When it comes to jazz, the name you need to start with is Miles Davis. Miles Davis is the jazz artist that made me love jazz and I am willing to bet that he will help you love it as well. This was back in the day when I was in college and working on my first radio station and the idea of listening to jazz was about the same as being asked to listen to recordings of a dentist's drill for me.
I worked there with another DJ and he and I started a kind of competition to see who could get away with playing the longest song. With jazz, this is not hard to do. Some albums by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett have songs well over twenty minutes on each side of the vinyl record. So, I would spend time looking at the run-times of each song, looking for the longest. It was while doing this I pulled out the vinyl copy of Davis' "Kind of Blue."
I played the track called "All Blues." Normally, the purpose of playing the long cut was that it gave you the freedom to play computer games, get up and walk around the building, or call friends back in the dorms and chat for a long time before you had to do anything. This time, however, when I put on the song, I found myself sitting there, actually listening and hypnotized. Before I knew it, I had listened to the entire song.
I knew then that jazz was something that had potential for me. I spoke to another DJ who had more experience playing jazz. He told me that the best way to get an instant classic jazz collection would be to buy nearly every Miles Davis album. Then look at the musicians who played with him, his side-men, and then buy at least one album from each of them.
The history of jazz is the history of America. Jelly Roll Morton was supposedly the first to mass market jazz. Some debate if he really "invented" the genre. He had a business card claiming he did, but he also loved to talk and he loved to brag. Whether you like his brand of jazz or not, the musical genre would not be where it is today without Jelly Roll.
One of the most influential musicians was Louis Armstrong. Most of you probably know him from his "What a Wonderful World" song, but he did a lot more for the music than just that one tune. He helped launch jazz into the modern era. Even Miles Davis said that all modern jazz musicians, including himself, owed a debt to Louis.
In the modern world, my favorite musician is Wynton Marsalis. Not only is he a great horn player in the tradidion of Louis and Miles, but he is passionate about the music and about passing along the traditions of jazz to younger musicians. In each case, throughout the history of jazz, the great ones always found the young talent and nurtured them. Herbie Hancock got some of his biggest audiences by playing with Miles Davis, for example.
I think jazz is alive and well today. This is evidenced by Herbie Hancock winning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It surprised many, but not me. Hancock is one of the finest jazz musicians alive today and it proves that jazz music is far from dead.
Learn more about this author, Bryan W. Alaspa.
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
Jazz music: Past, present and future
- By Stanley W. Shura
An Unabashedly Biased Commentary on Jazz 'Must Haves' I think it would be rather bold to try to write to the... read more - By Bryan W. Alaspa
When it comes to jazz, the name you need to start with is Miles Davis. Miles Davis is the jazz artist that made me l... read more - By Nora Nick Katsourakis
My appreciation of jazz was piqued when I travelled to Greece in 2000. Wherever we went on tour buses, on island hop... read more - By DN-inc
Jazz is the original American musical art form which originated in African American communities in the Southern Unite... read more - By Tony Ypenburgh
Still remember a pleasant August summer evening in 1951, driving by the Oslo Fjord with some friends, taking in the c... read more - By Kefilwe Das Past
Past, Present and Future of jazz eh? This is not the way that jazz should be discussed. It is certainly....read more - By Everett Autumn
The key to understanding American jazz is understanding Louis Armstrong. Knowing who he was and where.....read more - By Tyson Williams
The legend of jazz was created in New Orleans then move toward the river named Mississippi River and on....read more
View All Articles on:
Jazz music: Past, present and future
Add your voice
Know something about Jazz music: Past, present and future? We want to hear your view. Write now!
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar