jeffw@tekecs.UUCP (Jeff Winslow) (06/04/84)
Just how far back does jazz go? Blues? Ravel and Debussy were writing music with "blue" chords in them as early as 1905-1908. Is it possible that they picked this up from jazz precursors? Is it possible that jazz or blues musicians attended the Exposition Universelle in Paris in the 1880's, in which music from all around the world was performed? Cheers, Jeff Winslow
tac@teldata.UUCP () (06/06/84)
, (sop to the blank line eaters--consider it a religious sacrifice)
It seems much more likely that they visited the corner barbershop where
chords of all types were examined frequently. Not having an excessive
knowledge of jazz I am not familiar with the "blue " chord, but there
are many chords sung in barbershop harmony which have a "sad" feeling
to them.
From the (four part) Soapbox of
Tom Condon {...!uw-beaver!teltone!teldata!tac}
A Radical A Day Keeps The Government At Bay.
And a song a day keeps the blues away!rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (06/06/84)
The Impressionists were influenced by as much as possible in the spectrum of world musics. Debussy was certainly exposed to jazz, but he was also influenced by Javanese music as well. Satie's eclecticism and avant-garde ideas (later leading to dada) were a strong influence on Debussy also. This whole idea of acquiring influences from a wide variety of musics was an attempt (by Debussy especially) to counter the Wagnerian school, and (at least in my opinion) to prove that just because Wagnerian chromatic harmonic ideas were reaching the point of no return (where some would say there was no more tonal music to be written), there were other tonal possibilities outside of the Western school of music. This, of course, was shocking and unthinkable to musical bigots (like Saint-Saens, who called Debussy's work "the end of music as we know it", and like those who look with disdain on any filtering of "popular" or "folk" musics into the ivory tower in which they feel REAL music must be written). Something to think about... -- "So, it was all a dream!" --Mr. Pither "No, dear, this is the dream; you're still in the cell." --his mother Rich Rosen pyuxn!rlr