Workshop materials compiled by Dave Cazier

Dig The Blues!

Workshop materials compiled by

Dave Cazier

Director of Choral Instruction, Columbia Basin College

For the Frank DeMiero Jazz Camp ‘99

“You can’t lose………….. if you sing the blues!”

Carmen McRae

Created by Dave Cazier. Caztunes.com 2

Motivation: These materials are compiled and presented to assist the Jazz Choir director in sharing the concepts of the blues with their students. It is hoped that this will be a vehicle for directors and their choirs in accomplishing the following: 1. Expanding their creativity, and self expression through a better

understanding of: Ø Chord progression and voicing, using the blues. Ø Approaches to improvisation, using the blues. Ø Inspire you to write your own songs or arrangements Ø Giving individual students an opportunity to do more solo work and

self expression through the creative songs or lyrics they write and sing.

2. Bringing added originality and individuality in the performance product of

your Vocal Jazz Ensemble because: Ø You’ll have cool new blues arrangements that have come about as a

direct result of the combined creativity of teacher and students; arrangements that are uniquely you!

Ø You’ll be able to tailor the complexity of line and voicing specifically to the abilities of your group, beginning or advanced, young or old, unchanged, changing, or changed.

Ø Your new creativity may even spill over into the non-blues selections you sing as well

3. Increasing your use of the blues because of your new understanding and

hopefully love of this simple, yet very popular and highly rewarding music. Like any study of music-especially Jazz, active listening is very important to full understanding. A discography is provided for this purpose. A reference for an appropriate musical example to listen to is indicated with a musical note next to it.


Blues Basics The Blues is one of the earliest jazz related forms to develop. It is the offspring of African poetic form, phrasing, and inflection; and the harmonies and chord progressions of church music as experienced by Africans living in slavery here in the U.S. prior to the Civil War. By that time the patterns of the blues had pretty much been establish, but it has continued to change and develop since then. The Blues is a very simple music, yet very enjoyable to listen to as well as perform. It is versatile. It’s simplicity and versatility is why it has become so popular and comprehensible by people of diverse musical tastes. It stands on its own as a form of musical expression, but it has continuously been embraced and transformed by Jazz. You will also hear it extensively used in Country and Rock & Roll as well.

It’s 4 main aspects When we say ‘The Blues” we could be referring to one or more of 4 working definitions. Let’s learn them! 1. An emotional state of being, usually sad, melancholy, or down

hearted. “I have the blues” refers to ones affliction with the woes of life. Kids in commercials sing about them while trying to sell Jello and macaroni. Everyone gets ‘em now and then. And different cultural groups each have their own unique understanding of them.

This concept is usually evidenced musically by a singer’s use of inflection, and pitch (African ¼ tone) to assist in the emotional interpretation of the lyric. Pay attention to this while listening to any blues related recordings.

e Tony Bennett and Ray Charles sing “Everybody Gets the Blues Sometime” Tony Bennett Art of Excellence

e Bessie Smith recordings like “Travlin’ Blues” or “Lost Your Head Blues” or “Empty Bed Blues”

2. A specific chord progression, usually set within a 12 measure form or “chorus”.

In it’s purest sense, this progression consists of 3 chords: the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord in a given key. See the example below and memorize how they line up within the 3 phrases of the 12 bar blues. This example also shows how blues poetry (when used) fits within the 12-bar form.

The I chord begins the 1st phrase, the IV begins the 2nd, and the V chord begins the 3rd phrase.

Understanding this and hearing the difference will help you keep track of where you are in the progression. Usually, the chords are played as Dominant chords (major 3rd, flatted 7th)

Examine the figure below and play the progression on the piano, applying it to a specific key. Listen to the suggested examples, focusing on hearing the chord progression.


e “Bluesology” by the Ray Brown Trio, Live at the Loa/Summer Wind

e “The Real Blues” by the Ray Brown Trio, Live at the Loa/Summer Wind The Blues progression and form has continued to evolve over time. Much of it’s evolutionary influence has come from jazz musicians, who love the blues but often want the challenge of improvising over more complex chord progressions. Below is an example of a more “evolved” yet still standard blues progression.

The above progression is more aurally appealing to some because it has more variety within the chord usage. Notice how inserting the IV chord in the 2nd bar breaks up the monotony of the 1st phrase. The “walk down” (as I call it, and I may be the only one) at the end of the 2nd phrase leads chromatically into the II chord that begins the 3rd phrase, and can really grab the ear to clearly identify where you are at in the form. This is especially helpful if you are jamming at real fast tempo. The chords of the 3rd phrase really do a great job of outlining the key for the listener. The II-IV relationship at the beginning of the 3rd phrase adds a more modern, less churchy flavor. If you chose to play the II chord diatonically within the key (as a minor chord- b3 & b7) instead of dominant, this does even more to clearly establish the key. The ending turn around outlines the key, and again, since it only appears at the end of each chorus it becomes a clear indication of your place in the form. Apply the above to a key and do more practicing and listening.

e ‘Big Rub” by Kevin Mahogany, Another Time, Another Place”

e “Baby, All The Time” by Dianna Krall, All For You


The Be-Bop era of jazz was very important in evolving the blues progression even further, because of it’s emphasis on complicated chord progressions and the challenge they present while “taking a ride”. Charlie “Bird” Parker can take a lot of credit. He was from Kansas City, a blues Mecca, and he was also a main pioneering figure in the Be-Bop revolution of the 1940s, along with Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk. Look at the complexity of the progression below, which is known as “Bird Blues” and listen to a recording of Charlie Parker’s “Au Privave”.

e Charlie Parker, “Au Privave” Verve Compact Jazz Charlie Parker

e Bob Dorough “Au Privave” It is quite different from the original “basic “ blues. It looks more complicated, sounds more complicated and has a stronger sense of tonality, in that it resolves to a major I, which really feels like “coming home” compared to the dominant I, that never seems to resolve. However, if you think about “having the blues”, sometimes it seems that there is never any resolution. There is also the case of Minor Blues, which always seems to sit in sadness.

e “Mr P.C” by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross or John Coltrane

e “Cousin Mary” by Lambert Hendricks & Bavan on Swingin’ til The Girls Come Home

Those Crazy Blues Progressions! Blues progressions can get crazy! It has really evolved into many varieties. Following is a table that has 17 different variations of the 12-bar Blues progression. Check it out!



Which progression you use is your choice as a group; based on what you want, what you feel like and how much you want to be challenged with improvisation, etc. Mostly, I think it should depend on what fits your presentation of lyric and/or melody best. It’s all in relation to the blues you feel! We’ll get more into modifications of the blues form (length) later, i.e. 8-bar blues, 16-bar blues, 20-bar blues, bridge blues, or stranger things. For now let’s get back to the 4 blues aspects. 3. The Blues is also a form of poetry, or lyrics. It follows an AAB form when applied to a 12-bar chorus. It is very simple. You, and many of your students may have a lot of fun coming up with blues poetry and singing it. Check out the diagram below again, and notice how the poetry fits the basic progression.

The blues poet creates a statement for the 1st 4-bar phrase. That statement is repeated in the 2nd phrase, sometimes with a slight modification. In the 3rd phrase a new line is created that completes the meaning of the original statement. It’s great if the endings of the phrases rhyme, but the don’t have to. Check out the example written by jazz performer Eddie “Clean-Head” Vinson. Here’s a couple more blues verses written by Eddie. What’s great is the humor, and how they relate to his life experience in a personal way.

“They call me Mr. Clean-head……...Because my head is bald. Yeah, they call me Mr. Clean-head…’cause I’ve been bald a long time But with the stuff I use………I don’t need no hair at all” “If it weren’t for you women………I’d have my curly locks today If it weren’t for you women………I’d have my curly locks today But I’ve been hugged and kissed and petted…’til all my hair was rubbed away”

Now lets do some listening to get a real flavor for blues poetry in use.

e “Deedles Blues” by Diane Schuur & The Count Basie Orchestra

e “Every Day I Have The Blues”, Diane Schuur & The Count Basie Orchestra

e “Fine & Mellow” by Carmen McRae, Songs for Lady Day vol. 1


e “Billie’s Blues” by Carmen McRae, Songs for Lady Day vol. 2

e “Medley Blues” by DeeDee Bridgewater, Live in Paris

e “Roll ‘Em Pete” by Joe Williams, Verve Compact Jazz: Joe Williams/ Count Basie

e “Dimples” by Joe Williams, I Just Want To Sing

e “Party Blues” by Joe Williams & Ella Fitzgerald, Verve Compact Jazz: Joe Williams/ Basie One of the neat things about “Party Blues” is how Joe, Ella and even the horn players apply the poetic blues form to even their improvisations. It really helps the ‘sentence structure” of their scatting. You should tray this when you scat to the blues. You may have noticed that blues poetry has a certain “realness” to them. They can be pretty sad, or pretty happy. Blues lyrics don’t have to be Blue. They can also have a subtle “sex-appeal” too, as shown in “Billie’s Blues”. If you take this approach to your own writing of blues lyrics, always remember that it’s a subtle thing. You want to invite the listener into the sexyness of it all, not force it upon them. For more about this listen to the following example. Really, the words are all pretty innocent, but there’s plenty of room for another interpretation.

e “Inch Worm” by Dee Daniels, Let’s Talk Business Let’s Practice writing Blues poetry! Try to relate them to your own life and experience at home, school, work, etc. Remember to follow the AAB form. Try to get 3 verses you like, and then sing ‘em! Hint: It’s not important to try and please your 9th grade English teacher with this execise. If you’re stuck, here’s a couple of opening lines, you complete the two verses below. (A) “I’m leavin’ you Baby……….and I ain’t never comin’ back (A) ________________________________________________ (B) ________________________________________________ (A) You’re a liar, a cheater, and a beggar too! (A) ________________________________________________ (B) ________________________________________________ (A) If you need me, Honey……….I’ll be in the next state over. (A) ________________________________________________ (B) ________________________________________________ If you find you’re not such a hot blues poet, remember you can always borrow from the greats; Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Bessie Smith, and Earnie Andrews.


What, not all blues are 12-bar? Yes, Virginia, there is variety in the blues form! Although, if someone asked me to jamm with them over Blues in Bb, I would 1st assume it was going to be over a 12-bar length, using either the basic progression, or the “evolved” progression that contains the walk-down and turn-around. Then again, you know what they say about assuming. If you don’t trust your ears, just ask! Here is a basic format for 8-bar blues. Notice it still uses the same basic pattern of chords, just in a shorter number of bars.

e “CRS Craft” by Diana Krall, Only Trust Your Heart 16-Bar Blues can easily be created by simply repeating the last phrase of the typical 12 bar blues. Listen as this happens in the following cut. Also observe the change in the poetic form. Where is the repeated phrase now? There is also one chorus that uses the 12 bar form. Which chorus is it?

e “Travelin’ Blues” by Diane Schuur, Diane Schuur & The Count Basie Orchestra Try writing some blues lyrics that fit the 16-bar form (which by the way is ABCC) Bridge Blues takes the concept of form from the 32-bar AABA form of Broadway and other American Popular Song styles and executes it using the blues. Each “A” of the form becomes a single set of standard 12-bar blues, and the “B” is an 8-bar bridge. A popular progression to borrow is the one from George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm (a.k.a. Rhythm Changes) Here is that pattern:


The following listening example uses the bridge below. This bridge seems to fit the blues a bit more, because its chords are borrowed directly from the standard blues progression.

e “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In” by Earnestine Anderson, Great Moments with Earnestine Anderson. Kitty Margolis also has a good cut of this tune on her Evolution CD.

Bridge Blues can be fun because of the challenge of keeping track of form. Blues + blues + bridge + blues = one full chorus. It can be easy to get lost if you don’t really pay attention, especially at a fast tempo. Trickier yet, listen to Earnestine Anderson create a 20-bar blues form and Dee Daniels sing to a 14-bar blues in the following cuts. How do they do that?

e “Never Make Your Move Too Soon” by Earnestine Anderson, Never Make Your Move Too Soon as well as Great Moments with Earnestine Anderson.

e “Tonight I Won’t Be Singin’ No More Blues” by Dee Daniels on CD of same title. 4. The Blues has also become its own unique style of interpretation. Musicians who sing the blues often, or who use particular inflections, moods, attitude, or other interpretive devices can become known as Blues Artists. B.B. King, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dee Daniels, and Muddy Waters are examples of a few. Their unique way of making music melds the blues “attitude” so deeply in their music, that sometimes they take compositions that have nothing to do with the blues progression or form, and make them sound just like a blues tune! Listen to the following cut. Because of the way she sings this song, Dee makes you forget that this tune is not a standard blues composition. You get so lost in her inflection and “bluesy” presentation that it’s easy to let this straight up 32-bar AABA form go without notice.

e ‘Please Send Me Someone To Love” by Dee Daniels, Let’s Talk Business By the way, I HIGHLY recommend you buy the above CD because of the incredible blues influence evidenced in each song. If you love energetic blues interpretation, you will love this CD.


Let’s not forget Riffs! A riff in a short melodic statement that can, and is, repeated many times over the blues progression (and even non-blues progressions). The use of Riffs is strongly linked to the blues. A lot of the fantastic songs created by the Count Basie Band, Duke Ellington Band, Benny Goodman Band and more are almost completely riff based. This didn’t seem to detract from their popularity. On the contrary; tunes like “One O’clock Jump” , “Jumpin’ At the Woodside”, “Two O’clock Jump”, “Air Mail Special”, “Moten Swing”, “Corner Pocket”, “Perdido”, “Time’s a Wastin’”, ‘C Jam Blues”, “Oo Pop A Dah”, and “In a Mellow Tone”, were popular because their heavy use of riffs made them immediately singable, and catchy. Riffs are great to use as main melodies, backgrounds, or improvisations. Get several goin’ at one time! They can easily be thought up on the spot and passed around the group. Many are easy to harmonize as well.

O.K., let’s get busy and apply this stuff! One of our motivations was to be able to create our own tunes or arrangements using the blues concepts. So, let’s get busy doing it. 1) Learn the previous concepts. 2) Let’s learn to sing the blues progression as a choir.

a) Pick a chord progression and form. I recommend using the basic 12-bar blues to start with.

b) Pick a Key. Apply your selected form/progression to a key, thinking about what kind of range your singers have, and where some of the melodic ideas might lie. FYI: in jazz, good blues keys are usually flat keys like F, Bb, Eb, or the ever neutral C. Country music tends to favor sharp keys like E, A, B, D. Go Figure!

c) Voice the chords of your progression. Be as simple of complex as your singers can handle. Just write them out in whole notes for each chord, we’ll apply rhythm later. As you voice the chords remember the 3rd and 7th is most important. If you want more color, add the 9th or 13th . If your ear(s) are less akin to that much dissonance, roots and 5ths are o.k.

d) Sing the Changes. Now that you have your parts (voicings) laid out get used to singing them in real time over the blues form & chord changes. Bring in the rhythm section too! i) Sing whole & half notes on simple syllables or vowels at first. ii) Start adding more complex rhythms and interesting syllables. You can think ‘em up,

or let the students do it too. By the way, all a the voices should be singing the same rhythms, not several going on at once.

e) Sing the Kicks! Work until your groups feels comfortable singing harmonized chords over the blues progression in rhythms that you creatively pre-determine or, perhaps even dictate to them as the song progresses. I call this getting them to sing the Kicks, or Kick figures.

f) You’re half way there! These Kicks will become one possible option for backgrounds behind the melody.


3) Add 3 cups of Melody and stir. There are a couple of options. a) Use a soloist(s). Have some students create some blues lyrics or lift them from other

artists. b) Use syllables and riffs to create and present your melody. It can be by soloists, small

groups, or section. c) Prepare a set of Kicks or other riffs that go with your chosen melody…stir uniquely each

chorus, i.e. i) 1st chorus: Just melody ii) 2nd chorus: Melody and a simple unison riff tha t compliments it. iii) 3rd chorus: Melody and a kick, maybe combined with the previous riff. iv) 4th chorus & beyond: Improvisation, adding background riffs and/or kicks as desired. v) Ending chorus(es): return to the melody.

d) Practice creating or borrowing riffs in unison, and them harmonizing them spontaneously. Just use your ears and sing within the chord progression now that you’re used to it.

e) Number or name your riffs & kicks and develop cues for them. This will allow the director some opportunity to be spontaneous in cueing them behind soloists.

4) EXPAND! Be creative. a) Develop several tunes using a variety of approaches: groups tunes, feature tunes. b) Move on to featuring a soloist on a 16-bar blues, a Bridge Blues tune. c) Try developing a tune based on 8-bar or minor blues! d) Most of all, be creative, have fun, and Dig The Blues!

Attached: A variety of kick and riff examples.




Documents

Workshop materials compiled by Dave Cazier