New Directions in Music Song Remains the Same Series
by Marshall Bowden
Continue reading “American Tune” by Paul SimonCategory Archives: History
Malcolm McLaren: A Brief Appreciation
The story of Malcolm McLaren’s emergence onto the pop music stage is pretty well-known, but as is usual with mythical creatures, any number of variations have presented themselves over the years.
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Jazz Fusion
History of Jazz: Part 7
Jazz fusion is a pretty big category, and we’ve lumped a lot of material together here. Basically, these are the granddaddies of the marriage of jazz with electronics, rock, funk, and technology.
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Free Jazz and the Avant-Garde
History of Jazz: Part 6
Free jazz is perhaps one of the more misunderstood forms of music. Free jazz draws from other forms of improvisational music that are based on instrumentalists playing based on either a very loose thematic element or perhaps no specific starting point, and playing based on what they are hearing other musicians in the group playing at any given time. The element of playing and listening is a large part of any improvisational music, from primitive folk music to art music.
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The Dawn of Hip-Hop DJs
From Brooklyn Disco to the Bronx Playground
Continue reading The Dawn of Hip-Hop DJs“The idea of a d.j. making something new out of other people’s music might seem preposterous. But there’s no question that a real d.j. can shape a night of music with his personality, style, and spirit, magically turning a string of records into a spontaneous symphony.”
–Vince Aletti– The Disco Files 1973-1978 —
Hard Bop, Post Bop & Soul Jazz
History of Jazz: Part 6
The strains of blues, gospel, and R&B that figured in the music of many hard bop musicians led to the development of soul jazz, which eventually led to the development of fusion and electric experiments in jazz.
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