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APPENDIX "b" |
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JAZZ AND THE GRAMOPHONE by James Asman
The roots of jazz music extend far back, back beyond the days when slaves were shipped from the West Coast of Africa to America and Europe, back to the native folk cultures of Africa, and of Europe too. In fact, discernible in the earliest forms of the music are influences of national cultures as differing as Chinese, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, French and Moorish, The melting pot which we know as the Southern States of America stirred and mixed up a thousand folk songs, and out of the mess emerged the simple "Shouts", "Sinful Songs", "Hollers" and early Spirituals. That is why it is so hard to know just where to begin . . .
African Rhythms
Decca has released several ten-inch LP albums of Music of Africa series, and Congo Drums and Royal Tutsi Drums (Decca LF 1169) is well worth investigating for the natural complexity of rhythms and counter-rhythms. African culture accepted as quite normal intricacies of interlaced rhythmic patterns which still sound chaotic to our untutored ears. The African musicians combine almost every kind of beat
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