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I'm looking forward to a HUGE discussion, with many opinions, on this subject!
My Father was adamant, he HATED Jazz - period, end of discussion!
I had a hard time understanding why, because I loved my 1st exposure to Jazz in old film, e.g., ragtime syncopation, Cuban rhythms, Big Bands, Swing and Jazz Blues!
Who wouldn't want to get up and move their feet with Cary Grant and Constance Bennet in "Topper", as they party through 2 night clubs and a piano bar with 1 Jazz tune - Hoagy Carmichael's "Old Man Moon"?
Or, go for a stroll on a quiet afternoon and skip-step along to the sound of Jack Teagarden?
Or, just relax to the dreamy Gypsy Jazz of Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli?
And, where else could you find a more colorful, "Closer Walk With Thee", but at a New Orlean's funeral? Usually the slow march would be followed by a "Second Line" of a brighter, more joyous Jazz procession, for love & memory of the deceased.
Later...
I found out Jazz was also an "Improvisational Art Form" and being creative, I really wanted to embrace what many people rave about.
But, after listening to examples of: Model Jazz, Chamber Jazz, atonal Free/Avant-garde Jazz, Miles Davis and Chick Corea, etc...
I just never found any of those I enjoyed.
It's like pure Chaos to me! I already feel like my brain bounces around erratically, without listening to music that emulates it.🥴
I've been ridiculed for this later point of view in my past, not on the forum, yet.(lol) Also, been told something like, "pure Jazz is the only real music" and "you are just not sophisticated/educated enough to appreciate it", which may be true.
So, maybe this is the Jazz my Father hated so vehemently.
Still, there's no place I'd rather be on a Sunday, than having Brunch at the Commander's Palace, in New Orleans - enjoying stuffed quail, while musicians stroll through playing Jazz... lightly.
So, I'm open to all opinions in hopes of a better understanding.
- Emily
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yup!
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@ABitRusty -
Now that's crazy fun!
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Jazz, some I like, some, well, I don't like.
The above selections, I personally like, thank you both for posting them I'm enjoying listening to them.
I've heard also that "you are just not sophisticated/educated enough to appreciate it",
which may be true, here also, as I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, I'll gladly admit, how ever that statement, in my opinion is pure Hog wash.
I can appreciate the individuals ability on there instrument and there knowledge of the relative relationships the cords for a given progression,
But when they start playing outside of the box with no homage to the melody then I lose interest very fast, and some of the harmonic choices that they make are do discordant, well, is just not my cup of tea.
But to those who like it more power to them.
That's just my take on jazz and music in general.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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I have to be in the mood for jazz, and I only like some of it.
Even the great saxophonists like Charlie Parker or John Coltrane I can take or leave.
I like Sun Ra, Miles Davis and Roland Kirk most of all. Occasionally Lol Coxhill or Albert Ayler.
Jazz violin? Yeah, Grappelli is fine. Reinhardt is said to have preferred Michel Warlop, but others say that this was because Reinhardt was homophobic.
I used to listen to the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but only their first album.
Andrew
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@Mark - 
@Gordon Shumway -
...visualizing 1 of those wind-up monkey toys, clanging cymbals together?
Hilarious - all of the artists are individually listed as the composer of this piece and it sounds like it.
"The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic pop with surreal humour and avant-garde art, the Bonzos came to the public attention through a 1968 ITV comedy show, Do Not Adjust Your Set." (YouTube description)
Had fun listening to their, "Look Out, There's a Monster Coming".
Thank you, Andrew - very entertaining!
- Emily
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Dreamy enough for ya?
Andrew
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@Gordon Shumway -
...dreamy?
The root melody is catchy,
but think I might have had a nightmare
...1974,
back in Highschool (lol)
- Emily
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Lot's of nice links. The Paganini took me by surprise. 🤣 Love it!!!
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I'm always redefining my understanding of music genres as I learn not only more about prominent characteristics/structure of the music, but also about it's origins and the communities that keep them alive. I figure the cultures that surround/birthed different music genres are relevant to how/why the music is played, maybe even more important to keep in mind if I'm changing the music to suit myself.
Adam Neely brought up a good point... if many people are lead to believe Jazz is something it isn't, what happens to the 'real thing'?
Does 'real' jazz get dismissed, die out? It's so easy to inadvertently influence MANY people on Social Media with inaccurate information!
Like usual, I learn a lot from Adam Neely videos. This recent one helped me understand more about genres - Jazz, in particular.
Is Laufey Jazz?
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Jazz is known for improvisation in solos, but even Ragtime Bands orchestrated their music - with parts for Violin. I'm just surprised that Violins weren't more prevalent in Jazz Bands, especially after Stuff Smith started experimenting with amplification (1930).
Jazz musician Milt Hinton claimed that the decline in violin players coincided with the introduction of sound movies, as many violin players were used as accompaniment for silent films. (Wikipedia)
🤔... thought Silent Movies were mostly accompanied by pianists, or organists.
I was taking a look back thru the 1920's-30's and aside from the few famous Jazz Soloists, I found many photos & clips of Jazz Bands that had at least 1 violinist! Nat Shilkret's Victor Orchestra included a quartet & Paul Whiteman's Orchestra had a whole string section!
Some Jazz Bandleaders were also violinists... and Paul Whiteman was a Violist!
It's worth noting that 'Jazz Bands' also played popular & novelty music - ALL ended up getting called 'jazz'.
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King of Jazz (1930) - with Paul Whiteman, 1080p HD Film (Cinema4Reel). Wow, entertainment during the 'Great Depression'.
At the time the film was made, "jazz", to the general public, meant jazz-influenced syncopated dance music heard on phonograph records, on radio broadcasts, and in dance halls.
...gotta love 'Hollywood' - crazy, how everything is over-the-top for entertainment. 😁
All in all, I think "The Jazz King" film was very confusing... NOT a lot of what I'd consider to be 'jazz' in it!
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I have seen Gill Scott heron, at glasters years ago on a Sunday night, he was headlining, he was OK, does he count.
Nat King Cole, great singer no doubt about it. Not really keen on any other type of jazz though, or jazz blues come to that. I prefer guitar bands, the Smiths, Ramones, people like that, one of the best bands I ever saw for pure entertainment was the housemartins, each to their own though, I don't think it makes you uneducated if you don't like a form of music that someone else likes, it just means you don't like it, we are all different which is a good thing otherwise there would be only one type of music:)
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"New Orleans Wiggle" (1923) - A.J. Piron's New Orleans Orchestra (Tim Gracyk).
A. J. Piron was a Jazz violinist & Bandleader 1910-30's.
Joe Samuels (also a Violinist & Bandleader) & his Chiclet Orchestra - "Never Again" (1924). Matthew de Lacey Davidson offers up a little info on Samuels and his band, in the video description.
The Ingenues, All Girl Jazz Band from Chicago - played vaudville, the Ziegfeld Follies & toured World-wide 1925-1937. "Keep Sweeping The Cobwebs Off The Moon", "Changes", "Shakin' The Blues Away", and "Tiger Rag" (Classic Fun).
Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band (which shortly thereafter changed the spelling of its name to "Original Dixieland Jazz Band"), fostered awareness of this new style of music. (Wikipedia)
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@stringy -
Sorry, missed your post!
Wow, I know Gill Scot Heron influenced many people... but honestly, I just can't get into his style - there's a lot of Jazz I don't like.
I love the syncopation & swing of early Jazz & Gypsy Jazz music - try to immerse myself in it, because I'm interested in the polyrhythms. I like much of the improvisation, too... unless it goes off the deep end, atonal, and hard to feel a groove.
I think it's easy to get into an arguement over 'what' Jazz is - I'm not looking for that. 😊 Just been having fun taking a look at Jazz/Jazz Band beginnings & the role violins/violinists played.
Claude "Fiddler" Williams was from Oklahoma - violinist/multi instrumentalist, he was inspired by Joe Venuti's Jazz violin (Venuti played in Paul Whiteman's Band + with others). Claude ended up playing in a band with Nat King Cole, and then Count Basie (both famous Jazz pianists) - he even played at Carnegie Hall!
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" - not the upbeat kind of music as in the other posts, but many can relate to this tune. Claude "Fiddler" Williams was 90 years old when he recorded the tunes on this album!
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Just putting my tenpenny bit in Emily, everyone to their own, would be a very boring world without differences in tastes;) music to me is like looking at an art work in sound, for some people certain colours blend perfectly for others they don't, if you know what I mean, doesn't mean any one style is right or wrong, and of course I respect all styles, I know how hard any type of music is to play.
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@stringy -
Thank you!
What is very cool to me, is if you are inspired by some of those types of music you listen to - enough to try to interpret what you 'feel' from them... on the acoustic, or electric violin! 🤗
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Strings Magazine has a few articles (with videos) on the big name Jazz Violinists of the 1920's-30's.
Essential Historical Recordings: Great Jazz Violinists Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Eddie South & Stéphane Grappelli - out of these 4, I'm least familiar with Eddie South.
Jazz-Violin Legend Svend Asmussen at 98 - with his transcription of a violin solo!
Chasing the Sound of Stuff Smith
Joe Venuti - "Wild Cat"
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