Re: Jazz Reference

Music Lane

It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

209.144.2.29

In Reply to: Jazz Reference posted by birdbrain on March 13, 2000 at 01:08:45:

If you really want to know the origins of jazz, a must read is Really the Blues by Milton "Mezz" Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe. It's not about Blues, the term Jazz hadn't been discerned from Blues music at the time time of writing.
It's the autobiography of Mezz. Mezz was a contemporary musician of early great Jazz musicians like Armstrong. All the twists in early history of Jazz are detailed. Mezz searched all his life to be a great musician. But, Mezz wasn't born with the greatest skills in Jazz, probably just mediocre. His passion for improving toward musical greatness is the driving force for all his endeavors; in music or otherwise. If you start reading between the lines, a vivid picture imerges.
Questions like, "Why did Jazz flourished in France?" are deliniated. If you're looking for all the perfect answer, it's not in this book. What this book answers is "Why would great American Jazz musicians be so willing to go to France?" Too many reasons not to. They had to leave there families. They didn't speak the language. As well, Racial hatred and economic issues are discussed. Jazz was a forum for the black man to mix with the whites. Mezz was a white guy who had to prove himself to his black peers.
Ultimately, the music is the only thing that mattered to these musicians. There are consequences, both good and bad, for following that philosophy. These consequences, within the era of early Jazz, formed ripples that would later be repeated and expanded on with later Jazzmen like Miles and Bird. This isn't reference, it's source material. But, if you really want to know, this book relays that era perfectly.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Jazz Reference - birdbrain 01:08:45 03/13/00 (14)

Re: Jazz Reference - taco 20:41:34 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Fernando 11:53:10 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - erik 10:51:01 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - John-from Seattle 08:55:25 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Mike K 08:05:09 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Jonathan Kranz 06:26:53 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Alex V 06:19:13 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Mike M 04:26:46 03/13/00 (4)

Re: Jazz Reference - Dmitry 18:54:27 03/13/00 (3)

Re: Jazz Reference - Mike M 05:42:25 03/14/00 (2)

Re: Jazz Reference - Dmitry 08:42:54 03/14/00 (1)

Re: Jazz Reference - Mike M 11:24:00 03/14/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - Muzikmike 04:13:20 03/13/00 (0)

Re: Jazz Reference - R B 03:25:02 03/13/00 (0)

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Re: Jazz Reference - taco 20:41:34 03/13/00 (0)

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