Re: Klezmer & jazz

[Dean Bandes <deanb...>]

Ken Miner (?) (miner (at) kuhub(dot)cc(dot)ukans(dot)edu) writes:

>       I've long suspected that jazz as we know it today comes not only "up
>       the river from New Orleans" but also owes something to Klezmer.  If
>       this isn't total nonsense, can anybody suggest some reading on it?

A lot of Klezmer music came from around Odessa, which was the New
Orleans of southeastern Europe -- a port (on the Black sea) with all
the multi-national traffic and influences which that implies.  Look
at the song titles -- "Odessa Bulgar", "Odessa Bulgarish", "Bessarabian
Chosidl", etc.

The scales which are associated with Klezmer come largely from Arabic
modes.  The same scales were brought through Africa by Arab traders,
and one of them eventually led to the Blues scale.

Of course, everybody listens to everybody.  Dixieland jazz influenced
Klezmer, and I'm sure there's some vice-versa, too.

Unfortunately, no, I don't have any references for you.

------------------------------
End of Digest
************************