Jazz is. - Updated 03/07

[DaCheat]

Hokay, so the Music Lounge is basically all about metal. Metal this, Metal that. Well I'm going to try and shed some light on another music genre. One which I feel is the most influential and talented genre yet today.

(all who don't agree are inbred hippies)

At the start of the 20 century, Jazz was born in New Orleans of the United States. The Origin of the word Jazz is also the most sought-after word in modern American English. So much so that the American Dialect Society named it the, "Word of the Twentieth Century." Mainly because nobody actually knows what the word "Jazz" means.

We'll start this tour with a trumpet player namedMaynard Ferguson.

Maynard Ferguson, born May 4, 1928 in Montreal, started his career at the age of 13 when he performed as a featured soloist with the Canadian Broadcasting Company Orchestra. He played with some of the great Big Band Leaders of the 1940's including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Dorsey and Stan Kenton.

He was and was later known for his extreme upper register playing. Ferguson was also one of the select few who was able to play and sustain above a "Super C." Which is supposed to be the highest note a trumpet can play.

The song Maynard was most well known for was a song released on the1978 album, "Carnival", which was a covered song ofBirdland.

Another great song of his was released on the 1998 Album, "Brass Attitude" titledI Love You.

But my personal favorite song of Maynard Ferguson's was, "Misra-Dhenuka."

Maynard, "The Boss" as he is known, went on to forgo an outstanding 60 year carrier in music producing over 64 albums. Sadly just last year he passed away on August 23, 2006 at the age of 78.

Maynard Ferguson was one of the most influential musicians and band leaders in the history of Jazz.

 

[DaCheat]

Reserved for Sonny Rollins

 

[DaCheat]

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.

Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, "Traps the Drum Wonder." With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world.

Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House. By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 1940s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943).

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.

Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, audiences were entertained by Rich's constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers.

This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley. During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the King of Thailand, King Hussein of Jordan the Queen of England, and U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Longtime friend, Frank Sinatra, spoke a touching eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was "The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."

*Taken from the official Buddy Rich Website*

Here are most, if not all of his streaming videos.

Although this is my favorite video of him.Ed Shaughnessy - Buddy Rich

 

[Neculin]

Thnx for a small history lesson and Jazz is good, i don't really listen to it at home, but my friend loves Jazz so when i come over i have to listen to it too . And i must say i like it, especialy the "live" stuff he shows me, it really impresses me, but still Metal is in my vains .

And i'll get my hands on your favourite songs

 

[NoOxygen]

Jazz is good. I listen to it alot.

I was listening to Charles Mingus - Solo Dancer just now.


I love this song so much. I keep listening to it over and over again.


The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five

 

[Unleashed Hell]

Jazz is the mudafukin Great Grandfather of metal and it's very good music. But still, I crave growling vocals and distorted guitars more than brass.

 

[thefalling]

W/o jazz there would prolly be no rock, so no metal.

 

[Gonia]

Jazz is awesome. And it was better then Metal before, but I bet it's not now.

 

[metalkobra]

theres nothing wrong with jazz, as the dude above said, without jazz there would be no rock, hence no metal, jazz has a big influence on todays music, so without it, we wouldnt be here

 

[The_Gatekeeper_]

dave brubeck, maynard ferguson, buddy rich...oh the list goes on. One reason why I like jazz over metal: I play the tenor sax >

 

[Iron Maiden]

You deleted my post you evil person!

 

[DaCheat]

You deleted my post you evil person!

Actually I didn't. There was a database error yesterday, that could be why.

 

[Kaoii]

Ferguson died not long ago. He also did the Rocky theme.

 

[The_Gatekeeper_]

Ferguson died not long ago. He also did the Rocky theme.

he and buddy rich were amazing

 

[DaCheat]

I added buddy rich, i was lazy to write my own work, so i took it from his official website.

 

[Iron Maiden]

Heh, I kinda like Buddy Rich. Kinda catchy. :tongue:

 

[DaCheat]

oh yeah well you know, when you have hands that move at the speed of light, things tend to sound good.

 

[The_Gatekeeper_]

I wish our jazz band would play "Backwoods Sideman" by buddy rich and maynard ferguson. really catchy sax soli

 

[DaCheat]

once I have a bit more time I'm going to add Sonny Rollins, I'm sure you know what instrument he plays.