I am writing a research paper on Ellington and Cottontail, with a large section on Ben Webster and his famous solo in the original recording.
Any hints on sources etc?
CottonTail by Duke Ellington
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My advice is not to do a short-research-duration research paper on a single solo or single song.
That's, like, a years-long project to get to a point of actually having something good to say.
Unless you've already got those years behind you...but if you did, my guess is that you probably wouldn't have written what you just did (which sounds a lot like I probably sounded while taking music history classes).
I get the impression that single-solo / single-song analysis really only makes a good paper if you already have lots of practice at music analysis / music theory / music breakdown. Lots.
I fear you're going to find yourself banging your head against the wall when it's time to get the paper written and handed in, because the stuff you can find to read in a matter of months won't teach you enough to put something good together. I know that happened to me.
Is it too late to change your paper topic?
That's, like, a years-long project to get to a point of actually having something good to say.
Unless you've already got those years behind you...but if you did, my guess is that you probably wouldn't have written what you just did (which sounds a lot like I probably sounded while taking music history classes).
I get the impression that single-solo / single-song analysis really only makes a good paper if you already have lots of practice at music analysis / music theory / music breakdown. Lots.
I fear you're going to find yourself banging your head against the wall when it's time to get the paper written and handed in, because the stuff you can find to read in a matter of months won't teach you enough to put something good together. I know that happened to me.
Is it too late to change your paper topic?
From memory I think Gunther Schuller's The Swing Era has a section where he breaks it down. Depends what kind of depth you are looking for.
I am currently reading Schuller's Swing era
as well as Eddie Lamper "duke ellington a listener's guide"
Dan Morgernstern "living with jazz
Frankie manning (for his discussion of filming on Hot chocolate with the band)
James Coller "duke ellington"
Buchmann-MOller "The Life and Music of Ben Webster
Stanley Crouch "Consideing Genius, writings on jazz"
and believe me, If i had my way i would not have taken on a single song analysis, my original thesis was shaped around the relationship between dancers and musicians in the late 30s and early 40s and how it shaped the music, using Duke, Jimmy Luncerford, and GM. Professor narrowed it down to Cotton tail...
as well as Eddie Lamper "duke ellington a listener's guide"
Dan Morgernstern "living with jazz
Frankie manning (for his discussion of filming on Hot chocolate with the band)
James Coller "duke ellington"
Buchmann-MOller "The Life and Music of Ben Webster
Stanley Crouch "Consideing Genius, writings on jazz"
and believe me, If i had my way i would not have taken on a single song analysis, my original thesis was shaped around the relationship between dancers and musicians in the late 30s and early 40s and how it shaped the music, using Duke, Jimmy Luncerford, and GM. Professor narrowed it down to Cotton tail...