On Sun, 4 Feb 1996, GD wrote:
quoted 16 lines Just to add my 2 cents, having listened to a bit of jazz and played> Just to add my 2 cents, having listened to a bit of jazz and played
> it too, I can say that I've never heard of this "break" thing in
> relation to it. The normal jazz song structure involves 2 pieces,
> the solo and head sections, the latter of which is repeated twice
> within the song in the following sequence: head-solo-head. The head
> lays out the chord changes for the song along with the melody, and
> then the solo section involves improvisation over the main chord
> changes which were presented in the head. During the solo sections
> the drummer and bass player usually keep the time, with the piano
> player "comping", or playing the chords in different ways, while each
> other instrument takes a turn at soloing over the changes. And
> occasionally the drummer takes his portion of the solo, but this is
> considered part of the solo section, not a different part of the song.
> If this "break" part of the song were indeed the case, the whole solo
> portion of a tune should then be called the "break" because some of
> the other players stop playing as well.
This is a good description of what happens in the mainstream jazz
tradition (including bebop), but there are, of course, myriad jazz
artists and subgenres that dispense with this form...
Some solos, especially in New Orleans-style jazz, were played over what's
called "stop time," basically where the accompaniment as a whole drops
out every two bars or so and the soloist goes it completely alone. Often
drum solos were handled this way in the 20s; the group would outline the
chord sequence on counts 1 and 8 of an 8-beat phrase, and the drummer
would play some sort of rhythmic tattoo designed to show off his speed
and prowess. This can be heard in present-day mainstream jazz as well,
though with somewhat less frequency.
quoted 7 lines Now I've heard of "breakdowns" and such for hip-hop and pop music,> Now I've heard of "breakdowns" and such for hip-hop and pop music,
> but I really can't see the connection between standard jazz tunes
> and breakbeat/jungle tunes. In fact, I'm even mystified when people
> talk about jungle utilizing hip-hop "breaks" in songs as even if you
> were to slow down the breakbeats, they would sound nothing like hip-
> hop - and besides, the jungle beats are for the most part not even
> syncopated. Anyway, it's just another thought...
A lot of them sound to me like sped-up reggae or funk-jazz (e.g. Lonnie
Liston Smith) beats. Not being all that interested in jungle, I lack
vinyl to support this thesis. :)
For what it's worth,
Matthew L. Weber
Library Assistant
University of Michigan Music Library
You say we are tossed with wars. What then? Were not they of old time
likewise? Yes, Lipsius, they had their beginning with the world, and
shall never be at an end so long as the world lasts.
Justus Lipsius, 1547-1606, "The Evils of the Times," 1584