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Jazz, Baby! Instruments

Learn about each instrument used to create Jazz,Baby!

This section will give you an understanding of the different sounds used to create this wonderful CD. Read on, and as you listen to the album, see if you can hear each instrument. And then, teach your children what each instrument does!

It's a fantastic way of introducing your children to the wonders of Jazz music.

Piano

Piano

Everyone loves a piano, right? Of course! The piano is crucial in the jazz orchestra and supplies the band with harmonicguidance during all of Jazz, Baby! The piano compliments (or“comps” the jazz orchestra, striking chords behind the band in a rhythmthat is often improvised by the pianist. Check out Dan Zemelman’s comping on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.

Cowbell (Campana)

The Cowbell

The campana is part of the timbales that is very importantin all latin music formats. Listen to the quarter notes (beats) comingfrom the campana during “Mountain”.

Guiro

The Guiro

The guiro gives us that funny sound during “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain”. Very important to the latin song form cha-cha, the guiro provides Jazz, Baby! with driving rhythm and clave during “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain”.

Congas

The Congas

The conga is one of the most important instruments in the history of the world. It is a hand drum and is played by striking different parts of the hand against the skin of the conga (or cuero).

The conga is the most important instrument in latin and salsa bands, providing the band with its driving, repetitve rhythm, called a tumbao. Listen for our conguero during the his featured solo in Jazz, Baby! Giovanni Hidalgo is regarded by most accounts as the best conguero in the world.

Banjo

The Banjo

A banjo in a jazz orchestra? Why not! The “twangy” sound of the banjois used in the beginning of “You Are My Sunshine” to give it a folksyfeeling before the rest of the jazz orchestra come thundering in!

Guitar

The Guitar

Rock out! The electric guitar, popularized by Jimi Hendrix, ElvisPresly, and B.B. King among others, gives a folksy quality to certainparts of Jazz, Baby! Check out Will Bernard’s rocking solo during “the Hokey Pokey”.

Glockenspiel

The Glockenspiel

The glockenspiel, or orchestral bells are used strictly in the classical orchestra, puncuating the notes that you hear at the very top of the orchestra. Well, again, this is Jazz, Baby!, so we used it anyway. The glock helps give the introduction to “You Are My Sunshine” its grandeur.

Vibraphone

The Vibraphone

The vibraphone is another instrument in the mallets family that was popularized by jazz greats such as Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson. Check out the cool sound the vibraphone lends to “I’ve Been Workin’ On a Railroad” and how it sounds when the motor is turned on during the beginning of “Hush, Little Baby”.

Xylophone

The Xylophone

The xylophone helps give Jazz, Baby! its child-like quality. Check out Gerry Grosz’ fine mallet work (the sticks that are used to strike the xylophone, vibraphone, and glockenspiel on “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain” and “Hush, Little Baby”

Acoustic (or Stand-Up) Bass

The Acoustic Bass

The acoustic bass is the most important instrument inthe entire jazz orchestra, providing all of the bass notes at thebottom of band which all of the notes in the entire jazz orchestra arebuilt upon. Can you hear the bass on every song of Jazz, Baby! ?

Drum Set

The Drums

The drums provide the rhythm, drive and excitement that is Jazz, Baby! Listen for the incredible Steve Moretti on “I’ve Been Workin’ On a Railroad”.

Flute

The Flute

Another orchestral instrument popularized by Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” among other works, the flutealso sits at the top of the jazz orchestra and is frequently writtenwith (or voiced) with the trumpets. Listen for the delicate flutesounds of Larry De La Cruz and Alex Budman on “Brahm’s Lullaby”.

Bass Clarinet

The Bass Clarinet

The bass clarinet is frequently used in the jazzorchestra instead of the baritone sax to provide color at the bottom ofthe band. Listen for Jim Dukey’s bass clarinet in “Shortnin’ Bread”.

Clarinet

The Clarinet

Typically utilized with orchestras, the clarinet is used as a woodwind“double” (or other woodwind instrument) and played by the saxophonistsin the jazz orchestra. They provide color and a mellow sound to Jazz,Baby! during “Brahm’s Lullaby”.

Baritone Sax

The Baritone Sax

The baritone sax supports the entire sax section andplays a lot of the same lines as the bass trombone. Check out JimDukey in the beginning of “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain”.

Tenor Sax

The Tenor Sax

More popular for its role as a solo jazz instrument, the tenor saxprovides support for the altos and are often playing the same passagesas trombones. Check out Sheldon Brown and Matt Cowan tenor battle on“Shortnin’ Bread”.

Alto Sax

The leaders of the saxophones, who provide color that weaves in and out of the trumpets and trombones. The alto sax is also a very popular solo instrument in jazz, madepopular by none other that Charlie “Bird” Parker. Listen for AlexBudman’s perfect alto sax solo on “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain”.

Tuba

The Tuba

Used more often in orchestras, the tuba lives in the bottom of the bandand supports the all of the winds in the jazz orchestra. The tuba ismost often played by the bass trombone player in the jazz orchestra. We used the tuba in Jazz, Baby! to provide a wide and calm sound onBrahm’s Lullaby. (The tuba is also very important in marching bands,supplying all of the most important bass notes for the band, like MarcBolin in the beginning of the “Ants Go Marching”.
Brahm’s lullaby.)

Bass Trombone

The Bass Trombone

An oft-neglected but critical instrument to the big band, the bass trombone plays the bottom notes of the jazz orchestra and supports the bass and often plays the same notes as the baritone saxophone as well. Check Marc Bolin’s big, bad bass trombone throughout “You Are My Sunshine”.

Euphonium

The Euphonium

More often used in marching bands and wind orchestras, the euphonium is rarely used in the jazz orchestra. However, this is Jazz, Baby!, our goal is to use as many instruments as possible, so we used it! Check out Mike Rinta’s double-belled euphonium atthe beginning of “The Ants Go Marching”. The euphonium is actuallyused here as part of our “simulated” marching band at the beginning ofthe “Ants”.

Trombone

The Trombone

The trombone is a critical part of of the jazz orchestra that generates the sound that is typically associated with the big band. The trombone supplies the big band with density of sound, how “fat” the band sounds.

The trombone is used in Jazz, Baby as a solo instrument andas a section instrument that is played with the rest of the trombones. Check out the solo by your truly on the “The Ants Go Marching” and thetrombone section during the last section of “She’ll Be Coming Aroundthe Mountain”

Flugelhorn

The Flugelhorn

When the trumpeters switch to the flügelhorn, they play this varient of the trumpet which provides a softer and wider sound. The flügelhorn is used in Jazz, Baby! to blend in with the lower brass instruments, like the trombone and tuba. Listen for the flügelhorns at the beginning of “Brahms Lullaby

Trumpet

The Trumpet

The trumpets were often the “stars” of the early big bands. They playthe top notes in the jazz orchestra and often provide the mostthrilling moments in Jazz, Baby! Trumpets are used in improvised solosand also provide the highest notes in the band. Check out Louis Fasmannear the beginning of “The Ants Go Marching”

Trumpets also use a variety of “mutes” which change their sound, adding color to the band. Listen for the trumpets using their harmon mutes during the beginning of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.