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What was the Tango Belt?

List three elements present in the music of the Ahmad Jamal Trio that were obvious influences on the 1956 Miles Davis Quintet.

What was the most momentous change that jazz underwent due to the innovations of Armstrong and Bechet?

What technological, social & economic developments allowed ragtime to be the first widespread popular music craze?

List three artists or groups associated with the ECM record label.

What are the two basic types of pieces in the repertoire of the 1956 Miles Davis Quintet?

Listen to the following two musical examples (Track 1 and Track 2). You may listen multiple times. Take notes on a separate sheet of paper. Each example includes musical elements and features musicians that are ordinarily associated with divergent styles and genres. For each example, discuss the music in terms of form, rhythm, melody, harmony, instrumentation, orchestration, style, and other musical parameters. If you recognize the tune, include the title in your essay. If you recognize the specific recording or any of the individual players, name them. Otherwise, you should conjecture who and what you are hearing and tell us why you think that. It is more important to tell us what you hear than to win the blindfold test prize (naming the artist).   Track 1  

Who were the Creoles of Color?

Why did the role of arranger become crucial to the development of jazz in the late 1920’s?

Name the Afro-Cuban trumpeter who served as musical director for Machito’s orchestra, played jazz with Chick Webb and Cab Calloway and pioneered the fusion of jazz and Afro-Cuban music, particularly with his composition “Tanga.”