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for those of you who requested they be posted here, i present the lecture notes from Dr. Nelson's Harrison's rad jazz lecture Saturday night, a little over 3 pages long single-spaced!, i only post on this forum and SODC, so you can find the notes in either locale, feel free to post the notes on other forums, just remember to credit the author (moi) enjoy!
Lecture Notes from Dr. Nelson Harrison’s Lecture on Jazz Music
At the 2nd annual Pitt Stop Lindy Hop Exchange
Notated and Transcribed by Lily Matini, Oberlin College Class of 2003
Dr. Nelson Harrison – jazz historian from Pittsburgh
Spent most of his time as a professor, teaching trombone at Pitt State
He claims he’s the most eclectic musician, rightfully so, because he can play any kind of music; he’s not simply pigeon-holed as a jazz musician or someone who plays any one style of music. Dr. Harrison played in classical symphonies since high school, has played jazz, R&B (the REAL Rhythm and Blues, not the mislabeled modern stuff out now), Motown, and more. Because of his background, Dr. Harrison is an adaptable musician with a wide perspective on music – especially in Pittsburgh. His PhD is not in music, though, but instead in clinical psychology. He wanted a degree in music, but in the 1950’s, if you were caught playing jazz, they would kick you out. In fact, that is why he was kicked out of med school. But he doesn’t mind. He believes there’s no posterity in science. The minute you think you’ve discovered something and win a Nobel Prize, the next minute someone comes along, disproves you and comes up with something better. He sums it up by saying, “Music will never be wrong. It is a higher order than science. The highest order.” Unfortunately, there are no Nobel Prizes for music. But then again, they don’t have to exist to make music what it is.
Dr. Harrison believes you have to “know” the music in order to play it well. Don’t bury yourself in the sheet music you’re reading; otherwise you’ll lose yourself in it. He practices new music about six times, knows it well enough that he can spend his time improvising during his performance and ensemble playing, while never taking his eyes off the crowd. The dancers inspire him just as much as his fellow musicians do. And he doesn’t take his eyes off either one.
Jazz only recently became an accepted, legitimate genre of American music by the U.S. Congress in 1987 – when they also declared it a national treasure. Jazz is an American genre of music that is now over 100 years old! Jazz stems from the African vernacular traditions that were brought over with the slaves during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Jazz is VERY different from European music. Jazz is a genre of music that stems from a culture with different rules and theory regarding music, its composition and performance; different cultures naturally have different approaches towards music. Furthermore, European music is not the basic and fundamental form of music.
Lesson on instruments and the different capacities they have:
Piano – 12 chromatic notes
Sitar (India) – 36 chromatic notes
African Diaspora – within it:
Certain genres 3-4 chromatic notes, other genres 30 chromatic notes
Cultural music comes from or is at least influenced by the cultures language. The African language is a tonal language that is not merely spoken but sung. Thus inflection in the language reflects meaning, and the drums in the music “talk” – paralleling the same inflection quality from the language. This is what the Europeans did not understand when they first African languages and their music.
The Blues are an African American vernacular tradition that came from the slaves, but has its African roots in the West African Diaspora. 7 notes, not just minor and major notes, but diminished and others, integrated in the blues to make it the theoretical basis for jazz. The blue note – flat 3rds, 5ths 7ths, influence the nervous system, immediate reaction neurologically, the notes between the keys of the piano.
At the very beginning of the blues tradition, African slaves were playing on European instruments. After the Spanish civil war, there were thousands of musical instruments left on the docks. The African American community at the time took advantage of that and from there, 600 brass bands organized. Ragtime exposed house slaves to the piano. U.B. Blake describes the situation surround slaves and ragtime music, “We were able to read music, but we were not allowed to do so, so we had to pretend not to be able to read.” Naturally this hindered the initial development of African American ragtime music. Before that were the field songs and the hollers that originated in the African Diaspora. Because these African slaves were playing on instruments foreign to their language and culture, they had to “twist” the notes on the European instruments to produce the music closer to their Diasporic vernacular. A whole different articulation or music and tonal quality. The roots of Blues and Jazz start here.
Getting back to reading music, sheet music isn’t the end all be all of musical interpretation. The other difference between European classical music and jazz. The composer’s intention and the musician’s intention are not necessarily one and the same simply because of the notes on the page. In jazz, there’s a great saying, “just cause you’re playing the “right notes,” doesn’t mean you’re playing the notes right!” Music is a motivator, not dogma. Interpretation, inspiration and improvisation are all at the heart of jazz.
At this time, Dr. Harrison passed around a handout, written by Partia K Maltsby, describing the lineage of African American vernacular music traditions from the 1600’s until now. That vernacular is at the root of so much music in American culture, from blues to jazz to swing to rock n’ roll to R&B, to Motown, hip hop, rap and so on. The tree does an excellent job of showing the progression from the African religious vernacular traditions (West African dance forms, Yoruba, ring shout), to the more secular vernacular African American traditions such as blues, jazz, swing and so on.
There is a bronze statue of Steven Foster at Pitt State from the 18th century. He is seated, writing music in a book. A slave is kneeling, playing a banjo beside him. Who is the source of the music Foster is writing? Music is more about sound than sight, especially in this scene. Dr. Harrison brings up this statue to describe African American music appropriated by white slave owners and other rich white men of the time.
Dr. Harrison continued the lecture by taking about his process in writing music. He hears melodies in his sleep. Wakes up, remembers them and immediately records them, either vocally or by finding the notes on the piano.
Stepping is an African vernacular tradition 800 years old. Napoleon Bonaparte even admits to borrowing it for his marches! Hoofing and tap dance are all part of the vernacular jazz tradition. The dancers are speaking to the drums with their feet – trading 4’s with the drums. Dr. Harrison is passionate about acknowledging the vernacular and roots of jazz and all music. He learned all his music from working with mentors, music schools, and playing in the community. No wonder he is an educator himself!
Pittsburgh has an amazing reputation for the home of many jazz greats, being one of the top 5 jazz legends cities. The others are: Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans. Not Kansas City. Not New York City. Furthermore, Pittsburgh is the smaller city of the 4, but still has more jazz legends per capita than the other top cities. Pittsburgh alone boasts over 800 jazz legends! Dr. Harrison introduced the audience to an abridged version of 50 or so names to highlight Pittsburgh’s reputation.
Pittsburgh was and still is a happening city. More industrial than New York City, and a home to some of the hottest “numbers” jook joints – gambling. Lena Horne’s father was a numbers loaner - men with power in that business were like bankers. They made millions until the mafia took over. At the time, even after slavery was abolished, there were no white loans for black people. But you could always go to the numbers loaners – famous names such as: Willy Ebony Days and Teeny Harris.
The great thing about Pittsburgh is, back in the day and even now, there are no copycats. There are so many different musicians playing the same instruments, but with so many different and completely unique approaches to the music. It’s refreshing to say the least. The Harlem Renaissance hasn’t stopped. It’s still very much alive in Pittsburgh. Check out the Crawford Grill in downtown Pittsburgh. One of the last great surviving jazz clubs.
Some legends from Pittsburgh: Porkie Chedwich (started the Oldies, not the Big Bopper or Wolfman Jack), Martha Graham (yes, the modern dancer and choreographer), George Benson, Gene and Fred Kelly, Joe Harris (drummer for Dizzy Gillespie), Lena Horne, Kenny Clark (father of the be-bop drum, tap dancer, Buckin’ Bubbles), Buddy Rich (great tap dancer), Jimmy Pew (NPR jingle for All Things Considered and Morning Edition), Vivian Reed (star of “Black Orpheus”).
Mentors to Dr. Harrison: Earl Garner, Eldridge, Jamal (pianist), Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Joe Kennedy (great jazz violinist from the 4 Strings).
To top off the lecture, Dr. Harrison showed and played his new invention called a trombeta. It’s a miniature trombone that looks like a hand-held trumpet, but has a trombone mouthpiece. It can go to a very low E flat, and up to 6 octaves above middle C. Dr. Harrison played through the instrument’s entire range at the end of the lecture. Email Lily.Matini@oberlin.edu if you want either one or both of the video clips.
“Improvisation is risking your life on every note. That is the beauty and thrill of jazz. It’s the juice. If you make a mistake, fix it forward. Feel high.” – Dr. Nelson Harrison
_________________
*Bal hugs*
Lily
Jazz Talk at Pittstop '02
Moderators: Mr Awesomer, JesseMiner, CafeSavoy
Jazz Talk at Pittstop '02
In discussing improvisation and sheet music, Nelson said that his is the only profession in which people "read the manual" while they're doing their job, and asked us if we would trust, say, our doctor if he was reading instructions while operating...
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PhilShapiro
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