[Dixielandjazz] Origins of jazz singing

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/3/04 6:42:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
anton.crouch at optusnet.com.au writes:

> 
> Hello Bill and Dan
> 
> We seem to have cornered the market on the subject of the beginnings of
> jazz singing and Louis' role in this development   :-)
> 
> Bill, I understand your lack of enthusiasm for my classing the early
> "vaudeville blues" singers as jazz singers but I do press the point. We all
> love the work of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter and Ethel Waters
> and I suspect that our analytical faculties are, to a degree, overwhelmed
> by their star qualities. 

Denying The Great Early Blues singers recognition as Jazz singers is 
musically  sacreligious at least in my opinion.  

However many Jazz folks like to distance themselves from the Blues, yet every 
historical book about Jazz that I have ever read cites it's beginnings 
directly from THE Blues.

To deny this is like having Black Skin and African Features and trying to 
tell everyone you meet that you have no  Black ancestory.   Sooner or later if 
you play good Jazz some Blues will manifest itself in your performance, it is 
high timew to stop being ashamed of it, for crying out loud, Most successful 
Blues Players and singers make far more money and attract far larger audiences 
than Jazz artists.   Which is why many of the great Jazz Festivals have BLUES 
headliners to get an audience for Jazz.

But then again I have said all this before about a million times I guess, 
funny but many of the die hard jazz promoters and afficianados still ignore it 
and and hold steadfastly to their ideas which is OK but some of us that grew up 
in the Blues know betta, you bethca by golly!

Well that's my take on it anyway.


Tom Wiggins


Ain't Ashamed to Play the Blues and I have never found an audience ashamed to 
listent o them if they were offered either.   Want to electrify a staunch 
Jazz crowd, just lay down a little back beat and lay some blues on em and see 
what happens.


Boogie till ya puke I say!  :)