Jazz for aficionados

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to decide where jazz starts or where it stops, where Tin Pan Alley begins and jazz ends, or even where the borderline lies between classical music and jazz. I feel there is no boundary line.” - Duke Ellington

****I had to cringe at the Ellington quote. Can a mere mortal disagree with The Duke?? Some people might take his statement too literal.**** Rok

First of all, I seem to remember a comment by you a while back, something along the lines of "sometimes I think listeners are more purist than the artists themselves". Well, there's some truth to that. Concerning Duke, remember the context (funny how we keep coming back to context). He was a composer and orchestrator who "lived" in and was very close to both genres; he wrote music that did in fact blur the lines between the two. And if I may, a comment I made: "One can never know too much". Look at a picture in a newspaper: the further you step back, the clearer boundary lines appear. The closer you get to the picture, the more you see the dots that make up each image; the more the boundaries get blurred.

O-10:

Movie sets. All staged. But still, a nice illusion.

Cheers

The Frogman:

Youtr comments on Ellington are right on point. I knew that. He is more than a Jazz player or Band leader. Much more.

I just wanted to claim him for 'Our' own. 'Our,' being us Jazz lovers. Let the Classical and 'Tin Pan Alley' folks get their own Duke!

Cheers

Rok, and Frogman, with your help I would like to take a very interesting historical journey; we'll do it "audibly". I want to trace African music from slavery to the present, beginning with music from Brazil.

Baden Powell is an artist who was the favorite of a professional jazz musician I knew, his music has stood the test of time in my collection, and it's the just right blend of Afro Brazilian jazz that stands repeated listening.

"Canto De Ossanha" is one of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgS16Ipnr2E

Next is a very languid version of "Lemanja".


I would like for us to explore Afro Brazilian the same way we explored Afro Cuban, we didn't skim the surface, but went deep; bypass the commercial, there is a wealth of this music we haven't heard before.

I've noticed a big difference between the different Afro Blends. Afro- Cuban, is quite different from the Brazilian. The most unique aspect of Afro Brazilian music is the berimbau. Here is the website that gives a description of this instrument.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berimbau>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcpfHAJZagE[url]

I would like for us to explore Afro Brazilian the same way we explored Afro Cuban, we didn't skim the surface, but went deep; bypass the commercial, there is a wealth of this music we haven't heard before.

I've noticed a big difference between the different Afro Blends. Afro- Cuban, is quite different from the Brazilian. The most unique aspect of Afro Brazilian music is the berimbau. Here is the website that gives a description of this instrument.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berimbau

Slaves in Brazil escaped and set up a free community in Brazil called Palmares that lasted for almost 100 years; that's why the "Afro" in Afro Brazilian is so pervasive. This was a historical secret for quite some time. While the "berimbau" was one of their favorite instruments, nobody knows precisely where it came from, that's what I mean when I say "Afro Brazil" is unique.

While there is "Afro-Cuban", there is no "Afro-American"; slave masters evidently told them "I want yall to stop beatin them damn drums, ya hear me", and they quit. Slavery in this country was by far the cruelest. African music came to this country from Cuba or Haiti, it was not passed down from the African slaves. Nothing African, that's audible, came my way before Dizzy Gillespie, and that was from Cuba. The only thing that survived was the "Voodoo music" in New Orleans, and it would not have survived if it had not been kept secret. While this religion and it's music are one inseparable package, we want to focus exclusively on the music. Here is some accompanying music from New Orleans, check "New Orleans Voodoo" on you tube, there is no doubt about it's origin; "Africa"!

If you go to Haiti, you will hear this same music; kids can beat this out with a rock in each hand banging on a metal shovel, while others dance to the music.

This same music and rituals can be heard anywhere in Brazil if you are invited to one of the secret meetings, and I'm sure the same goes for Cuba; but this isn't about the rituals, this is exclusively about music from Africa that survived through that horrible thing called slavery.

Enjoy the music.

O-10:
Great music clip. I love that sort of music.

If we go on a musical journey, I'm getting off in Brazil. I just love the sound of vocal Brazilian music, esp that sung by females.

Your narrative about African music in Cuba and Brazil, and the lack of African music in the U.S., is very interesting. I think I agree with most of what you said. A few things, I will have to 'ponder' and respond to later.

I disagree that slavery in this country was 'by far the cruelest'. History proves that it was not. And, slavery was not that bad, all things considered. It's not like, Work visas or tourtist visas, were an option. If the choice is Africa or America, I choose America.

My observation is, African American people have had the least contact with Africa, and have been influenced the least by Africa, of all black peoples. (thank you Jesus0. Since Afro-American music has influenced music world wide. That is telling.

I will try to make a contribution to this project, with full understanding of the risk of incurring the wrath of The Frogman when we get to Cuba. :)

Cheers