Jazz Historiography Concerns
Ideally, jazz refers to a style of music, formulated and conceived by African Americans in the fall and rise of the 19th and 20th centuries respectively.[1] However, apart from the African- American music customs and practices such as blues and dance tunes, jazz also stemmed from the West African societal and euphonious articulations. Thus, the origination of jazz was not only universal but also classless since it came to be as a result of the communal and pooled accomplishments of many people from all walks of life.[2] In other words, the said genre of music did not only entertain the noble people in the upper class because apart from its meek inception, it was also equally enjoyed by the low- income as well as the affluent and prosperous individuals.[3] Therefore, many authors engaged in creating different works including books and articles in a bid to provide information on the history and development of jazz music over the years. As such, this essay primarily brings out an analysis, critique, and solutions of two current jazz history textbooks, namely Jazz Styles by Mark Gridley and Jazz: A History by Frank Tirro.
Beginning with Jazz Styles by Mark Gridley, this book is the United States’ leading source for undergraduate programs of study and lectures on the inauguration, history, research, progression, and acknowledgement of jazz.[4] Additionally, this extensive and comprehensive study presents an intense, educative, and sequential survey of jazz with profound accounts and descriptions on its basis and genesis. Besides, Gridley also dispenses full commentaries on the diverse modes and designs of jazz as well as contributive celebrities to the said revolutionary style of music. Hence, the intriguing book incarcerates and takes possession of the learners’ minds by relaying the indicated information as well as the techniques and methods of listening actively to Jazz through its well-arranged chronological structure.[5] Nevertheless, even though Gridley’s book serves as an extremely important resource for starters, it is also equally paramount and crucial to more progressed scholars such as those pursuing their masters and doctorate degrees. This is as a result of the book’s thorough and rigorous exploration and evaluation of jazz’s assorted constituents and components of music. Moreover, the book also comprises of various sophisticated and specialized supplements and epilogues discussing several notions on music postulations.
In the same way, new editions of Gridley’s book integrate a plenteous collection and assortment of web-enabled items and articles via MyMusicLab, a feature designed to enhance comprehension and assessment of the learners on materials involved in the course work. Some of the said online items include an in-depth responsive e-text, live sound recordings and videos on ancient jazz performances.[6] In turn, the said feature enhances energetic and lively listening, student’s participation and reinforces the tutor’s teachings on the various issues involved in jazz. However, the main critique involved here is that the text lack information relating to modern jazz and blurry pictures of traditional jazz musicians such as John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Cassandra Wilson, and Fats Waller. Here, the possible solutions would be to add new chapters on the said topic as well as a fresh concluding part and clearer mug shots of the listed celebrities in the book.
With regard to Frank Tirro’s Jazz: A History, this text also aspires to function as a template and yardstick to the music style of jazz. Essentially, Frank achieved this concept by providing comprehensive analogies of the past and authentic collaborations between jazz, the musicians and communities at large, in his book.[7] Moreover, the book also provides a conclusive overview of the ancient evolution of jazz music all the way from its African pioneers to its contemporary living enthusiasts. Therefore, the book not only offers outlines of incidents, narratives and elementary accounts of events related to jazz, but also watertight history.[8] This is seen through the evaluations and conclusions Frank made on the accumulated pieces of proof throughout the text. Furthermore, Tirro also based the book’s chronicles and abstracts on many live recordings and reports on the many jazz precursors and their experiences on vital occurrences associated with the said genre of music. Besides, he also put into consideration the substantial and considerable number of earnest and committed students as well as other staunch audiences who find pleasure in jazz music.[9] Nonetheless, to gain information from Frank’s book, it requires one to listen actively as well as bestow extremely deliberate and scrupulous regards and scrutiny to the discussed music type. The stated task is easy and pleasurable since jazz tends to be an immensely appealing and delightful style of music.
Nevertheless, the main critique of Tirro’s work is that he misinterpreted some of the details he put down into his book. This is in accordance with a review conducted by Lewis Porter who argued that Frank’s interpretation of the solo titled “Dippermouth Blues” generated by one King Oliver were not only misconceived but also totally erroneous.[10] According to Porter, through the misinterpretation, Tirro only confirmed that he lacked the required familiarity with the most acclaimed and distinguished musicians of Jazz songs. Additionally, Porter also insisted that likes of him who comprehended the essence and vitality of music acknowledged the importance of publishing entirely impeccable and accurate information linked to jazz, in their various books.[11] Similarly, even though Tirro’s chapter on “Loose ends” tries to cover up for some of the inaccurate and left out bits in his book, Tirro is also accused for being too shallow and inconclusive. For instance, one review claims that Frank did not provide any credible details on the functions of advancing technical knowledge in the overall domain of jazz music.[12] As such, the possible solutions to the stated critiques would be for Tirro to use more credible particulars and facts related to jazz in a new edition of his book. Moreover, he should also provide in- depth details and concepts on jazz while taking modern societies in context.
In essence, going by the stated books, it is undoubtedly clear that jazz music is not only serves the purpose of entertaining but also; it influences both inventive and innovative thoughts globally. This is brought out mostly in the introduction, which insinuates that people from all corners of the world ranging from Europe, Africa, America and Britain among others participate in one way or another in the whole story of jazz music. Furthermore, the fact that jazz cuts across all social classes thereby diverting and engrossing all individuals in the society without prejudice also brings out jazz as a democratic music. On the other hand, through the thorough analysis, critiques and solutions brought out in the essay, the two current jazz history texts also serve in exposing and revealing various historiography concerns of jazz music.
Bibliography
Gridley, Mark C. Jazz styles: History and analysis, 11th ed. Upper Saddle River: NJ: Pearson, 2011.
Gridley, Mark, Robert Maxham, and Robert Hoff. “Three Approaches to Defining Jazz.” The Musical Quarterly 73, no. 4 (1989), 513-531. Accessed March 5, 2017. doi:10.1093/mq/73.4.513.
Prouty, Kenneth E. “Toward Jazz’s “Official” History: The Debates and Discourses of Jazz History Textbooks.” Journal of Music History Pedagogy 1, no. 1 (2010): 19-43.
Tiro, Frank. “Music of the Renaissance.” The Musical Quarterly 68, no. 2 (1982), 207-216. Accessed March 5, 2017. doi:10.1093/mq/lxviii.2.207.
Tirro, Frank. Jazz: A history, 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1993.
[1] Mark Gridley, Robert Maxham, and Robert Hoff, “Three Approaches to Defining Jazz,” The Musical Quarterly 73, no. 4 (1989): 515.
[2] Gridley, Maxham, and Hoff, “Three approaches to defining jazz”, 519
[3] Gridley, Maxham, and Hoff, “Three approaches to defining jazz”, 526
[4] Mark C Gridley, Jazz styles: History and analysis (Upper Saddle River: NJ: Pearson, 2011), 15.
[5] Gridley, Jazz styles: History and analysis, 24
[6] Gridley, Jazz styles: History and analysis, 31
[7] Frank Tiro, “Music of the Renaissance,” The Musical Quarterly 68, no. 2 (1982): 210
[8] Tirro, Frank, “Music of the Renaissance”, 214
[9] Frank Tirro, Jazz: A history (New York: W. W. Norton, 1993), 37.
[10] Kenneth E. Prouty. “Toward Jazz’s “Official” History: The Debates and Discourses of Jazz History Textbooks.” Journal of Music History Pedagogy 1, no. 1 (2010) 20.
[11] Prouty, “Toward Jazz’s “Official” History”, 26 .
[12] Tirro, Jazz: a history, 26
