Louis Armstrong - Potato Head Blues

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfGZB78R7uw?wmode=transparent]

via youtube.com

"one of the most astonishing accomplishments in all of twentieth century music."

potatoheadblues.pdf

Skid-Dat-De-Dat / Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qo2uhNRJok]

"Skit-Dat-De-Dat is a very good and interesting study of 6-8-10 bar phrases of contrasts with 2 bar fill-ins by pianist, in between, for player to take breath before each new and good attack. This solo starts by long whole notes, with a gradual change to the rhythmical pattersn which delight player and listener."

Skit-Dat-De-Dat_Transcription.pdf

According to Joe Oliver and Kid Ory, the very earliest improvisations were slow evolutions, small changes on each chorus moving progressively farther from the tune both rhythmically and melodically.

Struttin' with some barbecue

There's some great talk over on Darcy's blog about the notions of jazz vocabulary and strategies for jazz education, and some very good discussion too, I've chimed in with my own (cosmic) ideas, but the groove of the conversation is tenaciously clinging to the what of the playing more than the why. I find the same when I hunt through videos of school and community bands, more often than not I find execution and articulation but with very little fiyah. They sit, they play, there, done it; next?


They have the 'what' down pat sufficient to dazzle the judges, but there's a gap in their education on the 'why', even though the 'why' of this music is so simple: it is the sound of joy.


Amazon: Louis Armstrong