliding from one chord to the next, playing mostly diatonic lines with some chromatic notes.
Gives steady pulse.

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12
Q

What role does the piano play in “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Plays the introduction.
Provides harmony for bassline.
Sits in the background for most parts.
Provides some fills in empty spaces.

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13
Q

What role does the guitar play in “Everyday I have the blues”?

A

Sits in background.

Provides general harmony and also accompanies bassline in places.

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14
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 1 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Antiphonal playing between vocals and tenor saxophone.
First phrase played twice with variation, then a different phrase: AA1B
Conjunct melodic phrasing.
Lead section plays harmony with the rhythm section.

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15
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 2 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A 
Antiphonal playing again.
AA1B structure.
Conjunct.
Lead and rhythm play harmonic phrases, with rhythm providing fills in vocal gaps.
No trumpets, more tenor sax.
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16
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 3 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

AA1B structure.
Conjunct.
Williams sings long sustained notes in contrast to articulation of previous verses.
Rhythm section plays accompaniment and provides a counter-melody riff in saxophone.
Trumpets play syncopated stab chords.
Phrase lengths are unbroken.

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17
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 4 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

[Same as Verse 3 with differing lyrics]

Glissando in trumpets.

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18
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 5 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Wailing melismatic vocals.

Stab chords with accented crash cymbal.

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19
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 6 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Long melismatic vocal phrases.
Defined by accompaniment, less saxophones, more brass with more muted trumpets.
Range of brass and vocals is extended.

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20
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 7 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Return to vocals of verse 1.
Straight stab chords.
Turnaround similar to the opening of the piece.

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21
Q

Describe the main features of Verse 8 in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Melismatic vocals.
Saxophone returns with 2 note descending riff.
Piano fills.
“Blues” lyric is held in falsetto and harmony is maintained under’t.

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22
Q

Describe the main features of the coda in “Everyday I have the blues”.

A

Extended chord at the end lands on last triplet (Ab7#9)

Instrumental triplets to conclude.

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23
Q

What is the overall harmonic structure of “Alright, OK, you win”?

A

I IV I I I
IV IV I VI (maj)
II V I V

[Many chords are augmented]

Progression in the bridge is Ab F7 Bb7 Eb7

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24
Q

Describe the instrumental sections of “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

[Intro] Piano plays descending scale while playing Ab (tonic) chord.
Bluesy II V I turnaround.
After the intro piano plays Ab, Db, Ab, Ab7, Db, Eb7.

12 bar blues sections with a walking bass.
Towards the end of 12 bar blues sections, syncopated stab chords are played.

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25
Q

Describe the overall structure of “Alright, OK, you win”.

A 
10 bar into, 
12 bar blues x2, 
8 bar bridge, 
12 bar blues, 
12 bar instrumental, 
8 bar bridge, 
12 bar blues x2, 
4 bar coda.
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26
Q

What is the key of “Alright, OK, you win”?

A

Ab (Maj)

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27
Q

Describe the key rhythmic features of “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

Shuffle groove played throughout.
Saxes, trombones and rhythm section provide driving swing accompaniment.
Band lead in after bridge with triplets emphasised by percussion.
Jazz articulations such as staccato aid swing feel.

28
Q

Describe the main feature of the middle 8 section in “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

Comprised of repeated descending phrases which are more continual than the brief phrasing of the main melody.

29
Q

Explain the key features of the use of instrumentation in “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

Trombones produce “Wah-Wah” chords with hat mutes.
Use of Piano is augmented in second verse.
Percussion reinforces the triplets used post-bridge.
Sharp snare beats highlight the use of phrasing.
In 12 bar instrumental, piano plays high octave triplets.

30
Q

Describe the key textural features of “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

Band plays together homophonically, with the gentle sax riffs and trombone chords giving depth to the vocal melody.

31
Q

Describe the key harmonic features of “Alright, OK, you win”.

A

Uses alternating triads with add6 chords.
After the bridge the band leads back in with an Eb7 chord, led by trumpet.
Concludes on a sustained Ab9#11.
Primarily uses I IV V.

32
Q

Describe the overall structure of “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

Piano Solo Intro (AAB) (leading to V7 chord),
4x 12 bar blues section,
2x 12 bar blues instrumental,
5x 12 bar blues section.

33
Q

What happens to the texture in the 3rd verse of “Roll ‘em Pete”?

A

It increases/becomes fuller as more instruments are introduced.

34
Q

What happens to the texture in the 4th verse of “Roll ‘em Pete”?

A

It continues to become fuller much like the third verse, while the vocal line is sustained by Williams.

35
Q

Describe the use of Frank Wess’ tenor saxophone in the 1st instrumental section of “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

He plays continuous rising and falling arpeggios to continue to fill out the texture.

36
Q

Describe the relationship between the trumpets and trombones (and other alternating sections of the band) within the instrumental section(s) of “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

Antiphonal dialogue produced where the trumpet plays an offensive (antecedent) riff, and another section responds; this is most frequently the trombones, who play a defensive (consequent) minor third phrase.

37
Q

Describe key features of melody within “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

Trombone improvises between vocal lines.

Vocals use a blues scale with a IIIb and VIIb.

38
Q

Describe key features of instrumentation within “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

Piano plays short stab chords.
Guitar and bass drive music forward with walking style.
Drums provide light swing rhythm.
Piano plays fills wherever gaps lie in the music.

39
Q

Describe key features of texture within “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A

Antiphonal dialogue between trumpets and trombone in instrumental section.
Walking crotchet bassline.
“Four per bar” guitar style.
Piano plays fills wherever necessary.
Wind section creates polyphonic texture with alternating countermelodies.

40
Q

What is the key of “Roll ‘em Pete”?

A

Bb Major

41
Q

Describe key features of harmony within “Roll ‘em Pete”.

A 
12 bar blues arranged into:
I7 I7 I7 I7
IV7 IV7 I7 I7
V7 V7 I I
Lead vocals and trombone use a blues scale with IIIb and VIIb.
42
Q

Describe the overall structure of “In the evening”.

A

12 bar intro (3 of piano and 9 of rhythm section),

12 bar blues x4.

43
Q

Describe key features of (vocal) melody in “In the evening”.

A

Williams sings add9s and IIIb+VIIb in glissandi slides down the blues scale in melismatic fashion.
Use of word painting in “When the sun comes down”, as melody descends appropriately.

44
Q

Describe key features of instrumentation in “In the evening”.

A

Piano intro with anacrucial quavers leading to a chord of F (maj), a short dissonant blues stab chord, a short pause (rest), a phrase of 7 more quavers before another subsequent pause (rest).
Throughout the piece the piano plays offbeat chords, occasionally filling over the walking bass, gradually becoming more complex as the piece progresses.
Guitar provides a simple crotchet chord progression.
Rhythm section plays clear “Four per bar” groove.

45
Q

Describe how the use of solo measures adds to the texture of “In the evening”.

A

Flutes, trumpets, trombones and clarinet all play improvisational measures at varied occasions in the piece which provide sustained moments of polyphony.

46
Q

Describe key features of harmony in “In the evening”.

A

12 bar blues sections using frequent chord substitutions and chromatic passing notes/chords.
Frequent use of extensions, particularly in the second verse.
The blues scale is used to maximum extent with the mediant (III) and leading note (VII) being used frequently in melodic phrasing to add to the harmonic value.

47
Q

What is the key used in “In the evening?”

A

F (maj)

48
Q

[miscellaneous notes on “In the evening”.]

A

Mordents are used but sound more like trills.
Ascending scalic movements are played as repeated patterns.
Use of octave jumps is fairly frequent.
Counter-melody obligato is used (flowing melody line. Very smooth and conjunct.) This allows for smooth melodic experimentation from Williams over the top.

49
Q

Describe key features of texture in “In the evening”.

A

Instruments use extensive range to fill texture.

Full band used to end piece giving a more dramatic conclusion.

50
Q

When was Count Basie born?

A

1904

51
Q

Which pianist most inspired Basie?

A

Fats Weller

52
Q

Describe Basie’s early piano style

A

Stride in the left hand, with a particularly ornate right hand in the rag style.

53
Q

When did Basie begin playing piano professionally?

A

1920’s

54
Q

When did Basie form his first orchestra?

A

1936

55
Q

Where did his orchestra move to, from?

A

From Chicago to New York.

56
Q

What differed East and West coast jazz musicians of the era?

A

East Coast musicians tended to avoid the 12 bar blues style.

57
Q

What changes did the band undergo when they reached New York?

A

They were making lots of head arrangements, and were able to have lots of their music recorded. However, the music began to be notated by Buck Clayton, as the need for a more standardised piece was needed to suit the more sophisticated East Coast theatres and other venues. No one could read the music and the band nosedived temporarily until Basie sacked everyone who couldn’t read the music. Overtime the band began to hire new musicians, and worked with many famous jazz singers.

58
Q

Which project brought Basie’s band the greatest success?

A

Count Basie swings, Joe Williams sings.

59
Q

What kind of people was Basie’s band fortunate enough to play for?

A

The highest of nobility such as royalty and at every major jazz festival across the world.

60
Q

How many Grammy awards has Count Basie won with his band?

A

18 in total.

61
Q

When was Joe Williams born?

A

1918

62
Q

Describe Joe Williams’ childhood.

A

Moved from Georgia to Chicago when he was very young with his mother and grandmother. Here he learned to play piano from his mother when he was 3, and sang in a youth gospel choir called the Jubilee Boys.

63
Q

What band did Joe Williams join in 1937?

A

Jimmy Noone band.

64
Q

What other bands did Joe Williams have the chance to sing with?

A

The bands of Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk and Red Saunders.

65
Q

When did Joe Williams make his recording debut?

A

1950

66
Q

Why did Williams struggle originally in his musical career?

A

Financial instability, so had to work as backstage doorman at the Chicago Regal theatre, which was were he met Basie.

67
Q

What was Williams’ breakthrough performance?

A

With the Count Basie band with his like “Alright, OK, you win” and “Everyday I have the blues”.

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