Notes and Tones
I'm reading a book" Notes and Tones" written by Arthur Taylor. It's interviews of 29 black prominent Jazz musicians such as Miles , Monk or Elvin in 60's and early 70's.
There are so many stories I've never known. Racism is the under tone of this book.
When it comes to racism, I , a Japanese living in the US and A, have nothing to say. Japanese has nothing to do with White vs Black, Christ vs Islam , Israel vs Palestine, right?
But when it comes to that this music is Afro American's music only Afro Amreican can play, I , a Japanese Jazz Pianist living in the US and A, have to think about it.
According to this book, no" Jazz" innovators like the word "Jazz" that originally means having sex with prostitutes. Instead, they wanted to call it Afro American music.
I believe time has changed.We're in 2007. Look at Rice or Obama. Look at me playing in American musicians' band and performing at various Jazz Festivals in the States. But while I am reading this book, I feel like I don't know anything about this music.
Toru Dodo (2007-06-20)
Yeah, I believe so. I think I want to make "My music" influenced by afro-american music.
Buddy Ter (2007-06-18)
That's an interesting observation. Certainly you couldn't have walked in the steps of the musicians in the book, but you do understand the rhythms, the styles, the techniques of playing jazz. Scott Joplin wanted ragtime to be an African-American musical genre, but who could deny that Dick Hyman and Marvin Manlisch are excellent Joplin interpreters? Could it be that music transcends race, that it actually belongs to the performer?
Hardcore_Pyro (2007-06-18)
Racism is the under tone of America.
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