Jazz flute is the use of the flute in jazz music. While flutes were sometimes played in ragtime and early jazz ensembles, the flute became established as a jazz instrument in the 1950s. [1] It is now widely used in ensembles and by soloists. [2] The modern Boehm system transverse concert flute is commonly used in jazz playing; other members of the same family are used, such as the alto flute in G. Ethnic and other flutes, such as bamboo flutes, have also been used in jazz.
The flute was not widely used in early jazz, although some ragtime arrangements call for it. The timbre and the limited dynamic range of the instrument and its associations with classical music caused it to be perceived as unsuitable to big band ensembles and unable to swing convincingly. [1] Before the use of amplification became common practice in the 1930s, jazz flute players were restricted to the upper range of the instrument to be audible. [2]
Among the earliest jazz flute recordings is "Shootin' the Pistol," performed by the Cuban clarinettist and bandleader Alberto Socarras with the Clarence Williams band in 1927. [2] The first jazzman to make extensive use of the flute was Wayman Carver, a saxophone player who from 1932 specialised in flute. He recorded flute solos with Benny Carter and with Spike Hughes in 1933, and played and recorded with the Chick Webb band for several years, soloing on flute on tracks such as "Sweet Sue", "Down Home Rag" and "I Got Rhythm". [1] [3] : 43
Flute became more common in jazz during the 1950s. Sam Most, Herbie Mann, Eric Dolphy and Bobby Jasper were early important jazz flautists, with Hubert Laws and Roland Kirk achieving prominence in the '60s.
Flutes of many kinds have been used in jazz music.
The modern Boehm system transverse concert flute is commonly used in jazz playing; other members of the same family are also heard. The piccolo is not common in jazz, but has been used by players such as Anthony Braxton and Hubert Laws, and by Marshall Allen, who recorded piccolo solos with Sun Ra. The alto flute in G is more often heard, and has been used in recordings by Bobby Jaspar,Túpac Amarulloa, Herbie Mann, Bud Shank and Paul Horn among others. Jimmy Giuffre soloed on bass flute in C on his album River Chant , recorded in 1975. [1]
The recorder is often perceived as unsuitable for jazz as its technique does not facilitate chromatic playing. [4] Jazz recorder performers include Benoit Sauvé [4] and Pete Rose, who also composes "written-out" jazz for performance by soloists or by groups such as the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet. [5]
A wide variety of ethnic and other flutes have been used in jazz at times. Roland Kirk played bamboo flutes and nose flute, [2] and Yusef Lateef used wooden and bamboo instruments. [1] Theodosii Spassov plays jazz kaval. Shakuhachi was used in Tony Scott's Music for Zen Meditation in 1964. A single track on Live at the Blue Note by Dave Valentin lists instruments including concert flute, bamboo flutes, pan pipes, Peruvian bamboo bass flute, porcelain flute, Romanian pan flute and assorted whistles. [6]
Significant jazz flute players include Roland Kirk, [7] [8] Nicole Mitchell, [8] Frank Wess, [8] [9] Bobby Jaspar, [8] Eric Dolphy, [8] Jamie Baum, [8] Hubert Laws, [10] Jerome Richardson, [11] James Newton, [12] Bobbi Humphrey, [8] [13] Herbie Mann, [14] Dave Valentin, [15] Bud Shank, Yusef Lateef, Buddy Collette, Jeremy Steig, Bennie Maupin, [13] Sam Rivers [16] and Moe Koffman. [17]
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, known earlier in his career simply as Roland Kirk, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the ability to play several instruments simultaneously.
Yusef Abdul Lateef was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States.
Frank Wellington Wess was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B♭ clarinet, it is usually pitched in B♭, but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B♭ clarinet. Bass clarinets in other keys, notably C and A, also exist, but are very rare. Bass clarinets regularly perform in orchestras, wind ensembles and concert bands, and occasionally in marching bands, and play an occasional solo role in contemporary music and jazz in particular.
Albert "Tootie" Heath was an American jazz hard bop drummer, the brother of tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath and the double-bassist Percy Heath. With Stanley Cowell, the Heaths formed the Heath Brothers jazz band in 1975.
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments, often but not exclusively at a professional level of proficiency.
The Western concert flute is a family of transverse (side-blown) woodwind instruments made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a “flautist” in British English, and a “flutist” in American English.
Joel Dorn was an American jazz and R&B music producer and record label entrepreneur. He worked at Atlantic Records, and later founded the 32 Jazz, Label M, and Hyena Records labels. He called himself "The Masked Announcer".
Garnett Brown was an American jazz trombonist who worked with The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Earth Wind and Fire and others.
Jimmy Owens is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, lecturer, and educator. He has played with Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Herbie Mann, among many others. Since 1969, he has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus.
Charles "Majeed" or "Majid" Greenlee was an American jazz trombonist who worked extensively with Archie Shepp.
Robert Stanley "Bobby" Donaldson was an American jazz and R&B drummer.
Nippon Soul is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at the Sankei Hall in Tokyo during his 1963 Japanese tour and released on the Riverside label featuring performances by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Yusef Lateef, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. The CD release added a bonus track recorded the previous week and originally released on The Japanese Concerts (1975).
Live at Pep's is a 1964 album by the American Jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist Yusef Lateef. Other participating musicians in this album were bassist Ernie Farrow, pianist Mike Nock, drummer James Black and trumpeter Richard Williams. This live album was recorded at Pep's Lounge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Flute Soufflé is an album by jazz flautists Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar featuring tracks recorded in 1957 for the Prestige label.
Flute Flight is an album by American and Belgian jazz flautists Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar featuring tracks recorded in 1957 for the Prestige label.
Ahmad Khatab Salim or Ahmad Kharab Salim was an American jazz composer, and arranger.