Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development is a 1968 book by Gunther Schuller, published by Oxford University Press. It surveys the history of jazz from its origins through the early 1930s, and was the first volume of a planned multi-volume history of jazz. The book has been translated into several languages, including Italian, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.[1] A second volume, The Swing Era (1991), followed; Schuller died before completing a projected third volume on bebop. The book is noted for its use of musical transcriptions to analyze jazz performances.
Schuller outlines the aims of the study and explains his reliance on recorded performance as the primary source material. He distinguishes the scope of this volume, which ends with the early 1930s, from the planned continuation on the Swing Era.
1. The Origins
This chapter explores the social and musical origins of jazz, highlighting African rhythmic, melodic, and timbral traditions alongside European influences. Schuller highlights elements such as blues forms, blue notes, and group improvisation as central to the emergence of jazz.
2. The Beginnings
Focusing largely on New Orleans while also noting other regional centers, Schuller describes how blues served as a common foundation for early jazz. He discusses the roles of early recordings by King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and others in bringing wider attention to the new style.
3. The First Great Soloist
Schuller examines Louis Armstrong as the defining early jazz soloist. He emphasizes Armstrong’s innovations in phrasing, improvisation, and ensemble interaction, which set new standards for jazz performance.
4. The First Great Composer
This chapter analyzes the contributions of Jelly Roll Morton, presented as the first significant jazz composer. Schuller considers Morton’s reputation and innovations, with attention to his blend of composition and improvisation.
5. Virtuoso Performers of the Twenties
Schuller surveys a range of notable performers of the 1920s, including Bix Beiderbecke, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, and Bessie Smith. He also addresses the roles of brass players, stride pianists such as James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, and the development of early white jazz bands.
6. The Big Bands
This chapter discusses the emergence of jazz orchestras in the late 1920s, shaped by new technologies and economic opportunities. Schuller highlights the bands of Fletcher Henderson and Don Redman in New York, as well as Bennie Moten and other groups in Kansas City, linking these developments to the future Swing Era.
7. The Ellington Style: Its Origins and Early Development
Schuller devotes the final chapter to Duke Ellington’s early career, examining how his compositions and orchestra created a distinctive sound. He notes Ellington’s use of individual players’ styles and the significance of his recordings of the 1920s and early 1930s.
Additional materials
The book concludes with an interview with Denver bandleader George Morrison, underscoring the national scope of early jazz. It also includes a glossary, selected discography, and index.
Reception
Reviewers in both the popular and academic press acclaimed Early Jazz at the time of its publication. In the New York Times Book Review, Frank Conroy wrote: "Here, at last, is the definitive work."[2]
In the Music Library Association publication, Notes, Frank Tirro wrote: "Gunther Schuller's work is the best musical account of jazz through the early 1930s yet published."[3]
In a review in The American Historical Review, George A. Boeck wrote: "Gunther Schuller's history of early jazz is the most scholarly and perceptive work on the subject to date."[5]
Schuller, Gunther (1991). The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945.[7]
References
↑ Austin, William W. (1969). "Gunther Schuller. Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development". Journal of the American Musicological Society. 22 (1): 135–138. doi:10.2307/830823. JSTOR830823.
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