Creating Jazz Resources Utilising Local Content
by Anthony Woodroffe

Abstract

The impetus for the creation of this performance resource was due to the lack of available “playalongs” (as popularised by Jamey Aebersold) for local repertoire. The use of playalongs has long been established within jazz education as a means of presenting a suitable vehicle for improvisational devices within the idiom while promulgating the idea of standard repertoire and songs within the canon that are requisite. By affecting some moderate reharmonisation on calypso repertoire, the ability to reframe that music within the jazz idiom while keeping core musical elements unaffected becomes apparent. The importance of inclusivity and affording students the opportunity to see themselves in the repertoire choices available to them has been well documented in music education circles. By pairing the recordings with a chart incorporating a written solo, the resource has a dual function as both a playalong and as an etude utilising some of the improvisational approaches covered in the Jazz Improvisation and Theory course at the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Academy for the Performing Arts. 

Context

The Academy for the Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago is a very young institution, having been in existence for just over a decade. The recently revalidated undergraduate program in Fine Arts with a concentration in music has four pathways for progression, one of which is the Jazz/Contemporary music pathway. With the mandate to have students perform regional, local and contemporary selections, every attempt is made to make this a reality however, there is a lack of print and media resources for local and regional content. As a result, it falls to the instructors and students to create and source these materials. By leading and planning the development of these playalong/etudes and other resources, the instructor can build a digital library for future cohorts to access these materials.

Purpose And Significance

By working with students through the use of local repertoire, it is possible to engage with a broader diversity of musical skills and concepts than they otherwise might have by using the repertoire from the American jazz songbook. In addition to this, creating the resource/etude makes it possible to explicitly demonstrate concepts from the Jazz Improvisation and Theory course in a context that is familiar to a wider cross-section of the student body. There are also many benefits to the students gained from having a more inclusive curriculum such as, “cognitive development, perspective-taking, critical thinking skills, academic achievement, and problem-solving skills” (Quaye & Harper, 2007, p.34).

Process/ Methodology

Initially, the composition “Jane” by Dr. Slinger Francisco (The Mighty Sparrow) was reharmonised and a chart for the new arrangement was completed by Anthony Woodroffe and disseminated to the participating students. Because of the ongoing pandemic and the desire to engage the current jazz pathway cohort, all of the recordings were done remotely and compiled to create the final track.

The participants on the recording are as follows:

•       Eli Fuller - Guitar

•       Terell Phillips - Keys

•       Lemuel Patterson - Bass

•       Mikael Forde - Drums

•       Anthony Woodroffe -  Tenor Saxophone

Review of Resources

References

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Since the 1960s. International Journal of Music Education, 36(1), 14-22.

Levine, M. (1995). The jazz theory book. Petaluma, CA: Sher Music.

Ligon, B. (1996). Connecting chords with linear harmony. Lebanon, IN: Houston Publishing Inc.

Quaye, S. J., & Harper, S. R. (2007). Faculty accountability for culturally inclusive pedagogy

            and curricula. Liberal Education, 93(3), 32-39.

            Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/209812836?accountid=9676

Style, E. (1988). Curriculum as Window and Mirror. National Seeking Educational Equity and

            Diversity Project: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women

 Click here to download Jane - Tenor Sax