Exploring the Versatility of Jazz: Analyzing a Singular Tune in Two Different Versions - Essay Sample

Introduction

Jazz is one of the oldest music genres. Despite its olden, it still entails the most exciting tunes that ignite people's souls. Have you ever wondered why you might find two versions of a Jazz song, but they are still exciting? Well, Jazz music utilizes standard tunes that contribute to its unique musical repertoire even when one song is sung differently. In this paper, therefore, I analyze a singular jazz melodious tune and two of its different versions by focusing on their musical elements and performances. Notably, the song that I chose to evaluate is "All of Me."

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Brief History of "All of Me"

"All of Me" is a Jazz standard that was written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931 (Boornazian, 2019). Gerald and Simons' theme in the song is love. The persona is in deep love with his partner and urges her to reciprocate the feelings back. The song first came to the public limelight it was recorded by Ruth Etting in 1931. Ever since it has received positive feedback as it has been repeatedly being performed by various artists for different media platforms.

Selected Versions of "All of Me"

Importantly, the versions that I am analyzing, one was sung by Ella Fitzgerald and the other one by Frank Sinatra. Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald released the song, "All of Me" in 1950. She was known as the "Lady of Jazz," and her version of the song was considered to be one of the best. Frank Sinatra released his version in 1948. Notably, his rendition contained a slightly different taste that was accepted by non-jazz listeners. Also, he sang it in the movie Meet Danny Wilson.

Performance of Fitzgerald's "All of Me"

Style

Fitzgerald presented a fast version of "All of Me." She incorporated a form of Jazz music known as the Work Song. Chiefly, this rendition encompasses a rapid rhythmic beat (Mauch, MacCallum, Levy, and Leroi, 1970). The name "Work" implies its ability to ignite people's souls using its fast tempo (Mauch et al., 1970). In Fitzgerald singing, the musical instruments can be heard that is combined to form a fast pace.

Improvisation

According to De Bruin (91), improvisation refers to the spontaneous combination of musician's voice and the instruments. Importantly, it is achieved by the singer's understanding and mastering of the song lyrics to establish its meaning, together with its intended message (De Bruin, 91). Fitzgerald's voice carries the rhythmic tune of the song. She applies emotional intonation to the composition to achieve its sensational appeal. For instance, in the first line, "Why not take all of me," she projects a high intonation to enable the listener to know that it is a question.

Form

Fitzgerald uses the AABA Jazz form as it entails a standard tempo from the beginning of the song to the end.

Performance of Sinatra's "All of Me"

Style

Sinatra uses the Bebop style. Bepob encompasses a slower tempo from the instruments that makes its tune to sound softer and lighter (Mauch et al., 1970). The sound from the devices is slower, making Sinatra's performance come out smooth.

Form

Sinatra's version utilizes an ABAC format as entails a repletion of key bars of the major instruments such as the piano (Mauch et al., 1970).

Improvisation

Sinatra incorporates emotions in his voice that help his version achieve the soft tune. Again, the structure of the instruments' form also plays a part in the smoothening of the song's tempo.

Differences Between Sinatra's and Fitzgerald Versions

The first differences are portrayed through the tempo of the songs. Ella uses a fast tempo while Sinatra uses a slower tempo. The song in Ella's rendition comprises a fast beat from the instruments as well as her voice. On the other side, Sinatra's components seem to be dragging to achieve a smooth outcome

Secondly, Fitzgerald version an AABA form structure while Sinatra uses an ABAC. Upon listening to Fitzgerald, "All of Me," it is evident that it does not use a Bar tune since the tempo is consistent from the beginning to the end of the song. On the other side, the Sinatra uses the 16-Bar Tune; thus, classifying the form as 16-Bar Tune.

Lastly, the two versions are different based on the tone colors of the performances. Tone Color refers to the "intermarriage" of the musical instruments of the song to produce a quality sound in that each instrument's contribution can be identified and heard. Fitzgerald's song obtains a weaker tonal color that Sinatra's. It is difficult to pick a tool in Fitzgerald as they all the contributions sound the same, unlike Sinatra's cover. For instance, the played saxophone can be heard in Sinatra's presentation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think that both the two songs were professionally and systematically performed. In my view, Fitzgerald presentation fast tempo represents the traditional African beats, which are believed to be the source of Jazz. I think that it is effective for representing the African-Americans who have always been the subjects of discrimination. For Sinatra' version, I find it more inclusive. Its soft tempo attracts a larger audience with the non-Jazz included. Musically, I Sinatra's version as it presents high quality regarding Jazz's elements. The most outstanding one is the tonal color, which improves its production.

Works Cited

Boornazian, J. How to Improvise Over "All of Me." Learn Jazz Standards. 2019. Retrieved From https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/blog/learning-jazz/jazz-theory/how-to-improvise-over-all-of-me/

De Bruin, L. "Theory and practice in idea generation and creativity in Jazz improvisation." Australian Journal of Music Education 2 (2015): 91. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=998936352073430;res=IELHSSHH.

Frank Sinatra All of Me. YouTube. Published on November 6, 2008. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gfhQ91rwZ8

Mauch, M., MacCallum, R. M., Levy, M., & Leroi, A. M. The evolution of popular music: USA 1960-2010. Royal Society open science, 2015: 2(5), 150081. Retrieved from https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.150081

RiulDoamnei. All of Me-Ella Fitzgerald. YouTube. Published on Oct 30, 2011. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JaJtNLhlfk