Re: Blues from jazz...?

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>Lets start with the Negro Spiritual - the field songs of the slaves.   
> From this form sprouted
>
>1) Gospel: a refined form of the field songs, seeking salvation from   
>spiritual slavery
>2) Blues: raw and corporeal side of the field songs - lamentation and   
>expression of the pains of life and love.

Kevin:

Calling it Blues at this point is really stretching it. But, in any case,
we're talking about the form that begat Rock N Roll. Which this was not. And
I'm not going to argue when exactly it became Blues...but it wasn't until
the 20th Century, while Jazz in some forms were around before that.

>2.1) Country Blues (aka Delta Blues): pure form, usually acoustic, odd or   
>irregular meters.  Son House's "Death Letter" is a good example, so is   
>Robert Johnson's "Crossroads."  Note: RJ didn't start this form.

Note: He was the one who set it down in form, on tape in a cheesy motel
room. Who can say, now, who played it first?

>2.2) "Big City" Blues.  Includes Chicago Blues. St Louis Blues, etc.   
> Blues makes it's way to the big city, finds a consistent rhythm and   
>maybe some horns, and gets a recording contract.  Elmore James, BB King,   
>Howlin' Wolf...

Much later. After the fact.

>2.2.1) Big City Blues meets a guy named Satchmo somewhere outside of New   
>Orleans, Charlie Parker soon follows.  Americans (ever the clever ones)   
>call it Jazz.
>2.2.2) Big City Blues makes its way to Memphis, gets played at 78 instead   
>of 33 and Carl Perkins writes "Blue Suede Shoes."  Pete Townshend begins   
>getting his Nose Complex about this time.
>
>This is a highly simplified tree, but it's pretty much how every music   
>history treatise that I've ever read has laid it out.

As I said before, Jazz came from three main sources: Minstrel shows, Ragtime
(late 1800s, that), and what is called the Stride style of piano playing.
"Blues," in the form we accept AS Blues and the one that begat RnR, was not
what you're talking about here. If you just want to make a statement like:
Jazz came from black Spirituals, then you have a point. Just because Blues
did as well means nothing...Rock and Jazz came from the same source and yet
(until the 70s) they were miles apart.




                   Cheers                   ML

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."  L. Long