Logistics
Our class for Monday, April 19th begins a series of two sessions devoted to authenticity and Jazz. For Monday we consider a chapter from "The Black Atlantic" by Paul Gilroy (1993).
For Wednesday we will discuss two works, the essay by Zora Neale Hurston "How it Feels to be Colored Me" (1928) and chapters seven and eight from "Stomping the Blues."
Please remember that the second essay due date is coming up on Wednesday April 28th. Send me a note if I may assist with your topic.
The Black Atlantic
On the web site I have given you chapter three from "The Black Atlantic" titled "Jewels Brought from Bondage: Black Music and the Politics of Authenticity." I will focus my comments on naming and not so much explaining the important ideas here. You must read closely in order to understand these notions. First is the idea of black music's "proximity to slavery" as one of the "distinctive forces shaping black Atlantic political culture" (page 73). Another talking point is that of "racial terror" and the music's "status" in relation to its "capacity" to express an image of slavery.
Gilroy presents the ideas of Toni Morrison on black art (page 76) and Ralph Ellison on black music (page 79). Gilroy contributes a definition or "proposition" of the black atlantic as well (page 81). He asks questions regarding authenticity and a pan-Carribbean identity and points to Hip Hop culture's contest between (a) expression and (b) censorship (page 83).
The chapter ends with specific questions regarding authenticity and Jazz, the idea of the fragmentation of the music and the debate between Miles Davis and Winton Marsalis about proprietorship. That is, should Jazz musicians recreate the past or only seek to create new art?
Image
Here is the caption for the image above.
"Max Roach, an innovator of modern polyrhythmic drum style and leading percussionist of the new music, Chicago, 1948." "Bird Lives" by Ross Russell (1973).
Film Clip
Please go to the media page of the Black Vistas web site to view the classic performance of "So What" from 1958 that includes Miles Davis on trumpet and John Coltrane on tenor saxophone.
http://homepage.mac.com/home_page/jazz_and_culture/movies/john_coltrane.html
Comments and Discussion
After review of these materials, please create three posts. Comment on (a) my discussion above, (b) on someone else's post (c) material from this text, or (d) on the image or film clip. I will comment on comments as appropriate.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere is a sample post.
ReplyDeleteI think that video of Miles Davis and Coltrane really exemplifies most people’s idea of jazz, and I mean that in a good way. The video of these well-dressed men playing incredibly, and there’s men smoking in the band and in the background, all seemingly hanging out and creating music effortlessly. I just think it’s the perfect example of what people might describe when you ask them how they picture ‘jazz’ or jazz musicians. As for the playing, it’s obviously off the wall. I like the concentration on Coltrane’s face, he’s playing with his eyes closed and even though he’s not dancing or singing, you still get an emotion from him in the way he’s moving around while he’s playing.
ReplyDeleteShould Jazz musicians recreate the past or only seek to create new art?
ReplyDeleteWhy can’t they just do both? I think that if jazz musicians only recreated the past, jazz would be long gone by now. People would appreciate it for what it is, but without progression, I’m not sure that anyone would still be as stoked on jazz as some people are now. There has to be some middle point between recreating the past and attempting to create an entirely new art, art influenced by the past, or inspired by the past. Is it even –really- possible to say you’re creating a new art? You’ve been affected by what you’ve seen or heard already, so even if you think you’re doing something ‘new’..you’re probably not.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris,
ReplyDeleteThank you for making this available. It is very informative and interactive.
I agree that it's necessary for jazz musicians to both recreate the past and seek to create a new art. I'm not sure if seeking to "create a new art" is necessary or even feasible... perhaps innovation or expansion of traditional techniques is a more realistic and appropriate way of defining progression. I also agree that today it is very difficult to define anything as distinctly "new". Yes, new sounds and artforms arise as cultures change and move through time, but no matter how innovative or authentic this "new art" may be, it is almost impossible not to link it in some way to the past. Authenticity is not always as authentic as it may seem.
ReplyDeleteThis performance of "So What" with Miles Davis and John Coltrane feels like the ultimate classic Jazz performance. The improvisation is clean as well as enjoyable. The performance seems to feel like the epitome of a Jazz performance during the 50s. I picture a Jazz house packed with couples dancing or swinging to the the classic sounds of the saxaphone and trumpet.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment was posted by Victoria Dahan
ReplyDeleteThe Ralph Ellison quote on page 79 presents an interesting discussion on contradiction. He writes that "true jazz is an art of individual assertion within and against the group." Perhaps the most authentic moments in jazz spring from improvisation, a "solo flight" that simultaneously presents the jazz musician as an individual and part of a collective whole that is linked in tradition. I like the ending segment of Ellison's quote in which he states, "because jazz finds its very life in improvisation upon traditional materials, the jazz man must loose his identity even as he finds it..."
ReplyDeleteIt's clear that musicians today can't create new music without recreating some of the past as they're body of musical knowledge is based on this collective past. But how and in what way old styles of music are combined, recombined, and innovated is entirely up to the musician and this is what makes each artist unique.
ReplyDeleteThis Coltrain and Davis performance feels so natural and so beautiful, like the music is just existing in some natural state, just appearing. I think of Jazz as a performance art as something that should truly feel classic, and timeless and this colaboration is a great example of that, it just feels right. I think the music itself, with out the performance evokes a similar feeling of timelessness. The improvisation feels right and makes you sway in musicical bliss.
ReplyDelete-AMK
The John Coltrane and Miles Davis performance sounded sultry, relaxed and effortless. I especially enjoyed Davis' improv on the trumpet; the variations on the melodic line and the repeated two-note phrase were beautiful. The group takes a tune that seems to basically evolve around two notes (emphasized by the trumpet, at the beginning and end of the piece and varied on throughout by the piano) and make it interesting through the combination of each musicians distinct style and improvisation.
ReplyDeleteBoth the piece itself and the environment radiated with "chill"... the space had a great sound quality; lots of reverb, like they were in a grand hall or open stadium. The random dudes, both black and white, smoking on the sidelines made it seem like the performance should be taking place in a dark club. Even Miles was smoking on the side while John Coltrane was soloing!
"Radiated with "chill" is the PERFECT way to describe the performance!
ReplyDeleteChris asks, should Jazz musicians recreate the past or only seek to create new art?
ReplyDeleteI think the progression of this question can be compared to the progression of hip hop. Whereas hip hop becomes viable in today's society because it samples from songs of the past. In this way they are revisiting the past in order to create new arts.
I think it would be a lot harder to equate this with Jazz and the blue mainly because those forms are based on improvisation and free form (not the blues, but jazz.) Ornette Coleman was a jazz musician who had his base in jazz, but made his music very avant guard from the rest. That would be the only example that I could think of that succeeded.
I like what Hillary said about trying to create something that is "new" in an age where nothing is really authentic anymore. I think what she mentions about expanding on traditional techniques in order to create something is also true in this sense.
ReplyDeleteI was completely overwhelmed by how clear the clip was. I was completely drawn into Miles Davis's facial expressions and especially the way he breathes into his trumpet. He puts such focus and determination into what he is doing that it seems like he is hard to budge. It was also interesting to see his interaction with John Coltrane and how they play off of each other.
ReplyDeleteThere is something strangely sensual about how Davis was playing, I was so drawn into it, like, a wave of relaxation hit me. I felt like he played so effortlessly, but still we are able to pinpoint just how much practice went into this. So, I agree with Hillary when she says, it was "radiated and chill". In my opinion, there is something so magical about music that can just take you to a place where its completely chill. The music was just so easy to vibe to, I love especially how they played off of each other.
ReplyDeleteShould Jazz musicians recreate the past or only seek to create new art?
ReplyDeleteIn answering this question I have to agree with Rani, and say when we look at hip hop today, it calls upon the use of samples from music way before its time, and in this way, they are incorporating the past to create a new art. I also feel like it is a way of paying homage to a lot of the people that may have inspired artists of today, and by incorporating their music in their new productions, they are keeping the memory of whichever artist they used alive. With Jazz, I feel that it is an ever evolving art form. I feel that for inspiration, it is only right when they use the past to help guide them, however, I feel that for the most part they should seek to be creating new expressions of the jazz form.
To the question should Jazz musicians recreate the past or only seek to create new art? I believe that it should be a mixture of both. I agree that people should learn how to play the classics but without originality or new innovative ways of playing there wouldn't be progress in any genre and I think it's needed in order for music to progress to what it is today and for the future. There also wouldn't be different types of Jazz is people didn't set out to create something new and something different. So we can't ignore the past but we must innovate what we know and learn in order to progress.
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree with what Maria and Rani are saying and I think Maria's example of hip hop paying homage to the past while still being innovative is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteI am completely amazed with the clip. The way the music sounds is incredible, you can hear the notes and they sound so smooth and he almost makes it look effortless but you know there is so much talent behind it.
The clip was beautiful sonically and visually. I loved how focused yet nonchalant they all seemed. The music, with its crisp tones, was simply a conversation they were having.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hillary when she talks about new creation of art as being an expansion of traditions or techniques. There is always an influence and inspiration that comes from a new creation--there is always old before new and both interconnecting with one another.
This performance of "So What" feels as staged as it looks. Both Davis and Coltrane have almost apathetic looks in their faces as they play; Davis even takes a drag of his cigarette as he casually listens to the pianist solo. Though the performers are cool almost to a fault, the quality of their performance does not seem to suffer in the least, as their piece is driven throughout by its swing. Perhaps if they had an audience besides the camera to perform for, their style may have been more hyped up.
ReplyDeleteI think more Jazz musicians should try to innovate more often. I say this because I find a lot of my friends that are in Jazz programs at schools often have assignments to play and learn older songs time and again, and while there is value in this, at times I wonder where there is room to innovate other than finding new ways to play old material.
ReplyDelete-Jackson Duncan
"So What" is staged, but has some great shots of Miles and Coltrane as the two play and unlike some of the other films we've seen of performances, I feel like there is an artistic quality in this clip suited well wit the music. This is with the exception of the piano player, who doesn't quite get the same treatment as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, but overall the clip has style and thats a welcomed transition from just a performance in a static frame.
ReplyDelete-Jackson Duncan response to Jenelle Bringer
Response to "So What" by Miles Davis and John Coltrane:
ReplyDeleteMiles Davis and John Coltrane are two of the biggest names in jazz, and I think this video of "So What" shows why. Miles Davis shows great range on trumpet, starting off quiet and smooth, but as he plays he slowly begins to hit higher and stronger notes that bring the song to a new intensity. No matter where on the scale Davis is playing, and no matter how quiet or loud, his notes don't falter. They are strong and clear. Davis barely moves from his position on the stage, leaning back slightly, arched back, his eyes show concentration and his feet keep rhythm with the drums. John Coltrane keeps his eyes closed for a lot of his solo. He plays his saxophone with ease, running up and down the scale skillfully. During Coltrane's solo Davis and other members of the band are seen smoking cigarettes and grooving to the music.
I agree with, most everyone else in the class, that this seems to exemplify jazz for the time. Great improvisation, smooth, effortless playing and an overall great groove.
- Anna Robilotta