| When I've had a belly full of the
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| | New Orleans, where the black man became
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| complexities of current events I find a
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| | in time a little lighter, and the white
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| jazz band in some out of the way place
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| | man often a little darker.The French and
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| and retreat for awhile into melody with a
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| | the Spanish, the African tribesmen often
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| big beat.For those of you who are turned
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| | with royal chief's blood under their
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| on by horns, I recommend a small watering
| |
| | heavy muscles - and even the Indian
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| place in Cleveland called the Lake Shore
| |
| | peering in - the long boats from
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| Club.There, Ted Witt and his Forest City
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| | Kentucky, and the Yankee mountain men in
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| Jazz Band hold forth on Saturday nights
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| | buckskin fringes - in for a big bust and
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| with the best music this side of New
| |
| | swallowing of untaxed whiskey - all
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| Orleans.Located through the courtyard of
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| | wanted music, and helped make it, said
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| an old motel, it is not the kind of joint
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| | Longstreet.New Orleans mixed it all up,
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| you would wander into cold turkey. But,
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| | and churned it around, and made it a part
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| take my word, the surroundings are
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| | of a new nation - that was part of a New
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| pleasant, the drinks unadulterated, the
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| | World where anything could happen.Today
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| prices average, the food good and the
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| | we call it history. But then it was
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| clientele well dressed without
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| | simple people, wild people, pioneers and
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| ostentation.I was introduced to jazz
| |
| | men on their way up in a hurry. All sang
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| while stationed at the U.S. Naval base in
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| | a lot and stomped around to music.Whether
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| Key West during World War II. The best
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| | it was in the Congo jungle of Africa or
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| honky-tonk in town had a small jazz combo
| |
| | in the tromped-down grass of Congo Square
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| of venerable black players, but the soul
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| | in New Orleans, it was rhythm that
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| jerking notes poured out on those Sunday
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| | started it all.Music and dancing, said
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| afternoons after church when the "colored
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| | the white slave masters, made the Negroes
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| folks" (their term) conducted a
| |
| | too tired to work hard, so the wild
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| funeral.No matter what day of the week a
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| | people from Africa just clapped their
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| black person might happen to meet his
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| | hands at first.Then they made a drum on
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| Maker, the funeral was held on Sunday.
| |
| | the sly and brought it out - when the
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| Then the fishermen would be home, no one
| |
| | Master was off somewhere else subduing
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| would lose wages, and the mood of
| |
| | the passions of his own wild country - to
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| religious contemplation would be
| |
| | remind them of their native jungles.An
|
| deepest.After regular morning services,
| |
| | old horn was snitched from some white
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| lengthened by a substantial eulogy to the
| |
| | man's junk heap, or maybe a rusty old
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| deceased, the march to the grave yard
| |
| | banjo was given by a keel boatman from
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| began. The coffin rode in one mule-drawn
| |
| | Ohio who didn't give a damn about
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| wagon and an assembly of horn players in
| |
| | plantations and cotton anyway.At last the
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| another. The mourners marched behind in
| |
| | Negro had become part of musical America.
|
| swallow-tail suits, high hats and formal
| |
| | He was ready to add a sense of freedom
|
| dresses.The parade to the cemetery was
| |
| | and lusty beat that created a new musical
|
| somber and featured plaintive hymns such
| |
| | art form peculiar to the United States.In
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| as "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," "Old
| |
| | time, jazz evolved through a variety of
|
| Rugged Cross," "Amazing Grace," and "Will
| |
| | forms - spirituals, marches, cake walks,
|
| the Circle Be Unbroken." Now, 30 years
| |
| | ragtime, blues and swing. But the basic
|
| later, these tunes nearly break me up as
| |
| | foundation was always twelve 4-4 bars of
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| bittersweet memories flood back.The
| |
| | singable notes.Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong
|
| return from the cemetery, however, was
| |
| | was the last of the Golden Generation of
|
| jubilant as the marchers asserted their
| |
| | jazz musicians. Today we rely on the
|
| faith that their departed companion was
| |
| | artistry of Pete Fountain, Turk Murphy,
|
| well on his way to a just reward in
| |
| | Al Hirt and Ted Witt to carry on the
|
| heaven. Of course there was "When The
| |
| | glorious tradition of authentic jazz.Ted
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| Saints Come Marching In," "Washed In The
| |
| | Witt is great on the licorice stick and
|
| Blood of Jesus," and "Down By The
| |
| | still belts out a few numbers on the
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| Riverside." But there was also a lot of
| |
| | "fish horn" soprano sax made famous by
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| high stepping to "Georgia Cakewalk,"
| |
| | Sidney Bechet. Ted's other front men,
|
| "High Society" and "Muskrat Ramble."It
| |
| | Emmett Wiley on the slip horn and Dick
|
| was a meaningful blend of sorrow,
| |
| | Petscher on trumpet, are ably supported
|
| reverence, and Christian faith in a
| |
| | by John Bittance on bass, Bert Smith at
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| better life here after.Since those days -
| |
| | the piano, Al Gutheim on the skins, and
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| now gone I am told by travelers to the
| |
| | Bill Morehead on banjo.Somehow, when
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| southern-most Florida Key - I have
| |
| | those guys cut loose, such things as the
|
| pursued the blue and golden notes in New
| |
| | economy, Watergate, and Mideast wars
|
| Orleans, Nashville, St. Louis, Memphis,
| |
| | don't seem all that important.September
|
| and Chicago. For there, in the
| |
| | 18, 1974
|
| Mississippi Valley, is the true home of
| |
| | .Click here to see this article on
|
| American jazz.Strangely however, I have
| |
| | Lindsey Williams's website.Lindsey
|
| found the most creative practitioners of
| |
| | Williams is a Sun columnist who can be
|
| this unique American music in Key West,
| |
| | contacted at: or Website: with over a
|
| Cleveland, New York, and San Francisco.
| |
| | thousand of Lin's Editorial & At Large
|
| One of the characteristics that has made
| |
| | articles written over 40 years.Also
|
| jazz great is its ability to be exported,
| |
| | featured in its entirety is Lin's
|
| and to be assimilated by diverse cultural
| |
| | groundbreaking book "Boldly Onward," that
|
| communities.Where did it all
| |
| | critically analyzes and develops theories
|
| start?Stephen Longstreet, the jazz
| |
| | about the original Spanish explorers of
|
| historian, says it is best to begin in
| |
| | America.
|
