Playing Standards: Authenticity, Evaluation, and Agency among Seattle Jazz Musicians Leah ...

270 Pages·2015·1.51 MB·English

by  Leah Pogwizd

Playing Standards: Authenticity, Evaluation, and Agency among Seattle Jazz Musicians

Leah Pogwizd

A dissertation submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

University of Washington

2015

Reading Committee:
Christina Sunardi, Chair
Patricia Campbell
Michelle Habell-Pallán

Program Authorized to Offer Degree:
Music
©Copyright 2015
Leah Pogwizd
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOLWEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ix
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1
Background ................................................................................................................................. 1
Fieldwork .................................................................................................................................... 4
Consultant Backgrounds ........................................................................................................... 10
Musical Settings ........................................................................................................................ 18
Key Concepts and Main Argument........................................................................................... 21
Chapter Outline ......................................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 1: TECHNIQUE ........................................................................................................ 33
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 33
Innate Talent ............................................................................................................................. 36
Developed “Chops” .................................................................................................................. 46
Individualized Technical Approaches....................................................................................... 55
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 63
CHAPTER 2: TRADITION ......................................................................................................... 66
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 66
Past Convention ........................................................................................................................ 69
Familiar Recordings .................................................................................................................. 79
Creative Innovation ................................................................................................................... 86
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 94
CHAPTER 3: DEMEANOR......................................................................................................... 96
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 96
Dedication ................................................................................................................................. 99
Artistry .................................................................................................................................... 107
Being a “Good Hang” ............................................................................................................. 113
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 120

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CHAPTER 4: GENDER ............................................................................................................. 122
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 122
Gender and Musical Instruments ............................................................................................ 129
Gender and Canon................................................................................................................... 137
Gender and Visual Presentation .............................................................................................. 142
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 154
CHAPTER 5: RACE................................................................................................................... 156
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 156
Race and Talent....................................................................................................................... 161
Race and Narrative .................................................................................................................. 169
Race and Nerdiness ................................................................................................................. 176
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 184
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 186
REFERENCE LIST .................................................................................................................... 192
APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE ............................................................................... 210
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW EXCERPTS ................................................................................ 212
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Geographical Scope of Study. ......................................................................................... 6
Figure 2. Framework for Playing Standards. ................................................................................ 23
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ACKNOLWEDGEMENTS
My dissertation process – including extensive research, fieldwork, writing, and revisions
– was more than merely a culmination of my educational experiences. Rather, it was a deeply
intensive, often painful, and amazingly transformative journey. I could not have survived or
completed this process without an extensive support network of family, friends, mentors, and
colleagues. These awesome folks have provided support, guidance, encouragement, and
constructive feedback at every stage of my journey – one that began around fifteen years ago.
I am incredibly grateful for the mentorship and guidance of my dissertation committee;
together they have offered a rich tapestry of multidisciplinary perspectives and approaches to
musical scholarship. Christina Sunardi has been one of the most involved and dedicated mentors
that I have ever worked with; she continually was an inspiration and motivation to raise the
standards of my scholarly thinking and writing – not to mention an exemplary role-model as an
ethnomusicologist, educator, and performer. Patricia Campbell has provided me with endless
support and encouragement while I explored numerous avenues of scholarly inquiry; she also
opened my eyes to the numerous connections between ethnomusicology, music education, and
musical communities, which have greatly influenced my own scholarship. Michelle Habell-
Pallán has expanded my thinking about musical studies by providing me with a firm grounding
in feminist studies, particularly feminist musicology. All three professors generously offered me
their time and guidance via advising, coursework, and conference participation. I am also
grateful for the insights provided by my other two committee members, Philip Schuyler – who
helped me develop as ethnographer – and Sonnet Retman – who offered important perspectives
from American Ethnic Studies.
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Acknowledgements / v

I am also indebted to the other ethnomusicology faculty and instructors at the University
of Washington. Shannon Dudley, Ter Ellingson, Laurel Sercombe, John Vallier, and Li Bo all
offered thought-provoking courses (and related mentorship) covering a variety of
ethnomusicological topics – all of which contributed to the formation of this project. Throughout
the program, I relied on Brenda Banks and Michiko Sakai to show me the ropes of the School of
Music and the ethnomusicology program, respectively. Like many other students in the program,
I know Laurel as more than just a faculty member – she is the rock of the department, providing
constant support and counsel through the emotional rollercoaster ride of being a graduate
student. As a performer and scholar, I benefited from the guidance of the School of Music’s jazz
faculty: Cuong Vu, Fred Radke, Marc Seales, and Michael Brockman; as well as from John
Hanford and Larry Starr in musicology. I also received constant attention and assistance from the
School of Music Library’s staff, including Judy Tsou, Verletta Kern, and Curtis Cronn.
I was very fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing group of student colleagues (past
and present) who were equal parts academically rigorous, creative, and fun, and were awe-
inspiring as scholars and/or musicians. In ethnomusicology: Rachael Devitt, Paulo Murilo,
Young Dae Kim, Gabe Skoog, Maren Haynes, Bonnie McConnell, Julia Day, Andre Elias, Kait
LaPorte, Subhash Prajapati, Jim Morford, Hilary Johnson, Jocelyn and Zach Moon, Claire
Anderson, and Magdalena Szabo; in music education: Amanda Soto, Robert Pitzer, Michael
DiRoberts, and Ethan Chessin; and in jazz studies (or those affiliated with the department): Alex
Kale, Aylan Lee, Brennan Carter, Evan Smith, Ian Mengedoht, Kevin Jenson, Melvin Soetrisno,
Ray Larson, and Tai Taitano.
I could not have survived the last few years of grad school without the love and support
of my kobiety: Cortney Mere, Krysta Wierzbicki, Irene Ann Resenly, Julie Kozaczka, and
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Stephanie Mielcarek. I am particularly thankful to Irene, who took time out of a conference trip
to Seattle to help me design my study’s methodology for my IRB application. I learned more
over several beers with her than I would have in an entire research methods course.
This study was a product of fifteen years of jazz performance and scholarship. To that
end, I am incredibly thankful for the early and continued mentorship that I received from Tom
Tallman at the College of DuPage and from the many wonderful musicians who I worked with
during my time in the program. I am indebted to the Jazz Studies faculty at the University of
North Texas, especially John Murphy – who first introduced me to ethnomusicological jazz
studies. In addition, Eileen Hayes (then faculty at UNT) was my primary mentor in
ethnomusicology. She encouraged me to pursue graduate studies in ethnomusicology and
assisted me in the application process. I am also grateful to Lynn Seaton, Jeff Bradetich, Steven
Friedson, and numerous other faculty members at UNT. I could not have gotten through the
intensity of my undergraduate years (which for all its stressors, gave me an expansive knowledge
of music) without the many amazing friendships of my time in Texas: Charlie and Melina
Peebles, Ben Walkenhaur, Lauren Husting, C.J. Posner, Kristopher Geda, Luis Gonzales,
Stephen Green, Rebeca Perfecto, Ryan Hurn, Karn Suriyasasin, and many others – I miss you all
dearly.
In the last eight years, I have had the good fortune to work with countless gifted and
dedicated musicians and music educators in the Seattle area – many current or former students at
the University of Washington. Of this expansive network, eight individuals were kind, generous,
and patient enough to participate in this study. Their interviews produced a rich source of
information based on their amazing sets of experiences. This study would not have been possible
without them, and I am forever in their debt. Additional friends and mentors who I would like to
Acknowledgements / vii

acknowledge – both in and outside of music – include Ann Reynolds, Charles Williams, Erik
Hanson, Ned Smith, Patrick Donoghue, Queenie Sunshine, Rogene Eichler West, and Ronnie
Pence.
I am blessed to have a loving, supportive family who has encouraged me every step of
my journey. My father, Steven Pogwizd, has provided endless encouragement and support and a
role model for research. As an M.D., he will always be the “real” Dr. Pogwizd to me. My
younger brother, Michael Pogwizd, is following close behind me in his PhD journey, albeit in the
radically different field of mathematics. He has overcome overwhelming obstacles and remains
one of the smartest people I know. I am grateful for the many other family members in my life:
my paternal grandmother Phyllis Pogwizd, my aunts Mary Billings and Teresa Turk, and my
uncles Daniel Turk and James Pogwizd. I could not have gotten through the dissertation process
without my partner, Dennis Asis. He has been absolutely amazing – whether providing me with
encouragement, listening to me ramble about my ideas, providing his musical perspectives, or
telling me, “It’s time to put the dissertation down for a while.” I cannot imagine going through
this without him.
This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of several family members who passed away
during the course of my dissertation research and writing. In February 2013, my maternal
grandfather – Raleigh Turk – passed away after a yearlong battle with prostate cancer. In January
2014, my paternal uncle and godfather – Raymond Pogwizd – died suddenly of a heart attack; he
was 63. In April 2014, my maternal grandmother – Kathryn Turk – finally succumbed to a series
of health problems. I miss all three of them dearly and wish they were here to see me finishing
the PhD – I know they would all be proud.
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The work is also dedicated to my mother, Cynthia Pogwizd. Words cannot express how
much I love, respect, adore, and appreciate her. Despite her many life responsibilities, she has
always found time for me – whether it’s helping me recover from major setbacks, talking to me
on the phone for hours at a time to help me work out ideas, or looking over and giving feedback
on an endless stream of drafted material, she finds the time and gives every iota of her energy,
focus, and incredible intellectual capabilities. She gave me the skills to structure my ideas and
write clearly. In every possible sense, without her, none of this would have been possible.