Swinging Yes, but Moving Jazz in New Orleans
I have got an opportunity to visit New Orleans for the first time this summer. After the American Studies Summer Institute was over, I made up my mind to travel to New Orleans for two reasons. One is that I have long wanted to see the OLD MAN RIVER, the Mississippi, and the other is I wanted to listen to the authentic New Orleans Jazz. My decision turned out to be right. Here I present the emails Dr. Bill Peterman at CSU (Chicago State University) and I exchanged about New Orleans jazz recently. Dr. Peterman used to have a radio show called "Jazz Archives" when he was a student at the University of Chicago. I thought it would be a good idea to make his knowledge about jazz open to public.
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Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans
Sep. 8, 1999
Dear Bill,
So nice to hear from you. ASSI was quite an experience to me. I've learned a lot about US society. Thanks to you especially, I realized that the process of urbanization of big cities like Chicago is closely linked not only with the economic growth, but with the racism. I also appreciate the personal guided tour around University of Chicago. It was surprising to me that the part of nuclear research was conducted there. I took a lot of videos there, and I am going to use them as my teaching materials. Would you please allow me to as one of the main characters in my film?
Bourbon Street
I am glad to know about your trip to New Orleans. I could not come across a funeral, but the Dixieland jazz I listened to at the Preservation Hall (Thanks for your note) was overwhelming. I've got goose bumps, listening and sitting right next to a banjo player in a small, dark, humid place. I usually like to listen to so-called modern jazz like Oscar Peterson, Charlie Parker, etc. But I felt for the first time that Dixieland was the base of all kinds of jazz, and the marvelous form of expressing real human soul. I found the good place for modern jazz in French Quarter, too. That is Royal Sonesta Hotel. It was the night before I went to Preservation Hall. The trio, (piano, base, and drums) was very good. To my surprise, those players at both places were not big enough to have their own CDs released, in spite of their splendid performance. Will you recommend me some of dixieland jazz players to listen to?
It is great to keep in touch with you. I will talk to you sometimes.
Takafumi Tomita
PS
I hope Sosa will make a new home run record this year. But why can't Cubs win like Hanshin Tigers in Osaka, I wonder?
with Bill
Sep. 15, 1999
I think I had the same feelings you did while sitting in Preservation Hall. I first started listening to New Orleans style music when I was in high school and I would secretly listen to a New Orleans radio station on my transitor radio when I was supposed to be asleep. I collected many records during the late 1950s and 1960s and had a radio show called "Jazz Archives" when I was a student at the University of Chicago. I checked at a local music store to see what is currently available with regard to New Orleans or traditional jazz. (Again just to keep things straight no serious American fan of that style of music would call it Dixieland. To us Dixieland is a kind of fake music usually played by white musicians that is supposed to sound authentic. For the most part it is played too fast, without soul, and with embellishments that detract from the music. So call is traditional jazz (the British call it trad) or New Orleans jazz)
Bunk Johnson (trumpet) was one of the early jazz pioneers. He is said to have played with Buddy Bolden, who is credited by some with having been the first real jazz trumpeter. Anyway Bunk Johnson was brought out of retirement in the 1940s and made several records. He was usually backed by some very good and very authentic New Orleans musicians. Several of his sessions are available on CDs.
In the 1960s a fellow named George Lewis (clarinet)recorded with a lot of New Orleans musicians. (Lewis is on some of the earlier Bunk Johnson records). Some of the people Lewis recorded with are Sweet Emma Barnett (the bell gal)(piano), Big Jim Robinson (trombone), Willie (trumpet) and Percy (clarinet)Humphreys,Avery Kid Howard (trumpet), and Billie (piano) and Dee Dee Pierce (trumpet). It seems that most of the records made by these folkshave been reissued under George Lewis' name. All of these are authentic New Orleans folks and some of them played at Preservation Hall when it first opened.
Actually there are several CDs under the name Preservation Hall. It seems that every now and then the current band at the Hall gets recorded. I saw two or three different groups recorded under that name.
If you want to move slightly beyond the traditional New Orleans style there are two musicians that were New Orleans based but were critical in developing jazz music in the 1920s. One was Jelly Roll Morton who claimed to have invented jazz. There are several Morton CDs available but the best for getting at authentic 1920s jazz as it was beginning to evolve from basic New Orleans style is "Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers, the Chicago Days, 1926-27). Some of the selections are my most favorite jazz pieces.
Dr. Bill Peterman
The other musician is of course Louis Armstrong. While you may know of him from his more showman days in the 1950s and 1960s, he is generally credited as the true jazz pioneer. To get at authentic Armstrong you should listen to his "Hot Five" and "Hot Seven" recordings made from about 1926 to 1928. Some of his trumpet solos on these sessions are the greatest ever recorded. It is also interesting to compare Armstrong's developing solo style music with the tightly wound ensemble work of Morton. Morton's music went on to become big band type jazz, while Armstrong's music became the small jazz combo type music.
Well thats probably more than you wanted to know about traditional jazz. Feel free to use me in your developing video or film. I consider it an honor.
Please keep in touch.
Bill Peterman
in front of the Preservation Hall