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I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

J is for Jazz

Jazz: English, origin unknown. A slang term meaning, to copulate, frenzied. It was later applied to music with an accelerated, frenzied or "jazzy" beat and soon came to be the term used for a whole genre.

Long before I listened to rock 'n' roll I listened to my father's jazz albums. One time Dad took my grandmother and me to see Count Basie and his Orchestra, live in person on St. Thomas. A gift I will never forget. From rag-time to blues to be-bop to swing (and classical) on 78's and LPs, he had an eclectic collection. And he built his own records players. One time he turned a manhole cover into a turn table. It's true.

My musical memory is copious, I can sing along to a gazillion songs. I may not remember all the words, but the melodies are somehow imprinted on my brain, never forgotten. It was hard to pick examples of what my sister Erva and I heard around the house. Whatever it was, we danced and sang our way through all of it. I hope you can take a little time to listen and enjoy. (I know it may be hard what with all the other blogs you have to visit.)

Do you like jazz? Does jazz play into your writing, as in jazzing (spicing) it up?

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, "The Sugarfoot Stomp" from 1923.

Since Dad played trombone, there was plenty of Glenn Miller. This is "Stardust," written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927, it is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.


Here's a virtuoso. Oscar Peterson, "Can't Get Started With You."


I was in love with drummers like Ginger Baker. Dad introduced me to Gene Krupa who was the first to use drums as a solo instrument. His drumming was called "scary." Here's Benny Goodman with Gene Krupa and Harry James on trumpet doing "Sing, Sing, Sing."


Dad had an autographed 78 of Louis Armstrong where he wasn't given credit. At some point Dad had the opportunity to meet the great one and asked if that was him on the record. It was and he signed his record. As for Ella...No one has ever sung as clear or with such style. She is and will always remain my favorite female vocalist. The Christina Aguileras of the world could learn something from her. Here they are together in "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

And lastly, a more "modern" artist (who unfortunately died in 2009) singing an old standard, "More Than You Know," by Kenny Rankin. Sigh...

19 comments:

  1. I always thought the meaning of Jazz came from the music first. HA!

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  2. To copulate! crikey! I didn't know that. lol

    I love drum solos.

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  3. to copulate..... I didn't know that. I've stayed in my mushroom cave too long :) Oh, yes, I love all the music. The old jazz.. Ledbelly, Bill Bloonsey... all the old greats. And big bands.... that was my era (I'm 81) OMG... how many times I fell in love dancing to Stardust..Ha. Gene Krupa... God, could he hit those sticks. Louis Armstrong used to come to Minneapolis during the 50's. We never missed him. He'd play in the smaller bars where you could also dance. What fun we used to have.
    I'm so happy for you that you grew up with music too.

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  4. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong! I'm so grateful I came to your blog today! :D

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  5. Hi Bish. I'm new to your blog. I've arrived via your comment on Arlee Bird's blog about juggling.

    I've never been a jazz aficionado, but I enjoy it and here your selections are wonderful. Even from Australia they take me down memory lane.

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  6. Oh Bish, you taught me a lot today. I love jazz and dig listening to Gene Krupa. Louis too. See? I even start talking like them.

    Our son is a musician. Cameron can listen to a song one time and then play it. He loves jazz. :-)

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  7. There's nothing like the great songs of the past. I wonder what would happen if we put a 'Rapper' in a sealed room and played nothing but 'Big Band Music?' Would they learn anything? Would they go insane? Or would they be transformed into real singers?
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.

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  8. I love Jazz, but mostly later stuff like Monk and Davis.

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  9. I didn't know much about Jazz (and still not very much, apparently. I didn't know its original meaning at all!) until I met my jazz-aficionado husband. I am still not sure I can really appreciate the more esoteric types of jazz but I certainly enjoy most genres.

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  10. I LOVE jazz. Ella Fitzgerald - the queen.

    The best New Years Eve we ever had was one year we went to Ronnie Scotts Jazz club in Birmingham. Amazing memories. Before kids.
    xx

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  11. I don't like jazz, mainly because I don't like brass instruments other than the sax. I love learning the origins of the word, though. Jazz must have been like rock and roll to that generation -- simply scandalous!

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  12. Shelli: do you like jazz played by piano or guitar? A basic jazz trio of piano, string bass and drums may be more to your liking.

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  13. Hooked by your first paragraph - I never knew that. Love the videos too.

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  14. Oh I love Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong! ;-)

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  15. This is a musical genre I haven't taken enough time to appreciate. Thanks for giving me some tunes to check out ~ :)

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  16. I like "mellow" jazz. Screaming-elephant jazz, not so much. Interesting post!

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  17. I LOVE jazz, but I've only just started to really get into it. Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday are my favorites so far.
    Thank you for commenting on my blog. My Jimi Hendrix post may actually be two or three posts, because I'm planning to review his biography, Roomful of Mirrors, but then I also have a lot to say about his music.

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  18. I did J is for Jazz too! Thank you for putting these videos together, and for introducing me to Kenny Rankin. Kurt Elling is one of my favorites, as well as piano trios.

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  19. ah Gene Kruper great - Leadbelly great - Ella -Louis all amazing muscians thanks for the post

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Your Random Thoughts are most welcome!