JAZZ

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JAZZ
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JAZZ HISTORY

• Jazz is the art of expression set to music! Jazz
  is said to be the fundamental rhythms of human
  life and mans contemporary reassessment of his
  traditional values. Volumes have been written on
  the origins of jazz based on black American
  life-styles. The early influences of tribal drums
  and the development of gospel, blues and field
  hollers seems to point out that jazz has to do
  with human survival and the expression of life.
  The origin of the word "jazz" is most often
  traced back to a vulgar term used for sexual
  acts. Some of the early sounds of jazz where
  associated with whore houses and "ladies of ill
  repute." However, the meaning of jazz soon became
  a musical art form, whether under composition
  guidelines or improvisation, jazz reflected
  spontaneous melodic phrasing.
• Those who play jazz have often expressed the
  feelings that jazz should remain undefined, jazz
  should be felt. "If you gotta ask, youll never
  know" ---Louis Armstrong.

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• The standard legend about jazz is that it was
  conceived in New Orleans and moved up the
  Mississippi River to Memphis, St. Louis and
  finally Chicago. Of course that seems to be the
  history of what we now refer to as jazz, however,
  the influences of what led to those early New
  Orleans sounds goes back to tribal African drum
  beats and European musical structures.
• "Jazz, like any artistic phenomenon, represents
  the sum of an addition. The factors of this
  addition are, to my mind, African music, French
  and American music and folklore." ---Robert
  Goffin, 1934.
• In reviewing the background of jazz one can not
  overlook the evaluation over the decades and the
  fact that jazz spanned many musical forms such as
  spirituals, cakewalks, ragtime and the blues.
  Around 1891 a New Orleans barber named Buddy
  Bolden reputedly pitcked up his cornet and blew
  the first stammering notes of jazz, thereby
  unconsciously breaking with several centuries of
  musical tradition. A half-century later, jazz,
  Americas great contribution to music, crossed
  the threshold of the universities and became
  seriously, even religiously considered.

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• Jazz functions as popular art and has enjoyed
  periods of fairly widespread public response, in
  the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in the swing era of
  the late 1930s and in the peak popularity of
  modern jazz in the late 1950s. Beginning in the
  20s and continuing well into the 30s, it was
  common to apply the word "jazz" rather
  indiscriminately, melodically or tonally. Thus
  George Gershwin was called a jazz composer. For
  Gershwins concert work he was acclaimed to have
  made a respectable art form out of jazz. Somewhat
  similarly, Paul Whiteman, playing jazz-influenced
  dance music, was billed as the King of Jazz.
  Perhaps the broader definition of jazz, such as
  the one that would include the blues influence as
  well as those who shared our understanding of the
  art form, even if they did not perform it, would
  be the most useful historical approach.
• "It has always intrigued me, that people like Ma
  Rainey, Al Jolson and Guy Lombardo are considered
  a part of jazz history, but they are!" ---Les
  Paul, 1994.
• The influence and development of the blues can
  not be over looked when discussing the early
  years of jazz.

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• "The blues as such are synonymous with low
  spirits. Blues music is not. With all its so
  called blue notes and overtones of sadness, blues
  music of its very nature and function is nothing
  if not a form of diversion." ---Albert Murray.
• Those feelings as expression of blues music fits
  very comfortably with the strains and phrases of
  jazz. Today, Bessie Smith is considered primarily
  a blues singers, however in the 1920s, she was
  most often referred to as a jazz singer. An
  ability to play the blues has been a requisite of
  all jazz musicians, who on first meeting one
  another or when taking part in a jam session,
  will often use the blues framework for improving.
  Blues, stemming from rural areas of the deep
  South, has a history largely independent of jazz.
  Exponents of blues usually accompanied themselves
  on guitar, piano or harmonica or were supported
  by small groups who often played unconventional
  or homemade instruments.
• A number of the early jazz performers relied on
  the blues for more than the chord exchanged. Many
  of these jazz musicians used the blues for the
  driving force of their musical emotions, such as
  the work of Don Redman, Stuff Smith, Ma Rainey
  and the early works of Louis Armstrong and Benny
  Carter.

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Metropolitan Jazz Club

• Contact

Jungmannova 14110 00  Praha-Nové Mesto Phone
number 420 224 947 777E-mail
metropolitan_at_telecom.czWWW http//mujweb.cz/www/
metropolitan
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Jazz Club U Staré paní

• Contact
• Michalská 441/9110 00  Praha-Staré Mesto
• Phone number 420 603 551 680E-mail
  info_at_jazzlounge.czWWW http//www.jazzlounge.cz

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Reduta Jazz Club

• Contact
• Národní 116/20110 00  Praha-Nové Mesto
• Phone number 420 224 933 487Fax [phone]
  486E-mail reduta_at_volny.czWWWhttp//www.redutaj
  azzclub.cz

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Jazz Blues Club Ungelt

• Contact
• Týn 640/2110 00  Praha-Staré Mesto
• Phone number 420 224 895 748Fax [phone]
  241E-mail ungelt_at_jazzblues.czWWW
  http//www.jazzblues.cz

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Jazzboat

• Contact
• Na Františku 100/2110 00  Praha-Staré Mesto
• Phone number 420 731 183 180E-mail
  info_at_jazzboat.czWWW http//www.jazzboat.cz