The united states of jazz
by Alan Kurtz
When, in the course of musical events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the bands which have connected them with another, a decent respect requires that they should explain themselves.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all jazz is created equal, endowed by its creators with certain unalienable Grooves, including Swing, Ad Liberty and the Pursuit of Copyright.
That to secure these Grooves, Styles are instituted, deriving their powers from the Consent of the Grooved.
That whenever any Style becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Grooved to abolish it. Indeed, when a long train of Stylistic abuses reduces us to Ennui, it is our duty to derail that train.
Thus are we now constrained to dispel unswinging Styles, with their history of repeated injuries to the ear and goal of establishing a Tyranny of Tedium upon us.
We, the delegates of the United States of Jazz, do therefore solemnly declare these Free and Independent States absolved from all allegiance to unswinging Styles. And to affirm this Declaration before all the world and for all eternity, we do swear upon our autographed picture of Louis Armstrong.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the honorable States so conjoined has been assigned a representative Track dedicated by musicians in good standing to the objects of their Affection or Derision, as the case may be. Partisans of such States may condone or condemn the corresponding Track or its Review by affixing their Comments to the bottom of each page linked below.
Alabama John Coltrane: "Alabama"
Alaska Nancy Wilson: "Midnight Sun"
Arizona Charlie Byrd: "On the Trail"
Arkansas Bla Fleck: "Arkansas Traveler"
California Wes Montgomery: "California Dreaming"
Colorado Cal Tjader: "Colorado Waltz"
Connecticut Billie Holiday: "Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town"
Delaware Marty Nau Group featuring Phil Woods: "Delawareness"
Florida Fats Waller: "Florida Flo"
Georgia Toots Thielemans: "Georgia on My Mind"
Hawaii King Oliver: "Everybody Does It in Hawaii"
Idaho Art Tatum: "Idaho"
Illinois Illinois Jacquet: "Illinois Blows the Blues"
Indiana Joey DeFrancesco: "(Back Home Again in) Indiana"
Iowa Jimmy Giuffre: "Iowa Stubborn"
Kansas Christian McBride: "Little Sunflower"
Kentucky George Russell: "Kentucky Oysters"
Louisiana Bix Beiderbecke: "Louisiana"
Maine Terry Gibbs: "Main Stem"
Maryland Vince Guaraldi: "Maryland, My Maryland (O Tannenbaum)"
Massachusetts Gene Krupa featuring Anita O'Day: "Massachusetts"
Michigan Jelly Roll Morton: "Michigan Water Blues"
Minnesota Artie Shaw: "Minnesota (aka Aesop's Foibles)"
Mississippi Nina Simone: "Mississippi Goddam"
Missouri Lorez Alexandria: "Show Me"
Montana Oliver Lake: "Montana Grass Song"
Nebraska Scott Joplin: "The Corn Huskers"
Nevada Gil Evans: "La Nevada"
New Hampshire Taylor Haskins: "Live Free or Die"
New Jersey Naked City featuring John Zorn: "New Jersey Scum Swamp"
New Mexico Horace Silver: "Enchantment"
New York Frank Sinatra: "(I Like New York in June) How About You?"
North Carolina Bix Beiderbecke: "There's a Cradle in Caroline"
North Dakota Cassandra Wilson: "Red River Valley"
Ohio Bill Charlap Trio: "Ohio"
Oklahoma Count Basie & Joe Williams: "Alright, OK, You Win (I'm in Love with You)"
Oregon Stan Kenton: "Eager Beaver"
Pennsylvania Glenn Miller: "Pennsylvania 6-5000"
Rhode Island Blossom Dearie: "Rhode Island Is Famous For You"
South Carolina Anita O'Day with Gene Krupa: "Just a Little Bit South of North Carolina"
South Dakota Terry Gibbs & Buddy DeFranco: "South Dakota"
Tennessee Mose Allison: "The Tennessee Waltz"
Texas Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra: "Texas Tex"
Utah Mike Melvoin: "This Is the Place"
Vermont Johnny Smith Quintet featuring Stan Getz: "Moonlight in Vermont"
Virginia Paul Whiteman featuring Bing Crosby: "I'm Coming Virginia"
Washington Duke Ellington: "Washington Wobble"
West Virginia Louis Armstrong & Sidney Bechet: "Coal Cart Blues"
Wisconsin Woody Herman: "Woodchopper's Ball"
Wyoming Paul Marshall: "Cowboy Jazz"
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April 06, 2008 · 0 comments
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