[Dixielandjazz] Gottschalk - Forgotten Composer

[Stephen Barbone]

List mates:

Tito Martino's mention of Louis Moreau Gottschalk and the Spanish tinge
brought back a poignant memory for me. My mother was a classically
trained pianist and absolutely horrified when I talked about becoming a
jazz musician in the late 1940s. Yet she did not interfere, even when I
brought some of the most notorious  jazz "characters" home from 1950 on,
for lunch or dinner, or a drink after a gig on Long Island.

A year or so before she passed away at age 92, she wanted to distribute
her piano sheet music between my Sister and me. Sis got the bulk of it
(classical pianist) and then suddenly Mom dug out of the bottom of the
bottom drawer of her music cabinet, some jazz related music.

My goodness, there was Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson
and others forming a time line all the way up to Thelonious Monk. And, a
book of "pre jazz" compositions by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. With the
tunes Tito mentioned like "Banjo" and "Bamboula" etc. I was stunned. She
said, she just wanted to understand the music I loved. and had played it
at home after I moved away. (Dad passed in 1957 Mom lived alone from
about 1962 till 2001)

Yeah, there is some "jazz" history to be learned from Gottschalk.
"Banjo" has been described as a "jazz piece" by some, yet it was written
mid 1800s.

Gottschalk, was like the "gumbo" of New Orleans, his birthplace. His
father born in London, was of Spanish Jewish heritage. Mother had French
ancestry. Grandmother was a maid in Santo Domingo. Great Grandfather was
governor of Santo Domingo. Somehow, they all got to New Orleans where L.
M. Gottschalk would be called a "Creole".

He studied music in Paris, met Chopin, was a member of the Spanish
court, under Queen Isabella's patronage for a while and recognized as a
musical genius on piano. His compositions were a mixture of North and
South American music, European music and the sounds of New Orleans.
Jazz? Ragtime? Maybe, maybe not. But then, if you listen, you may hear,
or get a feel for what was going to become a unique American Art form a
century later.

In 2001, I gave that book of Gottschalk's piano compositions to Jon
Williams, pianist for The Rent Party Revelers. He is a great stride
player, and can sight read them all very well. If you know Jon, or are
going to see him with RPR sometime, ask him to bring that book and play
some of those pieces. What a treat.

Thanks Tito.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone