- Jazz originally was the accompaniment of the voodoo dancer, stimulating the half-crazed barbarian to the vilest deeds. The weird chant, accompanied by the syncopated rhythm of the voodoo invokers, has also been employed by other barbaric people to stimulate brutality and sensuality. That it has a demoralizing effect upon the human brain has been demonstrated by many scientists.
I gotta link it if we're talking about the voodoo. Aaand one of my other favorites where I think they might be on to something with this theory and then ask where I can sign up. Actually, those two are strong contenders for my all time favorite albums.
Hell yeah. I've been meaning to pick up his newest album for a while now, all I have right now is Backatown. Have you seen his performance of St James Infirmary at Salmon Arm's Roots & Blues Festival? I think it was the first time I ever saw him play and it remains one of my 2 favorite performances of the song ever (tied with Jon Batiste's, which I love for the sheer emotion).
I wonder who paid those scientists. It's interesting to see how vehement they were about an emphasis on syncopation. But I can understand their distress by noticing the difference between ballroom dancing and lindy hopping. Even though the lindy hop hit it's peak about two decades after the article, I'm sure the dancing wasn't too far off. What I think if extremely interesting in the progression of jazz is how there's been less emphasis on syncopated rhythms and a much stronger focus on harmony. Yes, while Jelly Roll was more harmonically complex than music before it, it's nowhere near as intricate as, say, Brad Mehldau's newest stuff. Although syncopation still plays a large role, it's just moved to the background I think.
I feel like syncopation was sort of taken over by funk music, to the point that you might even see some New Orleans jazz labelled as funk. So maybe it's not so much syncopation disappearing from jazz as it breaking away. You'll also note that Jelly Rolls's classic definition of jazz contains no mention of syncopation:A lot of people have a wrong conception of jazz. Somehow it got into the dictionary that jazz was considered a lot of blatant noises and discordant tones. Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm. When you have your plenty rhythm with your plenty swing, it becomes beautiful.
Is that how he himself defined jazz? If so, I find that a bit strange considering how prominent syncopation is in his music.I feel like syncopation was sort of taken over by funk music, to the point that you might even see some New Orleans jazz labelled as funk.
I wonder if this is a good or a bad thing...
You know, I don't know that I've heard much of her stuff. Is there an album you recommend?