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The Evolution From the Quadrille, March
The ambiguous nature of popular music in the early 20th century lent itself so naturally to various styles that most songs would be entitled one way and then stated that it could be adapted to many other styles. Even the famous Washington Post March of Sousa was first written and thought of as a two-step. One example of this ambiguity can be seen in "A Warm Up In Dixie" described used as a cakewalk, march and/or two-step). Ragtime, the most popular style of music during the turn of the 20th century was performed by the traditional instrumental ensemble of the day, the brass band, and the theater orchestra. Man original rags were not written as vocal or piano numbers but as instrumental orchestra music (Mississippi Rag - first published as a rag, is notated as "the first ragtime two-step ever written" and first played by Krell’s Orchestra. Arthur Pryor’s "Coon Band Contest" (1899) is identified as a trombone solo. Instrumental rags and ragtime-styled music (an ancestor and influence of jazz), were important in Jazz’s evolution because they: 1) brought Negro rhythmic music to the usually sophisticated American White society; 2) non-reading bands listened to and imitated the more learned orchestras heard performing ragtime song; 3) the large demand for dance orchestras during an era when dancing was the most popular form of social activity; and 4) they provided the style for the ‘ragging’ of marches by adding syncopation and blue notes by the piano players of the era. When a ragtime piece was played the dancer determined the choice of dance steps, although the music might call it a two-step, one-step, ragtime or a number of other dance style. Ragtime’s ancestry is also in the French Quadrille and the military march. Ragtime used the strict form of the march and two of the characteristics of the quadrille - the adaptation of widely miscellaneous popular folk song material, and a great range of rhythmic and melodic flexibility. Its evolution is similar to the evolution of the classic Ricecar to the fugue. This program traces the evolution of the rag from its early ancestors to jazz songs. We must remember that there was really no difference between early cakewalks, early rags and the two-step. We also must remember that early ragtime was closely associated with dancing. Early ragtime text was in exceedingly poor taste and decidedly vulgar. It used racial bigotry, using caricatures and stereotypes with brutally coarse language. We also do state that, however vulgar the words, they fit the music like a glove. The evolution of jazz can be seen through a direct line of influences - from the march, to the cakewalk, to ragtime and finally the 1 & 2 step dance and the fox trot. Early jazz was dance music, and its evolution came through the co-ordination of music and the dance. By listening and examining the popular music as it evolved into jazz we can see this evolution from the early Negro cakewalks, which has a ragtime feeling, into ragtime that evolves into the jazz song and jazz dances. In 1899 we find that the cakewalk was one of the most popular styles of popular American music. This style became ragtime, beginning around 1899 and gained in popularity by 1902. By 1910 ragtime reached its zenith in popularity. Ragtime music evolved into the popular American ballroom dances. This trend was led by the dance team of Irene and Vernon Castle with the help of J. R. Europe. The jazz dance (especially the fox trot) took over the pop scene and jazz became the popular music of the nation. "Teasin’ The Cat" is considered the last rag that was popular and it is interesting as it is subtitled "a fox trot." The close relationship between the dance and jazz can be seen as numerous new ‘jazz’ dances (Charleston, Black Bottom, shimmy, etc.) were developed. During the 20’s jazz and the dance formed a bond that was stable until jazz evolved around 1945 (beebop) and became a musician’s music that emphasized individual improvisation and performance and was no longer dance music. Jazz then evolved into strictly listening music. |
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Philo Senate March | |||
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Pickaninnies on Parade | |||
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Cotton Pickers Rag and Cakewalk | |||
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Southern Hospitality | |||
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Bos'n Rag | |||
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Hello Ma Baby | |||
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Swipsy | |||
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Kerry Mills Ragtime Dances | |||
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Grizzly Bear | |||
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Alexander's Ragtime Band | |||
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Castle House Rag | |||
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Canhanibalmo Rag | |||
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Junk Man Rag | |||
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Jubilee Rag | |||
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Teasin' the Cat | |||
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PHILO SENATE MARCH -
1894 -R. B. Hall The
Philo Senate March is a typical late 19th century march as
played by the bands of this era for either a street march or as a
two-step in the dance hall. This march style composition is one step
away from added syncopated rhythm, to the march and of the march's
evolution into the newly adopted Negro rhythm that, when added to a
march, became what was to be called ragtime. It is this evolution
between the march to ragtime that leads to the evolution of jazz music. The
Philo Senate March, written in 1894, is structured as a three section
march - A, B. and C (trio). Section A is interesting as it is a group of
phrases that begin at a dynamic level of piano (p), a crescendo to forte
(f) within four measures that is repeated four times, ending in a normal
cadential formula. Section
B uses a similar ascending melodic scheme using half note values instead
of quarter notes of section A. Interesting, like the 13th
measure a cakewalk it is of unison character. The trio also has an
ascending scale-like melodic character. Without the use of syncopation,
it is a workable, easily playable march, playable (unlike the harder
Sousa marches) by most brass bands that existed in the city of New
Orleans. Curiously, many later jazz songs would still use a march like
trio section (Ex; War cloud, by the ODJB, sounds exactly like a march
trio. PICKANINNIES ON
PARADE - 1897 - George Bernard New
Orleans had an active music publishing industry. The tune Dixie was
first published in New Orleans. The rest of the country looked to New
Orleans as jazz was evolving for published arrangements of this new
music called jazz. New Orleans' composer's music was also published
by other publishing companies. George Bernard wrote 'Pickaninnies'
for publication by the John Church Company of Philadelphia. While the
publishing companies were in existence even before the Civil War, the
zenith of sheet music's popularity was after the turn of the century
as Negro and jazz music was evolving and becoming popular. COTTON
PICKERS RAG & CAKEWALK - 1899 - William Braun One
of the most popular arrangements in New Orleans during its publication,
'Cotton Pickers' is a great example of the cakewalk genre on its
evolution into jazz. The
composer, William Braun, was born in New Orleans in 11867. He became a
prominent band-leader in the city and was most famous for his
association with he Rex Carnival Krewe and the Pan-American Life
Insurance company Band. He was associated with a great number of New
Orleans early jazz musicians such as Nick LaRocca, Emmett Hardy, and
Eddie Edwards. He died in 1940. Cotton
Pickers Rag and Cakewalk is a charming cakewalk and is fun to play. It
could be the model for all music that was called a cakewalk. A
characteristic of these early cakewalks was the use of the cakewalk
rhythm in the 12 and 13th measures of the first section. It
was published by one of the leading music stores of the era, the
Grunewald Music Company of New Orleans. SOUTHERN
HOSPITALITY - 1899 - Arthur Pryor Marked
a ragtime/cakewalk, we find the name of "Sousa's Band" following
Pryor's name on the composer's credit. The introduction has an
interesting use of the cakewalk rhythm in tutti unison. It is marked
"Marcia Moderato" again linking ragtime music to the march and the
brass band. Using both the cakewalk rhythm and the syncopation of
ragtime it is a bridge between the two styles. It was written by the
great trombonist of Sousa's Band, Arthur Pyror. Possibly
one of the first true classic rags, it was published in 1899, about the
same time as the Maple Leaf Rag of Scott Joplin. It uses tied
syncopation, a trait of classic rags incorporated later in 1906. Usually
these early cakewalks and/or rags would use united syncopation, making
this particular rag not only very interesting but important in its own
right. It also shows the progress made in the evolutionary process where
there is less evidence of the march and traditional cakewalk rhythm,
into the rhythms and character of a very early rag, much more than the
characteristic cakewalk rhythms used in the Mississippi Rag, which is
considered, historically, a very important piece. HELLO MY BABY - 1899 -
Howard/Emerson No
less than Johann Brahms was a fan of this song. He heard a lady
performer playing the banjo and singing this song in a Paris nightclub.
He remarked how he really loved the rhythmic structure. Unfortunately
Brahms died before he was able to use the rhythm in a complete
composition. Brahms was a great user of syncopation in his music and
perhaps, he, in his way, paved the way for the syncopated, rhythmic
music of jazz. This arrangement begins with three sections of unfamiliar
melodies but ends with the fourth section using the well-known melody of
"Hello My Baby." This piece is an example (along with Alexander's
Ragtime Band) of the ragtime style filtering into Tin Pan Alley and
American popular music. It uses the cakewalk rhythm in its main melody. Most ragtime
publications were published for almost any musical combination that
could possibly be assembled. A portion of the literature was for solo
piano. Scott Joplin assisted a young composer in writing a rag that was
soon published, listing both Scott Joplin and the young composer, Arthur
Marshall. The song "Swipsey" is well-known as a piano solo but like
most rags it was also arranged for brass bands. KERRY MILLS
RAGTIME DANCE - 1909 - Kerry Mills Kerry
Mills was one of the most popular song composers of the early 20th
century. This composition shows the close relationship between the
cakewalk and the rag, using the cakewalk rhythm and includes the use of
syncopation. An interesting rhythm is the use of the cakewalk rhythm's
third note being tied - thus creating syncopation. Its form is the same
as a rag by Joplin, having three sections with transitions between
sections and a repeat of the first section (the same as the Joplin rag
"The entertainer"). GRIZZLY BEAR - 1910 -
George Botsford What
is called a secondary rag contains a cross-rhythm meter - a technique in
classical music called hemiola. Botsford was a protégé of Irving
Berlin. Berlin stated that he lent a hand to Botsford in the writing of
"Grizzly." Botsford, born in 1874, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
wrote this rag in 1910. Berlin is given credit for the lyrics of this
song but also helped with the melody. In this piece we find the use of
the cakewalk rhythm with an interesting use of staccato in the trio. We
find a return of the cakewalk rhythm in the last four measures. ALEXANDER'S
RAGTIME BAND - 1911 - Irving Berlin
One
of the most popular and influential pieces of the early 20th
century, Alexander's Ragtime Band paved the way for the beginnings of
the famous "Tin Pan Alley." Berlin was primarily a popular
song-writer and whatever was selling was the style of his next
composition. Alexander was the name used when persons of authority would
call a Negro band leader, thus the name of the song as typical of the
Negro jazz band. It is played in the original arrangement published in
1911. Listen to quotes from "Swanee River" and "Dixie."
CASTLE HOUSE RAG - 1914
- J. R. Europe Written
by James Reese Europe, the musical director for Irene and Vernon Castle,
is subtitled "Trot and One-Step." The piece is a good example of the
evolution from the rag to the most popular jazz dance of the 20's, the
For Trot, made famous by the dance team of Vernon and Irene Castle.
While not using the cakewalk rhythm it does contain syncopation and the
use of a repeated rhythm pattern ( ooo oooo ). CANHANIBALMO RAG - 1911
- Arthur Pyror Using
the typical cakewalk rhythm, this composition shows the close
relationship or ambiguity between the cakewalk and the rag. This piece
uses the cakewalk rhythm with syncopation ( o o o o ). The piece was
arranged by Charles Roberts and is published for the dance orchestra,
piano and full band. It modulates from Bb to Eb in the trio, which is in
two sections, the second section marked 'slower.' The trio has some
unusual and more demanding rhythmic figures. Written in 1911, we can see
the development of what is called a rag and a cakewalk. Both styles were
on the downward scale in popularity at the time of composition, styles
that would not last past the ending of the 1st World War. It
also shows that dance music is becoming harder to play with a more
demanding technique and understanding of rhythm. JUNK MAN RAG - 1913 -C.
Roberts A
well-developed rag, the "Junk Man" is a mature example of ragtime
during its most popular period by one of its most accomplished
musicians, Charles Roberts. This was dance music as it is described as a
One or Two-Step dance. An interesting item is the tempo. Most ragtime
was marked "not too fast." If the dancers wanted to dance a
One-Step, the same music would be played faster. This was the dilemma
that the musicians of this era were up against. This
rag is also interesting with its use of the cakewalk rhythm and the use
of both united and tied syncopation. There is no use of 'blue' notes
as the jazz sound was not in vogue at the time of publication. While
called a rag in the title, it is subtitled "Two-Step." We do find
use of the cakewalk rhythm and syncopation. It is in four sections, all
containing the cakewalk rhythm and syncopation. It is also in the chain
of evolution from the cakewalk, to ragtime, to a popular jazz dance of
the era. TEASIN' THE CAT -
1916 - Charles Johnson This
piece, labeled a rag or fox trot, was written by Charles Johnson.
Johnson, whose home was Kansas City, was one of the last Tin Pan Alley
composers to continue to write rags and cakewalks. Johnson's "Fun on
the Levee" (1917) was subtitled a cakewalk, and his writing a cakewalk
as late as 1917 was unusual as the cakewalk style was out of vogue after
1916. "Teasin'
The Cat" uses an interesting rhythm in its first section ( o o o o o o
/ o ), and this rhythm is repeated in the other sections of the song.
This piece seems to be lost in time and its creation in 1916 leads
toward the evolution of the 'jazz' song. |
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