Vocal tradition in jazz

The following tape recorded program is a presentation of the National Association of

educational broadcasters.

This is the 25th in a series of programs on the roof in my state.

On this program we have a vocal.

We.

Jazz like all things had its beginnings and before its beginning it had

precedent music out of which it develops. The music out of which jazz developed

was almost entirely vocal. So it is not surprising to find a close parallel between

instrumental and vocal jazz even up to the present day. The negro

spirituals religious songs and work songs were almost exclusively opera

power. When the negro moved to cities his song forms slowly

became dominated by the blues. Still a folk medium they

were usually song to the accompaniment of a guitar banjo drums or piano.

The Blues are still sung in this way while a spiritual hymn and work song

have disappeared except for the few remaining negro singers who have made a

specialty out of preserving folk creations. The Blues

reflect the city life. A

different world outlook between the country and plantation life of the spiritual

and the work song. Other forces which have already been discussed in

these programs guided and encourage the development of an instrumental music

not have a little influence in the style of early instrumental jazz was the Blues themselves.

Here is a quotation from a letter written to Joe Oliver in the year

1926.

He was writing to a friend of his in New Orleans but he passed it and he said if

you've got a real good blues have someone to write it just as you play them to

me. We can make some jack on them. Now I have the blues wrote down just as you play them

it's the originality that counts.

By the way what become a bunker. I'd like very much to hear from him. Well

I won't take up any more of your time. I will close and hope to hear from you real soon.

And he must have heard from Bank Johnson because in one thousand thirty he wrote a letter to

bunker inside.

Have you got any good blues. If so send them to me and I will make them bring you some real

money. When making my arrangements. Always write that cornet real

low down solo Alabang remember how you used to drive the blues down and

the Blues continued to be song and are today.

But time has rapped some singers of the past with mantles of Fame.

We can only guess at their real stature because while we have recordings of most

of them they are anything but high fidelity. Most of the master

recordings have been lost in the never ending shuffle of small recording companies

and the copies have been played hundreds of times in the 30 years that they've existed.

The list of the great singers of blues is studded with women. Bessie

Clara Trixie Mamie and Laura Smith none related to any of the

others in any way except musically. I don't Cox chippie Hill

Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday Ella Fitzgerald and Ethel Waters.

I for one has started singing blues. But man there are two in this list

Joe Turner Jimmy Rushing Jack Teagarden Louis Armstrong

and those great guitar playing troubadour as Lonnie Johnson.

How do you lead better. And Big Bill Broonzy. And here

are some of those records. First Bessie Smith.

Next.

The next.

Thing on Margaret Johnson.

And now we strong no such mime So this is the record on which

he supposedly created his scat singing style.

A more modern recording as we listened to Jimmy Rushing.

And now one of the best white interpreters of the blues

song.

Harder.

From.

My.

Heart or.

How Big Bill Broonzy.

Want to.

Jazz through the 20s and 30s became increasingly scholarly

musicians learned instrumental technique and played more and more the written down music of

ballads singers followed step the jazz or

improvised personal interpretations remained but the blues no longer

dominated the vocalists repertoire.

The priest swing and swing era of jazz produced vocalists of great

interpretive genius generally that tone of performance changed from blue

music to happy if not downright gay music. The

20s produced being Crosby Jelly Roll Morton.

They kept in step with the times and Billy Cox singing with

the old Duke Ellington. First we hear Crosby.

And now here is Jelly Roll Morton. Dr. Jazz.

Cab Calloway.

And now we move back to the Duke Ellington days and baby Cox

singing Hot bonnet.

The 30s are brought us Wayne Ella Fitzgerald and Helen O'Connell.

And first here is home. His eloquence.

Hallelujah.

You know.

You.

Can.

Help.

Helen O'Connell and keep an eye.

Never.

Brought us a revival in Dixie. And with a return to the blues

Billie Holiday is Billie Holiday.

Ham.

I. Don't.

Know.

You're going to be sorry.

The Ford brought on Bob and progressive jazz and the vocal

Representatives women like Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton vocalist

Christie and Mel Torme.

Here is.

One of. Them my life.

When.

I needed it.

And John Christine.

Oh. Boy.

And today well there are a great many styles and voices.

So I'm fated to last August to disappear. Why should we try to protect

one voice it seems to me still retains all a feeling that is so meaningful to

jazz that the voice of lean on

one one

me me all of me be you know me you

need me.

No vocalists

have become increasingly sophisticated just as the jazz musicians generally

they are no longer focused. They have become a part of the more dominant culture but they have

brought with them through the years their own peculiar way of looking at civilization

their own mode of operation their own world outlook that outlook when

focused on things music O has and does produce Jazz

want to know that someone is

you.

But I don't want the bar to have

to go back tomorrow.

You.

Know there's.

A joke.

You.

See.

To them it comes.

This has been the 25th in a series on the roots of jazz in the United States.

The next program will go back to the beginning the roots of jazz is written and produced by

Norman Cleary in the studios of WOR Radio Iowa State College Ames Iowa.

He was the reader. And I've got another sound technician.

This is Norman Cleary speaking the preceding program was tape

recorded. This is the end AB Radio

Network.