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About the Artwork:I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues is, like the title says, a
blues. In fact, this is what is called a twelve-bar blues
(four beats per bar). It starts with a high energy trumpet
solo by Snooky Young who shortly after, trades
choruses with fellow trumpeter Bobby Bryant. Next
we hear the saxophones section play an extended riff,
the first time it is subdued and low, the second time
is higher and accompanied by a “shout” chorus in the
trumpets and trombones. The last section is a super
shout chorus, with the extended riff and many strong
rhythms and melodies played throughout the orchestra.
(continued on page 2)
Creative Process of the Artist or Culture:John Clayton is the primary composer and arranger
for the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. His
creative process involves composing (melody, harmony,
rhythm) and arranging (what and when instruments
play). He likes to find a quiet space before he creates
music, this helps him to get focused and allows his
musical intuition to flow. Then he writes, in words,
a brief description of how he wants
the music to sound, this may include
tempo, style, mood, or more
general ideas like slow chords in the
saxophones, loud trombone notes,
trumpet solo, rhythm section vamp,
etc. (continued page 2)
“When I write music forCHJO I write for the talent and personality ofthe people in the orchestra,not just the instrumentsthey play.” John Clayton
Title of Work:I Be Serious ’Bout Dem BluesClayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Creator:Composer/Arranger: John Clayton
Background Information:The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (CHJO) has
received critical and commercial praise for its rousing
live concert and award-winning recordings. The group
was founded by brothers John and Jeff Clayton and
drummer Jeff Hamilton in Los Angeles, California in
1985. Maintaining its connection to the past, while
looking ahead to the future, it is a living link to the rich
history of jazz -- especially its unique melding of African,
European and American influences. The leaders of
CHJO spent years developing their talents through dedicated
study and practice (in jazz we call this “shedding”).
Eventually, they had opportunities to perform with some
great and influential artists, such as Count Basie, Monty
Alexander, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank
Sinatra. John Clayton even spent time playing classical
music in Europe with the Amsterdam Philharmonic. In
the early years of CHJO, the band leaders struggled.
They all borrowed money to pay for their first recording
and did whatever they could to share their music with
more people. Over many years of dedication they developed
a reputation of great style and excellence. In the fall of
1998 John Clayton was appointed the Artistic Director
of Jazz at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and
the CHJO was named the jazz ensemble-in-residence
(1998-2001). There, CHJO was joined by a host of
internationally renowned artists.
California
MUSICMUSICMUSIC
TRANSFORMATIONTHE POWER OF NATURE
FREEDOM &OPPRESSION
ENDURING VALUES
THE HUMANFAMILY
ARTISTIC PROCESSES
1. CREATING (Cr)
2. PERFORMING, PRESENTING, PRODUCING (Pr)
3. RESPONDING (Re)
4. CONNECTING (Cn)
rtsource ®The Music Center’s Study Guide
to the Performing Arts
A TRADITIONALCLASSICALCONTEMPORARY
EXPERIMENTAL
MULTI-MEDIA
Photo courtesy of John Clayton
moment. This requires intellect, talent and soul. Great
jazz musicians and composers can be identified by their
sound. No words are needed; the tone and phrasing of
their music tells us who they are. Some examples of
people with very distinct personalities in jazz are: Scott
Joplin, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis,
Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Tony Williams, Bill
Evans and Wynton Marsalis. Think of the things, such
as clothes, your hair style, your walk, or how you
decorate your room, that give clues about your own
personal style. Write down words or phrases that
describe your style. What does your style tell about your
personality?
Audio-Visual Materials:• Artsource® audio excerpt: I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues
composed and arranged by John Clayton, performed by
the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. From the CD
“Heart and Soul.” (Capri Records, 1991) Courtesy of
John Clayton and CHJO.
• Musical score courtesy of Ginger Kids Music, 2006.
• Photos courtesy of John Clayton.
Additional References:• Marsalis, Wynton with Geoffery Ward. Moving to
Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life (Book).
Random House, 2009.
• Marsalis, Wynton with Paul Rogers. Squeak, Rumble,
Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure (Book).
Candlewick, 2012.
Sample Experiences:Level I•Learn how to play and improvise over a “backbeat.”
Learn to hear the difference between composition and
improvisation by dancing during solos and sitting
during other sections.
Level II• Learn how to count and improvise over a twelve-bar
blues form. Research other art forms that have been
influenced by jazz (poetry, visual art, dance).
Level III• Learn how to describe and imitate the rhythm section
of a jazz band. Create a spoken word presentation that is
organized like a jazz orchestra (5 trumpets, 4 trombones,
5 saxophones and a rhythm section).
*
• Indicates sample lessons
*
*
Continuation of Background on the Work:Finally, the rhythm section brings the energy down,
followed by a surprise statement played by the
orchestra. The full version of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem
Blues is filled with other solos (improvisations)
on saxophone and piano with accompaniment or
“backgrounds” played by the orchestra.
Continuation of the Creative Process:Personality, style and soul are very important in
establishing a sound on an instrument and the sound
of a musical group. The sound of CHJO is created
by the players and the composer/arranger. John
Clayton has a connection to the members of CHJO
that allows him to highlight their unique musical
and personal traits. This way of composing stretches
back to the famous jazz orchestras of Edward “Duke”
Ellington. John can usually write an entire song (7-
10 minutes) in a single day, which is very fast considering
he is writing for five trumpets, four trombones, five
saxophones, rhythm section (drums, bass, piano,
guitar) and sometimes a singer. The music comes to
life in rehearsal when he explains how all of the parts
fit together. Then, it’s up to the musicians to bring
their energy and talent to the piece.
Discussion Questions: After listening to the audio:
• How do you think a jazz orchestra would sound
live? Why is it different than hearing a recording?
• What process do you engage in when you are trying
to write (compose) an essay or sequence (arrange)
“moves” or “plays” in a game? What is the step by step
plan you follow to make sure you reach your goal?
• What characteristics identify your own personality?
• What are some of the things you are practicing
(shedding) to make yourself a better person?
• How does a composer learn to write for instruments
he/she does not play?
Multidisciplinary Options:For many musicians jazz represents freedom to be
yourself. This freedom can be expressed when a
musician improvises or makes up the music in the
2
3
THE HUMAN FAMILY and ENDURING VALUESSPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC
LEVEL I Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
A musical instrument has a sound similar to how every person has a voice. A jazz musician works hardto create a sound that is all his/her own. This means that an instrument produces different soundsdepending on who is playing. When we hear a jazz orchestra perform, they are creating a big musical conversation, sometimes they read the music (composition) and sometimes they get to make it up on theirown (improvisation). Jazz music lets all of the musicians speak with their instruments and share their personality and style in harmony with everyone else.
OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)
Students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a greater appreciation for how the sound of an instrument can be personalized. (Responding & Performing)
• Identify a “backbeat” in jazz. (Responding)
• Create a simple model of an improvisational duet. (Creating & Performing)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)
MATERIALS:
• Artsource® Audio excerpt: I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues.
PROGRESSION:
• Give some background information on the music of The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which isfound on pages 1-2.
• Explain to your students that the blues is a song form used in jazz music and that the musicians orsingers get to improvise. This means they will make up the music as they go.
• Listen to the audio recording of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues. As you listen to the music, count along(one-two-three-four). Now snap your fingers on the counts of two and four. Explain to your studentsthat this type of accenting is called a “backbeat” and the type of rhythm used in jazz is called “swing.”
MUSICMUSIC
• Listen to the music again. Focus on the opening section with the two trumpet solos. The first trumpetplayer we hear is named Snooky and the other is Bobby. Notice how each player makes the trumpet sounda little bit different. Every time you hear the player change, have students call out the name of the one playing.
• Explain to your students that Snooky and Bobby are having a musical conversation.
• In groups of two, have a conversation with a classmate while snapping your fingers to the backbeat. Besure to stay together and keep the rhythm steady. You can repeat exactly what the other person says toyou, like an echo, or continue the conversation. If you repeat a phrase, be sure to say it back in a slightlydifferent way - using your own personal style.
• Select different pairs of students to perform for the class, hopefully giving everyone the opportunity.
• Use the extension ideas below to broaden the experience for your students.
EXTENSIONS:
• Create or learn a story that can be read in a rhythmic way. Organize the story so that some of it is readas a class and some of it is read by a single person (unison with solos). Perform it with a backbeat.
• Learn the names of the instruments in a jazz orchestra: trumpets, trombones, saxophones and a rhythmsection (bass, piano, drums, sometimes guitar).
• Watch the video of a jazz orchestra or big band performing. (Why Toes Tap by Wynton Marsalis)
VOCABULARY: backbeat, solo, improvisation, jazz, blues, rhythm, personality
ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)
DESCRIBE: In your own words, describe whatimprovisation is.
DISCUSS: Discuss the difference between improvisationand playing music as it is written.
ANALYZE: Discuss how a musical conversation is similar to a verbal conversation. What is common toboth? What is different?
Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards forLanguage - Reading; Writing; Listening; Speaking
4
5
TRANSFORMATIONPLAYING THE NUMBERS
LEVEL II Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra plays many stylesof jazz music and is able to express many emotionsthrough sound. One of the most popular styles is calledthe blues which developed from African American culture in the southern United States (Louisiana,Mississippi, etc.) during the late 1800s. When the bluesbegan, they were sung, usually by someone who washeart-broken or sad. Today the blues are sung or playedon instruments by a single musician or an entire bandand the sound can be happy, sad, melancholy or evenhumorous. The blues form is related to the music ofAfrica because it utilizes regular repeating cycles ofrhythm and harmony.
OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)
Students will be able to:
• Name the instrumental sections of a jazz orchestra. (Responding)
• Demonstrate a greater appreciation for the musical/mental skills used in jazz. (Responding)
• Recognize the repeating cycles of a twelve-bar blues. (Responding)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)
MATERIALS:
• Artsource® audio excerpt: I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues.
PROGRESSION:
• Give some background information on the music of The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, found on pages 1-2.
John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, and Jeff Clayton
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Photo courtesy of John Clayton
MUSIC
• Explain to your students that the blues is a song form used in jazz music and that the musicians or
singers get to improvise, making up the music as they go.
• Listen to the recording of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues.
• Tell your students that a jazz orchestra is divided into sections of instruments: trumpets, trombones,
saxophones and a rhythm section of bass, piano, drums and sometimes guitar.
• Draw some pictures of the instruments used in this music. Be as accurate as possible.
• Listen to the music again and have the students raise their hands every time they hear one of these
instrumental sections.
• Explain to the students that I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues is a twelve-bar blues; each section is dividedinto twelve measures of 4/4 time (four beats per measure).
• Teach your students to count a measure: one-two-three-four. Now have them count continuous
measures in a row: one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, etc.
• In jazz, each “cycle” is called a chorus. Have your students count a twelve-bar cycle: ONE-two-three-
four, TWO-two-three-four, THREE-two-three-four, FOUR-two-three-four, etc.
• With the class counting twelve-bar cycles, have a few people improvise the lyrics to a song. Many times
the blues are about personal events like falling in love, going to work/school, going to a party, etc.
A different person should begin at the “top” of each cycle. Use rhythm in the delivery of your story.
• Use the extension ideas below to broaden the experience for your students.
EXTENSIONS:
• Listen to I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues excerpt and follow the twelve-bar cycles. Notice that when themusic changes it usually happens at the beginning of a chorus.
• Extend the blues that was performed in class by allowing the soloist to take more than one chorus.
• Learn the origins of some of the instruments used in a jazz orchestra. (Europe, Africa, America)
• Listen to Take the A Train by Edward “Duke” Ellington (Amazon, iTunes, etc.).
• Use the assessment topics below to help your students gain awareness of what they have learned.
6
VOCABULARY: chorus, cycle, measure, blues, improvisation, top.
ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)
DESCRIBE: Describe the sound of a jazz orchestra.
DISCUSS: Discuss how knowing the form of a song changes the listening experience.
ANALYZE: Analyze the differences and similarities of a jazz orchestra and a symphony orchestra.
CONNECT: What other activities or events are measured by cycles?
Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking
7
8
TRANSFORMATIONCHANGES IN THE RHYTHM
LEVEL III Sample Lesson
INTRODUCTION:
Over the last century the development of jazz has been
marked by many social, spiritual, and intellectual ideas. Louis
“Satchmo” Armstrong developed an incredible ability to stand
out as an individual through his improvisational style on the
trumpet and as a singer. John Coltrane thought of his music as
a spiritual extension to God. Edward “Duke” Ellington was the
most prolific composer of the Twentieth Century and
expanded the use of compositional development and
improvisation. Jazz music would not be the same
without the contributions of these musicians, as well as many
other men and women.
Change has always been a part of the legacy of jazz, allowing
musicians to contribute to its evolving language. Jazz
maintains its characteristics of swing rhythms and
improvisation while incorporating new and modern concepts.
One of the most incredible things about jazz and all of its
transformations is that it has always stayed connected to its
roots - the blues. The blues is a simple song form style that has
been at the heart of every great jazz artist’s career. The shape of the blues also serves as a metaphor for
change and contrast, it is built on a series of chords that change over a twelve-bar cycle while the rhythm
of swing stays constant, these elements create a relationship of tension and release much like the evolu-
tion of this classic American art form. It is this vibrant energy that inspires musicians to contribute to the
legacy and lineage of this music.
OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)
Students will be able to:
• Name the instrumental sections of a jazz orchestra. (Responding)
• Describe how the instruments interact in jazz. (Responding)
John ClaytonClayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Photo courtesy of John Clayton
MUSIC
• Play a basic swing rhythm. (Responding & Performing)
• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to
Assessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)
MATERIALS:
• Artsource® audio excerpt of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues.
PROGRESSION:
• Give some background information on the music of The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra from
pages 1-2.
• Explain to your students that the blues is a song form used in jazz music and that the musicians or
singers get to improvise, making up the music as they go.
• Listen to the recording of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues.
• Explain to your students that jazz is based on a type of rhythm called swing. This rhythm is one of the
defining elements of jazz.
• Teach your students this rhythmic pattern, which is the basic swing pattern played by the drummer on
a “ride” cymbal: One - - Two - ah Three - - Four - ah, One - - etc. This pattern is also called a “ride”
pattern. You can play it with one hand on a flat surface or clap your hands. Be sure to count out loud
when first learning this pattern.
• Now play the counts two and four with an accent (a little louder than the others). This type of accent
is called a backbeat and is part of the swing rhythm.
• Explain to your students that this pattern is part of a groove that is played by the rhythm section
(drums, bass, piano, guitar) of a jazz band or orchestra. This groove provides the foundation for the other
instruments to play over.
• Listen to the audio recording of I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues again and pay close attention to the rhythmsection. Can you hear the ride pattern? Notice how the bass plays on the beat moving from low notes to
higher notes and back down again. This is called “walking.” The piano plays short non-repeating
rhythms to add a little tension and syncopation. This is called accompaniment or “ ’comping.”
9
• In groups of three, have your students practice playing each element of the rhythm section: ride pattern,walking the bass, and ’comping. Play the ride pattern the same as before. Walking the bass can be doneby singing low moving notes using “boom” as a syllable or playing on a low sounding surface (desk, book,
large water bottle). ’Comping should be done with a sound that is different than the ride pattern, sparse
and non-repetitive. Each person should get a chance to try each part.
• Next, teach your students to count the twelve-bar cycle that is used in I Be Serious ’Bout Dem Blues:ONE-two-three-four, TWO-two-three-four, THREE-two-three-four, FOUR-two-three-four, etc. (In
jazz, each cycle is called a chorus.)
• Listen to the song again, and count the choruses as they go by. If you get lost, listen for the beginnings
of phrases or sections for guidance. Listen to how the rhythm section propels the orchestra.
• Now choose a few groups to “groove,” improvising rhythm and vocal sounds, while the rest of the class
counts each measure of the chorus. Count soft enough to hear the rhythm section. Each group should
only groove for a single chorus.
• Keep choosing different groups to groove for the class. Have fun!
• Use the extension ideas below to broaden the experience for your students.
EXTENSIONS:
• Research the historical and social origins of the blues.
• Listen to other jazz recordings to further your understanding of how a rhythm section works. Make sure
the music has a swing rhythm. (Miles Davis: Porgy and Bess, Thelonious Monk: Criss-Cross)
• Add a soloist to your groove, sing a song, read/write a poem or dance.
• Look at and study the score located on the web at the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra Artsource®Unit webpage.
• Visit http://jazzatlincolncenter.org/learn/teachers-students for more ideas and information.
10
VOCABULARY: chorus, cycle, measure, blues, improvisation, ride cymbal, ride pattern, walking the bass,‘comp, groove, swing, syncopation, groove
ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)
DESCRIBE: Describe the importance of change.
DISCUSS: Discuss how change has made jazz music survive and grow.
ANALYZE: Analyze your own ability to change things.
CONNECT: What things would you like to change in yourself and the world around you?
Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking
DISCOGRAPHY:
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz OrchestraLIVE AT MCG Mcg Jazz 2005SHOUT ME OUT! Capitol 2000EXPLOSION with Milt Jackson Quest 1999ABSOLUTELY Lake Street 1995HEART & SOUL Capri 1991GROOVE SHOP Capri 1989BOOGIE DOWN with Ernistine Anderson Concord 1991
Clayton BrothersBACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS Capitol 2005EXPRESSIONS Warner Bros. 1997THE MUSIC Capri 1991IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY Concord 1980THE CLAYTON BROTHERS Concord 1980
11
CHJO Unit 1-2.q_CHJO Unit 1-2.qCHJO # 1 3-4.q_CHJO # 1 3-4.qCHJO # 2 5-8.q_CHJO # 2 5-8.qCHJO #3 9-12.q_CHJO #3 9-12.q