"The Sidewinder" by Lee Morgan

Factoids:

• Album released in 1964 with 6 tracks
• the Album was entitled after the first track "The Sidewinder"
• All six tracks were original compositions by Lee Morgan and five of the six were heavily blues influenced
• Artists on the album
• Lee Morgan (trumpet), Joe Henderson (Tenor sax), Billy Higgins (Drums), Barry Harris (piano), Bob Cranshaw (Bass)
• Critics label it "soul jazz"
• The entire album influenced the format of many future albums by having a long funky blues-based chart followed by more hard bop tunes
• Chrysler car company used "The Sidewinder" in television commercial advertisements 
• Listen for:
• the chord structure is based on the 12 bar blues - The Sidewinder is 24 measures
• I7 (8 bars) |  IV7 (4 bars) |  I7 (3 bars) | iii7 VI7b9 (1 bar) | ii7 V7 (4 bars) | 17 (3 bars) | break on the last bar
• the use of repetition in the head, piano accompaniment, & bass line
• Lee Morgan (at the 2:17 mark) pulls a lick from the head in his improvisation to give structure and foundation to his solo

PS A link to the fake books with melodies/chord changes:  CLICK HERE

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown (ULHS)

Factoids:

• Jazz has an extensive history that is directly tied to culture & its current events
• Lindy Hop - danced based on the popular Charleston dance step.  It evolved in Harlem, NYC in the 1920's and 1930's.  Lindy is a fusion of many dances from jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston
• When Bebop style music came around in nightclubs in the late 40's and 50's, there were signs that strictly prohibited lindy hop dance
• This made bebop seem very "elitist".  Many people hated Bebop because they just simple "didn't get it" since it was a radical change from playing in large swing bands to small combos playing tunes and improvising seemingly at the speed of light
• Listen to the band in the background
• Listen how the soloists use their range when improvising to rise above the chatter of the people 

PS Click HERE for lots of awesome resources for music!  (Fake Books)

"Fables of Faubus" - Charles Mingus

History:

• Just like other art-forms, music is an outlet for expression - in this case, political protest
• Composed by Charles Mingus (Bass) in 1959 to protest against Arkansas governor Orval E. Faubus
• in 1957, Faubus sent the National Guard  to prevent integration of Little Rock Central High School by nine African American teens
• Appeared on Mingus' 1959 album "Mingus Ah Um" on the Columbia record label
• Columbia refused to let Mingus release the recording with the lyrics 
• Under the Columbia label, just the instrumental version was released
• A year later, Charles Mingus released the uncensored version (with lyrics) under the Candid record label on the album "Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus"
• due to contractual issues, they had to release the song under the name "Original Faubus Fables"
• Charles Mingus - bass & vocals
• Ted Curson - Trumpet
• Eric Dolphy - Alto Sax
• Dannie Richmond - Drums (featured in the Call & Response with Mingus)
• listen to the uncensored version HERE 
• This was one of Mingus' most proud compositions and played it quite often

Lyrics:

Oh, Lord, don't let 'em shoot us!
Oh, Lord, don't let 'em stab us!
Oh, Lord, don't let 'em tar and feather us!
Oh, Lord, no more swastikas!
Oh, Lord, no more Ku Klux Klan!

Name me someone who's ridiculous, Dannie.
Governor Faubus!
Why is he so sick and ridiculous?
He won't permit integrated schools.

Then he's a fool! Boo! Nazi Fascist supremists!
Boo! Ku Klux Klan (with your Jim Crow plan)

Name me a handful that's ridiculous, Dannie Richmond.
Faubus, Rockefeller, Eisenhower
Why are they so sick and ridiculous?

Two, four, six, eight:
They brainwash and teach you hate.
H-E-L-L-O, Hello.