Re: Jazz, Blues, N'Awlins...

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>Personally, I wasn't trying to pin down when the forms developed, I was   
>trying to make a case for which beget which...  Ian provided a pretty   
>decent piece of text from some offbeat little group called The   
>Smithsonian that seems to have bounced right off! 

Kevin:

I'd hardly say that it bounced off. In fact, here it is (you must have
missed it) again:

Ian
>>For quick reference let's turn to the "Smithsonian Collection of 
>>Classic Jazz" guide.  On page 10 we find the quote :  "Of all the
>>Afro-American idioms in the background of jazz, by far the most important and 
>>influential is the blues".  Now, you tell me who's brainwashing who?

Me
>I haven't read that, and am not tempted at this time to take an isolated
>sentence, quoted perhaps out of context, as proof. What it means to me, as
>you give it, is that Blues influenced Jazz. Well, of course it did. But that
>certainly doesn't mean it's the source.

Now back to you
>The only thing I can   
>think of to explain your total dismissal of the historical progression   
>that Ian, Scott, myself and others have provided is that our definitions   
>must be totally different.  Otherwise, I am at a loss...

I also think that we're talking about two different things...and that your
definition is of Blues too broad, while your definition of Jazz is too
narrow. When I say Blues, I mean the form that is now called Blues, not an
acoustic Spritual from the year 1803 or something. When I say Jazz, I'm
talking about forms that were actually called Jazz at the time.

>Ah, New Orleans! My favorite city...I go to Mardi Gras every year (well,
>I've missed a few lately) and love every second of it. Jazz and Blues   
>fill the air of Bourbon Street at all times...fantastic!

>Well, it must have been more than a few that you've missed.  I was there   
>last spring and it was a total shit-hole.  I went in the early eighties   
>and thought it was a pretty cool (if overpriced) place - at least there   
>was a lot of good jazz.  This last time, I was appalled that most of the   
>joints on Bourbon street are now Pop/Rap/Karaoke, the drink prices are   
>outrageous, there are more t-shirt shops than anything else, and eleven   
>people were killed in the city in the five days I was there.  In the   
>French Quarter.  I'd rather go to San Ber'dino...

It's been two years, to be exact. I've only been during Mardi Gras, which is
of course quite a different animal than your everyday life in the city. For
one thing, I didn't find the prices outrageous at all (unless you're talking
about Souvenirs, which are outrageous all of the time everywhere). Beer was
$1 a can. Hurricanes were $3.50, and they had 4 ounces of 151 Rum (making
them quite potent...three are more than enough to put me where I want to
be). Of course, you've got to go to the right places...and I know where they
are. The bars are NOT the right places (and since they're filled to the
brim, you don't go in anyway). As far as food goes, unless you want to go to
an expensive place there are plenty of reasonable places to eat...you can
have genuine Cajun cuisine for under $7 per. Great food, too.
If you stay near the French Quarter, it's very expensive. But you can also
stay in Slidell for $40 a night (two people), and it's only 25 miles away on
an Interstate which takes you all the way in.
Almost all of the entertainment is free. The bands in the bars can easily be
heard on the street, where you can also drink and meet and have all of the
fun you could imagine. There was no Karaoke there two years ago; it may be
that the bands play during MG at least. I don't know, and the idea that they
don't disturbs me.
The people are extremely friendly, too. It's very easy to strike up a
conversation.
As far as the reputed crime there, I can only say that no one was killed
while I've been there (not in the Quarter, at least)...I've seen no crime at
all there, and have spent 24 days in the Quarter total with about a million
people around me each time. Most were drunk, too. No fights, no crime, no
problems at all. If one is stupid enough to wander into the bad area near
the graveyard, then sure...they're going to have a problem. It's all but
impossible to get lost in the Quarter, since Canal is easily seen from any
point by the buildings.
However, there is crime and killings in any large city every day. Does that
stop anyone from visiting? I know it's not going to stop me from going to
NYC to see The Who. Nor from going to DC to see the Smithsonian. You just
have to know what you're doing...and I must assume that a Who fan would be
at the least somewhat intelligent...



                   Cheers                   ML

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