Jazz

Abstract: List of Figures List of Music Texts Acknowledgments Introduction: Picking Notes out of Thin Air? Improvisation and Its Study Ch. 1: Love at First Sound: Early Musical Environment Ch. 2: Hangin' Out and Jammin': The Jazz Community as an Educational System Ch. 3: A Very Structured Thing: Jazz Compositions as Vehicles for Improvisation Ch. 4: Getting Your Vocabulary Straight: Learning Models for Solo Formulation Ch. 5: Seeing Out a Bit: Expanding upon Early Influences Ch. 6: The More Ways You Have of Thinking: Conventional Rhythmic and Theoretical Improvisation Approaches Ch. 7: Conversing with the Piece: Initial Routines Applying Improvisation Approaches to Form Ch. 8: Composing in the Moment: The Inner Dialogue and the Tale Ch. 9: Improvisation and Precomposition: The Eternal Cycle Ch. 10: The Never-ending State of Getting There: Soloing Ability, Ideals, and Evaluations Ch. 11: Arranging Pieces: Decisions in Rehearsal Ch. 12: Adding to Arrangements: Conventions Guiding the Rhythm Section Ch. 13: Give and Take: The Collective Conversation and Musical Journey Ch. 14: When the Music's Happening and When It's Not: Evaluating Group Performances Ch. 15: The Lives of Bands: Conflict Resolution and Artistic Development Ch. 16: Vibes and Venues: Interacting with Different Audiences in Different Settings Epilogue: Jazz as a Way of Life Music Texts Appendix A: House Congressional Resolution 57 Appendix B: List of Artists Interviewed Sources Notes Discography Videography Bibliography

Abstract: The purpose of this essay is to improve the way we talk about organizational improvisation, using the vehicle of jazz improvisation as the source of orienting ideas. I start with two brief descriptions of the complexity involved when musicians compose in the moment. Then I review several definitions intended to capture holistically what is happening when people improvise. Next, I take a closer look at selected details in improvisation, namely, degrees of improvisation, forms for improvisation, and cognition in improvisation. These understandings are then generalized from jazz to other settings such as conversation, therapy, and relationships of command. I conclude with implications for theory and practice.

Abstract: Using a database of jazz recordings we study the collaboration network of jazz musicians. We define the network at two different levels. First we study the collaboration network between individuals, where two musicians are connected if they have played in the same band. Then we consider the collaboration between bands, where two bands are connected if they have a musician in common. The community structure analysis reveals that these constructions capture essential ingredients of the social interactions between jazz musicians. We observe correlations between recording locations, racial segregation and the community structure. A quantitative analysis of the community size distribution reveals a surprising similarity with an e-mail based social network recently studied.

Abstract: Part One * Indian music (1) * Indian music (2) * Flamenco Part Two * Baroque (1) * Baroque (2) * Organ (1) * Organ (2) Part Three * Rock * Audience * Jazz (1) * Jazz (2) * Jazz (2) Part Four * The Composer * The Composer and the Non-Improviser * The ComposerIn Practice (1) * The ComposerIn Practice (2) * The ComposerIn Question Part Five * Free * Joseph Holbrooke * The Music Improvisation Company * The MICThe Instrument * The MICRecording * Solo Part Six * Objections * Classroom Improvisation Part Seven * The Long Distance Improviser * Company * Limits and Freedom