Jazz for aficionados

****What American genre would be comparable to Son? Not in style, but place in the society's musical history.****

Great and fascinating question!

First of all, yes, some (not all; strictly speaking) of the music on BVSC is "son"; one of the big hits from that record "Chan Chan" is definitely a "son". I think the answer to your question is found in the name of another Cuban music style, "Guajira". The two are similar and sometimes a song may be described as "Guajira-Son". The well known song "Guantanamera" is a guajira ("Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera....."). The non-musical, literary definition of "guajira/o" is: a person from the countryside. The lyrics of these songs often speak about the beauty of the a Cuban countryside. "Son" is basically Cuba's country music; a kind of hill-billy music.

However, when one considers that son, guajira, and other forms morphed into what would later be known as salsa, the genre probably most representative of and recognizable as Cuba's musical identity, it is not too much of a stretch to look at son as Cuba's blues. The blues, as we all know, is a key ingredient of jazz, the genre generally considered America's most important musical contribution. From this standpoint, the two are very similar.

The Frogman:

Thanks for the informative answer. I suspected it would be Country or Blues. Now I know.

Apparently, when I was dissing Woods, I didn't know who I was messing with! He ranks with the best.

All of you completely ignored my link of Rachelle Ferrell doing 'Autumn Leaves'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u34fj0fdFDM I can't get enough of it.

At 4:24, check out Petrucciani. Seems as if his expression is saying, " I hope this babe ain't going postal on us" I love it!!

Seems like Shorter also shares our OP's tailor. Just love this clip. You can love it, or think it's over the top, but you cannot ignore it!!

Cheers

I've always felt a valid comparison can be made to Son/Salsa (latin dance music) and the time when Big Band Jazz + vocalists was the Pop music of America. Those big bands had complex charts, mighty brass sections, tremendous vocalists that very often got into vocal improv (scatting), but most importantly, they swung like mofos and people actually danced their asses off. The exact same thing can be said about the Son/Salsa bands!

I've owned 'Salsa Meets Jazz' since it 1st came out 25 yrs ago! Yesterday was Tito's birthday (4/20)! Nice to see some appreciation for the great Phil Woods.

Chazro, thanks for the comments. Your point is well taken, but classic son predates what we now know as salsa. As usual when trying to establish timelines re the evolution of a music form the lines get blurred. As you point out, son is a key ingredient in salsa, but before the brassy, big-band like salsa bands came to be (with their complex arrangements, perhaps in part due to the influence of the American dance bands), son was performed with much simpler instrumentation and had a much "folksier" vibe. The guitar was at the forefront and would be replaced later by the piano and the percussion used a generally lighter touch. The overall rhythmic feeling, structure and other elements such as call and response and vocal improvisation is like and became the heart of salsa, as you point out.

Classic son:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YDp3l-syaWc

One thing is undeniable, it swings like crazy, as you say.

This is a classic "guajira (-son)". "Lamento Guajiro". Trans. "Countryboy's Lament". Cuban blues?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_5bY6WM3-W4

Beautiful stuff!

Rok, I resisted giving you a hard time re Phil Woods in my previous post, but now that you brought the subject of your unforgivable transgression and oversight up again....:-)

Phil Woods is indeed one of the greats. Has been for a long time and I am glad that you have discovered him and that "he is everywhere" now (on your radar).

I will check out Ferrell and report back. Thanks.