Roots of jazz; Back to the beginning

The following tape recorded program is a presentation of the National Association of educational broadcasters. The last three programs of torrents of light on this program. It's not strictly a phenomenon of the United States.

Over the world. Recently we've had unusual music from Sweden in the Netherlands Italy France and England a land down under has given us the Australian quartet. Then to jazz has filtered into the more serious composed music of Western countries contributing rhythmic melodic ideas instrumental techniques and material. Of course in a larger sense just one development of a form of music almost every culture a group of Uno. People is have at some time experimented with music told their stories and dance legends to the beats of drums. The plucks of strings and the improvised chants of words of the folk singer jazz daughter has just such a phenomena. And therefore it is not as unique as. It stands a kin to all of the world's art music in that its sources

who are in the infancy of society. We are in the middle years of the 20th century. Jazz is over three school he is in age and that should be enough to bring maturity. The latest innovators in the field have become increasingly preoccupied with classical forms. This will no doubt continue for some time and will leave its mark on the jazz of the future. All odds change and develop in this way. They are as Studs Terkel has said a reflection of the times but they reflect the light of current

history not as a mirror does giving a duplicate image. But rather as a prism does selectively and fractionally with the role of the person being played by the virtuoso artist his chosen after a cause appeared to brighten with perfection. Cast that hue over the current scene and linger beneath the surface of the future. So it has been with the art form of jazz the past and the future have met in the individual artists and their influences have made patterns of development so that not so much of what they did is lost with time as it is absorbed with time and reaching the art form generally so. Jazz. Does not stand alone and unaccounted for

us. A. Bob a product of the 1940s does not merely reflect the

anxiety of the post-war world it reflects a musical past progressive music large bands preceded it. Progressive music began in the early 1940s.

When it was artists reflections of the Great Age of swing. Yeah. Swing came in the 30s and before Benny Goodman Artie Shaw

caused riots there was a period of at least 15 years of big band music with a jazz influence behind it. Those were the years of Count Basie Duke Ellington. And Fletcher Henderson. Yeah.

Yeah yeah yeah. I am

at the. At the. At the. Bar. And the bands of Macy Ellington and Henderson owe much to the work of men like Louis Armstrong jazz. As with all arts is not however a simple straight line development from simple to complex. From the folk to the sophisticate jazz and Bach also reflect the New York jam session of the 30s. And while the Depression was one large reason why jazz musicians had time

enough to while away playing their heads off in jam sessions. They did so with a sense of the past. Also there was of course the Chicago of the 1920s. I

am I am. I am. Frank Freeman joining my partner and all the rest of the Chicago

musicians reflected the musical acts by the back and backs of the negro coming up the Mississippi to Chicago and of Louis Armstrong. Thank you.

Lewis seems to have been a pivotal individual in the history of jazz.

All art forms have man. Who because of their artistry their staying power their wide audience set patterns which bind branches and twigs and leaves. But even the unique has a past and Louise was in New Orleans. Here in New Orleans Jazz began the jazz band that is. The music of a Southern city music played in the street. The

pavilion the dance hall of the brothel and music which reflected the negro's heritage in this country. Blue time a heritage of hard work and a heritage of plantation life a past with a story told in music the blues. The song

was. Well. Well and I was and he was. Now now.

Was a good day. Get up. Well yeah yeah. Well yeah it was

good. I. May.

Be. I'm on. It.