nPostednon August 2, 2013
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nInnNew Orleans, every day is a good day to listen to jazz!
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nThenonly time I ever visited New Orleans, my friends and I stayed in anplace on Jackson Square, and we could listen to saxophone musicnplayed by an amazing woman—jazz floating up, wafting to our ears onnmorning sunbeams, dwindling down in plaintive riffs at night. It wasnwonderful!
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nOfncourse, we also took a walk up and down the various streets in thenFrench quarter, listening to other jazz musicians playing theirnthing. Jazz here, jazz there, everywhere more and more jazz.
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TodaynNew Orleans is celebrating one of its home-grown jazz musicians, thenunforgettable Louis Armstrong. A jazz trumpeter THIS good just had tonhave a nickname or two, and in his case, they were “Satchmo” andn“Pops.” Since Armstrong was born in early August (8-4-1901, to benexact), this first weekend of August is called “Satchmo Days.”nThree full days of free music on two stages, according to the ads!
TodaynNew Orleans is celebrating one of its home-grown jazz musicians, thenunforgettable Louis Armstrong. A jazz trumpeter THIS good just had tonhave a nickname or two, and in his case, they were “Satchmo” andn“Pops.” Since Armstrong was born in early August (8-4-1901, to benexact), this first weekend of August is called “Satchmo Days.”nThree full days of free music on two stages, according to the ads!n
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nJustnwhat is jazz?
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Jazznmusic had its beginnings in the early 20th Century, in thenSouth (of the United States), in black communities. It combinesn“European” harmonies and musical forms and “African-based”nmusic, and it has certain common features: a strong, even forceful,nrhythm, improvisation, and syncopation.
Jazznmusic had its beginnings in the early 20th Century, in thenSouth (of the United States), in black communities. It combinesn“European” harmonies and musical forms and “African-based”nmusic, and it has certain common features: a strong, even forceful,nrhythm, improvisation, and syncopation.n
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nYounprobably know that strong rhythm implies a beat, often created bynbeating drums.
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nImprovisationnmeans playing music in a more carefree or creative way rather than inna highly rehearsed way. When you improvise, you might change thenmusical piece slightly from whatever was written down or rehearsed,nadding trills, making up new bits, changing things up, lengthening angood riff because the audience is responding well to it…
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nSyncopationnis a variety of rhythm in which there are unexpected bits of tunenduring the off-beats. It interrupts the regular flow of rhythm. Evennthough syncopation happens in all forms of music, it is fundamentalnin jazz and the other styles that grew from jazz.
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nTherenare so many kids of jazz and outgrowths of jazz. There is ragtime andnswing, ska and funk, reggae and jazz fusion, rhythm and blues andneven rock and roll—all are part of or grew from jazz!
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nChecknout the PBS Jazz Kids Timeline.
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nThenSmithsonian has a Jazz Duet lesson to help you tryncall-and-response improvisation.
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nMynkids’ favorite Louis Armstrong song is “What a Wonderful World.”nCheck it out…
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Bynthe way…
Bynthe way…n
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nYounmay have seen here or there mention of the “fact” that LouisnArmstrong was born on July 4, not August 4, as I stated above. Allnhis life Armstrong said and, apparently, believed that he was born onnJuly 4. He said that his mom called him “firecracker baby.” Allnhis important papers (yes, I’m talking draft application, driver’snlicense, Social Security application) listed July 4 as his birthdate.nEven though a baptismal certificate has been found that lists Augustn4 as the birthdate, many people celebrate Armstrong on what is nowncalled his “traditional birthday.”
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nAlsonon this date:
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Anniversary of the final end of the final fighting of the Civil War
Anniversary of the final end of the final fighting of the Civil War n
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Statue-of-Libertynsculptor Frederick Bartholdi’s birthday
Statue-of-Libertynsculptor Frederick Bartholdi’s birthdayn
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nIlindennand Day of the Republic in Macedonia
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nPlannahead:
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Herenare my Pinterest pages on Augustnholidays, historicalnanniversaries in August,nand Augustnbirthdays.
Herenare my Pinterest pages on Augustnholidays, historicalnanniversaries in August,nand Augustnbirthdays.
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