Re: gilded script on the inlay

[Seth Austen <klezmusic...>]

on 1/18/02 2:50 PM, lipkowitz (at) aa(dot)edu at lipkowitz (at) aa(dot)edu 
wrote:

> There is nothing like improvisation over a series of chords, or blues, or
> banjos (for that matter) in English/Irish/Scots music.  This stuff derives
> from black music.

It is a common misconception that blues is merely improvising over a set of
chord changes. Certainly some people do this, ad naseum, and call it blues,
however, in early delta blues it was ofton monophonic, as is klezmer. It is
quite common to have a melody and/or improvisation over ONE chord for the
entire song. Think Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Bukka White,
Blind Willie Johnson and John Lee Hooker for absolutely sublime
illustrations of this. The chord, or droning bass string note never changes,
although you can perceive implied harmonic change in the melody which could
be seen as either "chord changes", or instead as early uses of extended jazz
harmony, 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, etc. over the drone.

Seth
  
-- 
Seth Austen

http://www.sethausten.com
emails: seth (at) sethausten(dot)com
klezmusic (at) earthlink(dot)net


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