Jazz and the Fender Rhodes

I have always thought of myself as an individual who doesn’t fit into a particular mold. Conservative, liberal, jock, hipster, etc.—none of these labels fit me. Even the clothes I wear do not place me in any specific category. The only label that I will agree with (but not limit myself to) is that I am a jazz musician. As I was thinking about the impact that technology has had upon jazz I remembered the Fender Rhodes located in my house’s basement. This electric keyboard (invented in 1965) along with several others was used extensively by jazz artists during the late 1960s. Since then, the Rhodes has had an extremely strong impact upon the culture and definition of jazz music to this very day.

            To begin, prior to the invention of the Fender Rhodes in 1965, jazz was primarily performed and recorded using acoustic instrumentation (save for the occasional amplified hollow-body guitar or organ). With the invention of the Rhodes new sonic capabilities were achieved. Many pianists such as Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock began to experiment with devices such as the Echoplex, Bode Ring Modulator and various “wah” pedals to achieve new textures on the instrument. With a Rhodes at his home, trumpeter/band leader Miles Davis’s compositions reflected the sound of the instrument. The music evokes an ethereal atmosphere, dominated by abstract motifs and colors. Gone are the familiar straight 4/4 swing rhythm patterns that dominated jazz up until this point; instead, the music seemingly floats freely at times with meter switching every bar. This music eventually came to be known as early fusion. Thus, fusion pushed the boundaries of what was and is considered jazz.

In addition, the Fender Rhodes redefined the acceptable venue for a jazz performance. Jazz was the music of clubs, bars, festivals and concert halls up until the mid to late 1960s. However, in the mid-sixties this began to change as historian and critic Bob Belden explains:

            The state of the jazz world at large also began to shrink. Work had declined as club after club was shuttered by audience indifference (as well as the physiological aftereffects of the inner city riots). Cities that once had vibrant jazz scenes saw performance opportunities wither….There were still neighborhood bars in some major cities, but they could not afford the fees that an artist like Miles Davis was charging (Belden).

In late 1967 to early 1968 Miles Davis recorded several tracks utilizing the electric harpsichord and Wurlitzer electric piano on compositions such as “Water On The Pond” and “Fun”. This signified the beginning the beginning of a change in direction although Miles didn’t return to this sound until mid 1968, when he recorded “Stuff” with Herbie Hancock on the Fender Rhodes. From then on he began to exclusively use electric pianos in the studio and on the road (specifically the Rhodes). This change in instrumentation would forever redirect the sound of Miles Davis and jazz. Besides the practical reasons at the time (most acoustic pianos in clubs were unreliable by this point), the instrument opened the door to performances at such rock venues as the Fillmore East and Fillmore West (in New York and San Francisco respectively). At the time, these venues were dominated by performers such as Eric Clapton, Neil Young and the Allman Brothers Band, whose high volume performances filled these former ballrooms. The high volume capabilities of the Rhodes (in addition to the electric guitars of John McLaughlin) made it possible for Miles to compete in this atmosphere.

 In turn, performances at these venues began to draw in new types of listeners. Miles was primarily concerned with reaching the black youth culture of the time and performances at these venues pulled them in. At the same time, Miles risked alienating his former fan base that was perfectly fine with the standards and acoustic instrumentation that was present in his music prior to this point. While he did lose those fans, he gained many new ones.

In conclusion, the Fender Rhodes has had a strong impact upon the development, definition and culture of jazz. Even to this very day the Rhodes is used extensively by modern jazz groups. The Chris Potter Underground, One For All and Dave Douglas are just some of the jazz artists that utilize the Rhodes. In addition, there have been many artists of different genres (John Legend, Elton John, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder) that have incorporated the use of the Rhodes into their music. 

Modern Jazz: Technology's Impact

I have always thought of myself as an individual who doesn't really fit into any sub-culture. Conservative, Liberal, Jock, Hipster, etc.: not one of these categories seem to perfectly sum up who I am as an individual. Even my sense of style doesn't fit into a specific category. The only label that I will agree with (but not limit myself to) is that I am a jazz modern jazz musician. With jazz being such a diverse form of music that is constantly expanding it almost defies definition. This in turn is a reflection of the actual persons that the jazz culture is composed of. The characteristic that is central to jazz music is improvisation. Generally, jazz musicians value the technique of improvisation more than any other and it is present in their music. They also have a profound amount of respect for the jazz musicians that came before them spending countless hours listening, imitating and practicing. It's quite common that jazz musicians will hold jam sessions at their houses or clubs with other musicians - many times playing with other musicians that they have never met nor played with before. Other than that, there is a large amount of diversity within the community. Black, Caucasian, Hispanic, etc.; anyone of any race is capable of being a jazz musician and like most cultures, jazz music has been impacted heavily by advancements in technology.


One of the results of these advancements was the invention of various electronic keyboards during the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. During this era many keyboards were produced; the most famous being the Wurlitzer Electronic Keyboard, the Fender Rhodes, the Minimoog and the Hohner D6 Clavinet. Many jazz musicians began using experimenting with these instruments in the late 1960s, such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. These experiments led to the development of a sub-genre of jazz known today as fusion. In addition to fusion, these keyboards are employed in modern jazz by such artists as Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, the jazz sextet One for All and others. I plan on further examining how exactly the use of these instruments came to be used in the jazz field and how they have affected the composition/performance of jazz musicians since.

Straight, No Chaser: a Rhetorical Analysis

During the mid 1980s, there was a resurgence of jazz spearheaded by the efforts of Wynton Marsalis that created the “Young Lions” movement. In turn, many filmmakers began producing motion pictures and documentaries focusing on jazz and its musicians. Charlotte Zwerin’s biopic documentary, Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser released in 1988 (produced by Clint Eastwood), is a prime example of one of these aforementioned films. Using a variety of rhetorical techniques, Zwerin’s film re-evaluates the style and musical significance of Monk to jazz musicians and critics alike.

            The main rhetorical device present in Zwerin’s film is the extensive use of stock footage of Monk from 1967-1968. Filmed by Christian Blackwood and unreleased publicly for 20 years, these performances, rehearsal, “meandering of Monk”, etc. capture Thelonious Monk during the apex of his creativity (he recorded seven separate albums worth of material during the two years in which the footage was shot). These performances don’t just showcase Monk’s innovative approach to the piano; they also present his ability to compose masterpieces (“Straight, No Chaser,” “Crepuscule with Nellie,” “I Mean You,” etc.) as well as re-interpret the American standard songbook (“Don’t Blame Me,” “Ask Me Now,” “I Should Care”, etc.). Many of Monk’s pieces have become staples at jam sessions performed in jazz clubs across the country (try walking into a jam session not knowing “Round Midnight”). Ultimately, the music presented in the footage paints an eccentric genius whom eventually was acknowledged by a large part of the jazz community as one of the greatest innovators in his field.

The film lends itself a sense of credibility and emotional appeal through the commentary present in-between the tour footage from 1967-1968. Zwerin conducted more recent interviews with Monk’s son Thelonious Monk Jr., his European road manager Bob Jones, Monk’s longtime manager Harry Colomby and his friend the Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter. Throughout these interviews we learn that Monk was still an enigma to his closest friends. Several of the interviewees mention repeatedly how Monk would “close-up” and was hospitalized many times for mental illness. Mysteriously enough, no one knows the exact illness that Monk suffered from. Thelonious Monk Jr. describes how frightening it was to “look your father in the eyes and realize that he doesn’t quite know who you are” but recounts his mother reminding him it’s the family’s responsibility for Monk, despite his mental illness. The interview with Monk’s longtime manager Harry Colomby describes the “Black” community’s expressions of pride, independence and strength that were embodied in the music of Thelonious Monk and others during the bebop era of the 1940s. Colomby also describes the way in which Monk calmly conducted himself during the filming of “The Sound of Jazz,” a live television broadcast on CBS in 1957 featuring performances by Monk, Billie Holiday and others. These interviews (along with the interviews of Bob Jones) paint a picture of Monk as a credible individual who had an enormous impact on the jazz scene during his lifetime and continues to have an impact to this day.

An appeal to ethos is also apparent in the numerous photographs, album and magazine covers featured and discussed in Zwerin’s film. As early as 1934 Monk was hired by the already famous “father” of the tenor saxophone Coleman Hawkins. Several pictures of the two of them are present in the beginning of the film accompanied by the earliest recording by Hawkins featuring Monk in the background. In addition, there are numerous photographs of Monk with others pioneers of the bebop movement such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, as well as photographs of later innovators (John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, etc.). The collage of Monk’s album covers infuse within the audience a sense of credibility through the shear amount of output of material by Monk during his lifetime (and these aren’t even all of his albums). And then there’s the painting of Monk on the cover of Time Magazine in December, 1964. The fact that Monk is the fourth of only four jazz musicians (at the time of the filming of this documentary) to be on the cover of Time Magazine since the magazine’s first publication in 1923 is impressive enough to consider him an important figure in the development of jazz. Since then, the only other jazz icon present on the cover is Wynton Marsalis, who appeared on the cover in 1990 (two years after the release of this film).

In conclusion the efforts of Charlotte Zwerin, Christian Blackwood and Clint Eastwood, Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser effectively portrays the importance and influence that Thelonious Monk has had upon the history of jazz in the past and present. Even to this day many critics state that his music still seems to be fresh, invigorating; full of knowledge and wit. Who knows how long it will be before stylistic devices present in his music will cease to have an impact upon the language of jazz, or how the present language would be different if we didn’t have Thelonious Monk. 

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