THE RELATION OF JAZZ TO AMERICAN MUSIC

by George Gershwin

The great music of the past in other countries has always been built on folk-music. This is the strongest source of musical fecundity. America is no exception among the countries. The best music being written today is music which comes from folk-sources. It is not always recognized that America has folk-music; yet it really has not only one but many different folk-musics. It is a vast land, and different sorts of folk-music have sprung up in different parts, all 66

having validity and all being a possible foundation for development into an art-music. For this reason, I believe that it is possible for a number of distinctive styles to develop in America, all legitimately born of folk-song from different localities. Jazz, ragtime, Negro spirituals and blues, Southern mountain songs, country fiddling, and cowboy songs can all be employed in the creation of American art-music, and are actually used by many composers now. These composers are certain to produce something worth while if they have the innate feeling and talent to develop the rich material offered to them. There are also other composers who can be classed as legitimately American who do not make use of folk-music as a base, but who personally, working in America, developed highly individualized styles and methods. Their new-found materials should be called American, just as an invention is called American if it is made by an American!

Jazz I regard as an American folk-music; not the only one, but a very powerful one which is probably in the blood and feeling of the American people more than any other style of folk-music. I believe that it can be made the basis of serious symphonic works of lasting value, in the hands of a composer with talent for both jazz and symphonic music.

From: American Composers on American Music

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

The black man with the wonderful smile finished singing, mopped his forehead with a huge white handkerchief, raised the gleaming trumpet to his lips and played. The music was jazz. It was exciting and happy music, and soon everyone was smiling and feeling good, clapping and swaying to the rhythm. He finished playing and the crowd roared and applauded.

That was Louis Armstrong, one of the most famous and best-loved jazz musicians of all the time. Armstrong did a great deal to popularize this type of music. Jazz was created by black Americans from African drumbeats, work songs, blues, spirituals, and especially the lively marchingband tunes so popular right after the Civil War.

The cradle city of jazz was New Orleans. Louis Armstrong was born there on July 4, 1900. His family was very poor. He loved music from a very early age and would follow street bands at parades and even funerals just to hear the music.

On New Year's Eve, when he was twelve, he and his friends were having fun with shooting a small gun. Louis had brought his own gun and shot it off. It made such a big noise that it scared everybody and suddenly Louis found himself in the arms of a tall policeman. He was sent to the colored Waifs' Home, a place for black children who go into trouble. One of the teachers that Louis liked a lot was a music teacher named Mr. Davis, who had formed

a band in the school. Louis behaved himself very well and soon was asked to join the band. Mr. Davis gave him bugle and cornet lessons, and the boy had never been happier. He learned quickly and was soon made the leader. Louis finally left the Home after a year and a half and went to live with his father. Because his family was so poor, he had to go right out and earn some money, doing odd jobs like helping a junkman and shovelling coal. He managed to save enough money to buy a battered old cornet. He began to practise and listen to music every chance he got. Louis got his first real job playing when he was sixteen, working for whatever money the customers threw him.

He also began to play with Fate Marble on the riverboats that went up and down the Mississippi. With the Marble band he first learned how to read music well and also got the chance to play jazz for many who had never heard it before. Louis was becoming known as the best player around New Orleans.

In 1924 he got his own band, and some of the best music he ever played was recorded during this period. Louis did all sorts of new musical things. He began travelling all over with his band. Music was his whole life.

On his seventieth birthday a great tribute was paid to Louis. A number of jazz clubs had birthday celebrations. Many famous singers and musicians came and performed in his honour. Everyone acknowledged that he was truly the "King of Jazz".

Louis Armstrong died one year later, but the world will never forget the musician who did so much to make people happy and bring the people of the world closer together.

From: "Moscow News", No. 21, 1979

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1725