Chapter 1 – Early Jazz

Early jazz began as work songs, a good call & response and the church. Blues began the same way to most jazzists.  Blues is an integral part of jazz. Probably the best of the migrant troubadours was Lead belly recorded extensively by Alan & his Dad John Lomax. Another pioneer to surface was Robert Johnson who wrote only a limited # of tunes, has found a place in blues heaven. I believe the most sophisticated blues man is Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland. He personifies city, urban, gritty turmoil that is at the heart & soul of the blues.

 Blues in jazz, however, took on a more practical form:  the bands of a jazzist became a waltz, or even a lullaby? It depends on the chord structure they use; often referred to as ‘shading’ They became the best in their area which meant moving to other larger area to see whom you can best. Often these bestings were called ‘cutting contests’. Most present day competitions use this same philosophy, however, a cutting contest you call the song play the tune & best the other players. (Middle Amer is always on the move to find better opportunities, etc., elsewhere) Jazz is no different: get on the road hitchhike, bus it, so it was with jazz sights in the large cities. The likes found each other & various types of the genre were born, depending on your apps, was the way or style U followed as black people are at once reviled and loved at the same time. Nothing stopped pick up bands playing where they were allowed. Their major contemporaries were bombarded with alternatives to play “jazz”. But more often heard it more than they could play it. But that didn’t really matter. Some like Paul Whitman & Benny Goodman asked the arrangers & bandleaders from the Harlem ballrooms to show groups how to play Fletcher Henderson & Chuck Webb showed them the way or played the tunes like PW&BG wanted them played. Through the swing ballrooms of Harlem came EH & S Lowe a dear person fine arranger and trumpeter on “Tuxedo Junction:” a town in Alabama. Sammy’s mom & my grandmother, Dee Dee were contemporaries in Birmingham, AL Many moons ago people got tired of their treatment down south and tried to get out as son as poss; there was a mass exodus heading north to St Louis, Chicago, NY & Detroit. I guess one cannot leave the early years without discussing the genius of Louis Armstrong, the subject of an American Masters Retrospect of his life and times and the many musicians still alive that worked with and knew him. A colorful cat; a genius on the trumpet; and his singing has inspired many as he still does today some --------years after his death. Jelly Roll Alan Lomax wrote a definitive study of the man and archives in the Congressional record or wherever the records were made are listenable today, at least I hope so when I get to the Smithsonian, I will hear them.

Chapter two

Dixieland, barrelhouse, etc.

Jazz moved west and east where jobs were becoming more prevalent for Blacks. The Deep South was beginning to run out of funds that had been way plentiful during and after slavery. They were poor now; not unlike Britain was in the 60’s; after colonial zing practically most of the known world, they were suddenly ‘not in charge’. Jazz followed the musical and social trends.Barrel House was synonymous with brothels but actually they sprung up out back roads and usually sold set ups and the music was hot for dancing and sitting outside.

Not one force or dynamic was at work; there were many dynamics  forces to contend with. Chtlin’ circuits sprung up wherever blacks were concentrated in large numbers. Theatres erected in the black ghettos catered to their people. Many of the clubs in the chitlin circuit had organ trios. The club owner only had to pay three musicians instead of 4 because the organist played bass with his/her foot. Much of the early jazz was consumed by drugs (in some cases, it still is) Herb, marajuweeny, pot, and all its many names continued to be the cheap high for most jazz musicians & hip people around the world. Jazz fit in with these types of people quite easily. Jazz has gotten way, way past that stage, however, taking it to a Cecil Taylor state is not a good idea. He may be entertaining to some; but unless you can tap your foot, sway in your seat, dance to it, it doesn’t swing and therefore is not real hard-core, down home relentless jazz.

West Coast jazz late 50’s

 Became synonymous with cool venues where no noise could be heard, just the steady beat of time keeping and ooh blah dee sung softly by the audience timekeepers. Exponents of the west coast school did play a bit softer and weren’t as driven as the east coast musicians but came up with a great crop of locally highly regarded singers who, of course, were frontrunners in this school.  Exponents were Ernie Andrews Joe Greene, Gerald Wilson, Hampton Hawes the Chico Hamilton Red Mitchell, Barney Kessel, & Kenny Burrell. I really think the birth of the big band hard driving came from bands like Gerald Wilson, Don Ellis, of course Stan Kenton, & later Bob Florence the Knapp Pierce & lately, the Clayton Bros. These banks are associated with the West Coast but not necessarily from the West Coast! There’s a difference. Cool meant drugs which most jazz musicians acknowledge as a sign of the times; fame & constant approval and often rejection is a very personal experience. Some even claimed that being ‘high’ improved their playing.  What ever the reason on the east coast as well as the west coast, the 50’s was the beginning of the end for bop due to drugs. I don’t think it’s really gotten over the haze even today with movies extolling the virtues of certain artists; however, there are many unsung heroes who survived and went on to do great things, i.e. Red Rodney, Jerry Mulligan, and a sterling light through this period was the great late Dizzie Gillespie, no druggie in the midst of druggies.

European migration – beginning in the 50’s

Many top name jazz heroes moved to Europe on a temporary basis; many of them found the climate to their liking so they stayed. They blended well with most of the good euro jazz artists who’d always hailed the music; even during the cold war, jazz & Willis Conover did much to promote the art form That was also the beginning of the overseas ‘goodwill’ tours of renowned most white acts on goodwill tours; Meanwhile, the black musicos were being ignored; they’d come down from Harlem and the ghettos left behind by the other immigrants, and were acceptable in the lounges & supper clubs of our cities most elite areas. However, this was slow & usually limited to a small few. The average jazz musician was being ignored; even though they could read music; play any style at any tempo they did not become the radio; TV/movie house band nor were they theatre house bands nor in Las Vegas! This prompted an out flux to places where they loved jazz & black people; France, Spain, Germany & Italy.

Jazz Sets its’ parameters: the 60’s rock & roll Chapter 3 Moving North