Traditional Jazz

The birth of Jazz was in New Orleans.  Jelly Roll Morton and Buddy Bolden were the initiators of what is called Traditional Jazz.  You would never call it Dixieland which is considered a derogatory term.  This genre of music was played in the early part of the twentieth century and latter part of the nineteenth century in an area of New Orleans known as Storyville, the red light district of New Orleans at that time.  It was originally played by piano players in brothels for entertainment and dancing.  Later the music included brass, woodwind, and other rythmn instruments.  When you think of it the purpose of music is for pleasure.  The pleasure of listening.  The pleasure of entertainment.  The pleasure of dancing.  It's very dancable music.  The picture on the left was taken at La Maison de la Musique, a club on Frenchman street.  The band was playing a fast trad-jazz tune and the dancers were dancing the Lindyhop.  The arrangements of the tunes included the melody which was played by all the musicians and then individual solos which were improvised versions of the melody.  Much of this music was played in an upbeat tempo.  It's the beat of the music that makes it dancable.  You can take any tune, for instance the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and turn it ino a jazz tune by changing the tempo and adding improvisational "licks" during the melody.  The lyricism and speed of a solo and its emotional content (i.e. high screaming notes) is what impresses the listeners.

In New Orleans the best place to listen Traditional Jazz is Fritzels on Burbon Street or Palm Court on Decataur Street.  Palm Court serves dinner while you are listening.  It makes for a great evening.  If you have a chance listen to Tom Fisher's band.  He is an amazing clarinet player!