Lecture 16
Notes on how the class is taught
Kansas City - check Shap and Hent. and Ken Burns (Royal Stokes?) has a line - not since Storyville had there been such a wide open scene - of KC. J was music of vice - but this is
KC - line, KC - not since SV had there been such a wide open scene. J was music of vice - where vice rapant, J was played. BUT - really, any music played where vice took place bacame considered J. Vice and j as official music is an idea that is fraudulent.
Worthwhile to think of KC 1920-1935 - "Age of KC". Assoc w/ SV of KC, Albert Murray bio of Count Basie - connection of KC to SV is missing the point.
Instead of KC being a followup to NO - it's a FORERUNNER to Las Vegas. 20 yrs ago - last political issue, was South Af. and apartheid. Sun City in SoAf - govt. small territorial ghettos, Bhantu stands - or blacks, made into sep. states. Land belongs to whites, but Bhantu stands like indian reservation in US - casinos, etc. Since Bantu stands were like sep. nations, but citizens needed passports to go into rest of SoAf - Sun City, modeled on Vegas, lots of Jazz, a giant black and tan. Music a prelude to things forbidden elsewhere allowed here. Early 90's - Amer. acts offered a LOT of $$$ to play Sun City.
Always a brothel element to Sun City, Vegas, NO - certain cultural dynamic tied to these sea ports, sailors, etc. IN KC, though - Shap and Hent point out - travel salesmen, etc. would slide into KC so it was like the "other side of the tracks" in the midwest. Unlike NO and SV - KC could ONLY have happened with surrounding christian, moralistic values, don't do the bad things at home - but goto a place like KC to do it. This was like Sun City, where there was a lot of mixed race people, etc.
Group denial - Las Vegas was a little like KC out in the dessert, but the mob operated Vegas. KC had "regular law" but "other side of tracks for the American midwest" kind of place. Division btw poor and rich - things looser on the poor side - sin and vice.
Looking at j in KC, we have to embrace fact the KC created the venue, but there wasn't nec. a connection btw the J and the vice that went on there. J was a back ground din.
Section in Shap and Hent Sam Price and Mary LOu Wms - story that I goto a club, they're playing a number, go home several hours, come back and they're still playing the same number. SO - big jam mentality where people would come and go and pop in and out on the same number. Story signals that audience wasn't paying that much attention, it was a background noise.
No cutting contests - it wasn't a competitive environment like NO or NY among stride pianists w/ JOhnson, Fats Waller. Arrival of Art Tatum in NY - who blew everyone away with 'tea for two'.
Group experiences were big thing in KC - distinct from NY. Insterad of individuals didn't stand out - they learned to blend and fit themselves into the music.
1. Venue that came abt in KC appreciated J as background music - almost like elevator music, but not in the front of consciuosness. Nobody talks about the crowd or audience, no "feeding off of" audience, not a factor in the music
2. Mostly folks played 'head arrangements' - off tops of heads, total open jam, pick up a name, no written music.
3. Purely improvisational music - no coincidence that Charlie Parker came out of KC. Collier picks up this thread. Music is a statement, can be said as long as needed, playing for hours on end.
Kansas City - check Shap and Hent. and Ken Burns (Royal Stokes?) has a line - not since Storyville had there been such a wide open scene - of KC. J was music of vice - but this is
KC - line, KC - not since SV had there been such a wide open scene. J was music of vice - where vice rapant, J was played. BUT - really, any music played where vice took place bacame considered J. Vice and j as official music is an idea that is fraudulent.
Worthwhile to think of KC 1920-1935 - "Age of KC". Assoc w/ SV of KC, Albert Murray bio of Count Basie - connection of KC to SV is missing the point.
Instead of KC being a followup to NO - it's a FORERUNNER to Las Vegas. 20 yrs ago - last political issue, was South Af. and apartheid. Sun City in SoAf - govt. small territorial ghettos, Bhantu stands - or blacks, made into sep. states. Land belongs to whites, but Bhantu stands like indian reservation in US - casinos, etc. Since Bantu stands were like sep. nations, but citizens needed passports to go into rest of SoAf - Sun City, modeled on Vegas, lots of Jazz, a giant black and tan. Music a prelude to things forbidden elsewhere allowed here. Early 90's - Amer. acts offered a LOT of $$$ to play Sun City.
Always a brothel element to Sun City, Vegas, NO - certain cultural dynamic tied to these sea ports, sailors, etc. IN KC, though - Shap and Hent point out - travel salesmen, etc. would slide into KC so it was like the "other side of the tracks" in the midwest. Unlike NO and SV - KC could ONLY have happened with surrounding christian, moralistic values, don't do the bad things at home - but goto a place like KC to do it. This was like Sun City, where there was a lot of mixed race people, etc.
Group denial - Las Vegas was a little like KC out in the dessert, but the mob operated Vegas. KC had "regular law" but "other side of tracks for the American midwest" kind of place. Division btw poor and rich - things looser on the poor side - sin and vice.
Looking at j in KC, we have to embrace fact the KC created the venue, but there wasn't nec. a connection btw the J and the vice that went on there. J was a back ground din.
Section in Shap and Hent Sam Price and Mary LOu Wms - story that I goto a club, they're playing a number, go home several hours, come back and they're still playing the same number. SO - big jam mentality where people would come and go and pop in and out on the same number. Story signals that audience wasn't paying that much attention, it was a background noise.
No cutting contests - it wasn't a competitive environment like NO or NY among stride pianists w/ JOhnson, Fats Waller. Arrival of Art Tatum in NY - who blew everyone away with 'tea for two'.
Group experiences were big thing in KC - distinct from NY. Insterad of individuals didn't stand out - they learned to blend and fit themselves into the music.
1. Venue that came abt in KC appreciated J as background music - almost like elevator music, but not in the front of consciuosness. Nobody talks about the crowd or audience, no "feeding off of" audience, not a factor in the music
2. Mostly folks played 'head arrangements' - off tops of heads, total open jam, pick up a name, no written music.
3. Purely improvisational music - no coincidence that Charlie Parker came out of KC. Collier picks up this thread. Music is a statement, can be said as long as needed, playing for hours on end.
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9:35 PM
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