[Dixielandjazz] The Italians invented Grand Opera, not jazz

[Bill Gunter]

Listmates,

Much has been made of the claim that the Italians invented jazz.  Give me a 
break.

True, the Italians are a most musical people. Matter of fact, it was an 
Italian monk back in the year 1100 or so who finally identified and 
formalized the musical notation system and tonic scale that characterizes 
ALL of western music!! Guido d'Arezzo was the fellow's name and his 
contribution to all of our music in the western world is enormous.

But Italians are a marvelously passionate people and when they speak, it is 
in broad, sweeping vocalizations along with expansive gesticulations.  Just 
imagine, for example, an Italian saying to somebody with whom he disagrees 
the following: "Hey! Whatsamatta you!!" - Now when you say this, be sure to 
speak really loud and wave and arm or two and use a sort of rising 
inflection.

It's almost like singing grand opera!! I will go so far as to state that 
only the Italians could have invented grand opera.  Furthermore, I love 
grand opera and am eternally grateful to the Italians for the gift.

But jazz, on the other hand, is cool, syncopated, bouncy, upbeat, and 
joyous.  You don't have to be trained in "bel canto" to sing it. Matter of 
fact, the best jazz singers are those with notoriously untrained voices 
(Armstrong . . .  need I say more?)!

Sure, Italians can play it and even sing it (Prima . . . need I say more?}! 
But, they didn't invent it. Just as the Italian culture is the only one that 
could have invented grand opera, there is only one culture that could have 
invented jazz. It is so obvious who invented the form that to even state it 
is a virtual redundancy.

It had to be a culture with a history of oppression going back millennia but 
never losing its capacity for music and humor. The sad songs and laments of 
this culture reduce us to tears but the happy music makes us wanna dance and 
the humor is so funny that we almost pee in our pants! And, by the way, the 
first musical movie ever made (The Jazz Singer) was not about Italians!

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Love them Italians" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com

>From: Russ Guarino <russg at redshift.com>
>To: Steve barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Italians Invented Yass
>Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 08:57:17 -0800
>
>To All Scholars and Musician Historians:
>
>We need to put to rest the Guarino mystery relating to jazz.
>
>My Guarino Grandfather was a baker who immigrated with his young wife to 
>Buffalo
>and finally settled in Southern California.  He never leaned to speak 
>English.
>I was unable to talk to him.  He did a lot of singing, but no jazz.  My 
>father
>was also a baker and quite a ladies man.  He spoke both English and 
>Italian, but
>did not play an instrument.  He was a dancer in his youth and performed in 
>the
>early movies along with my mom, and her two brothers.
>
>One more thing, here in Monterey, California, there was a large group of
>Sicilian fishermen who settled here, turn of the century.  Their progeny 
>own
>much of the town  today and the busiest musical groups here are the bands 
>of
>Mike Marotta and his son Mike Marotta, Jr.  They are both accordionists and
>quite talented.
>
>Other local names, Salvatore Ferrantelli, Ph.D.. Chairman, music dept. of
>Monterey Peninsula College, Bert Cutino, owner of the Sardine Factory
>restaurant.  The list goes on.
>
>Russ Guarino
>
>Steve barbone wrote:
>
> > "Tito Martino" <tmartino at terra.com.br> wrote (polite snip)
> >
> > Stefano Barbone wrote:
> > As Richard Sudhalter said in his book, "Lost Chords" because there
> > were so many Italians in New Orleans playing jazz at the beginning, 
>someone
> > should write a book on Italians and their contribution to jazz.
> > ---------
> > > Are you kidding, fella?! Dontcha you know WE Italians invented Yazz in
> > > 1904?!
> > > Justa take a looka to the names at that time:
> > > Nicola, (Nick) LaRocca, etc,  etc, etc.
> >
> > Hey Tito;
> >
> > You forgot my favorite Sicilian School clarinetist, Nunzio Scaglione.
> > (Sicilian school is a flowery, ornamental style, which adapted to jazz)
> >
> > As well as a bunch of other early 20th Century Sicilians in Jazz like 
>Lala,
> > Veca, Giardino,  Bonano, Cordilla, Coltraro, Guarino (Hey Russ, your
> > Grandpa?) Pinero, Schiro, Mangiapane, Liberto, Franzella, Mello, 
>Palmisano.
> >
> > Because of the anti Sicilian riots which resulted in lynchings of 19 or 
>so
> > Sicilians in New Orleans circa 1891, the Italians became a much despised 
>2nd
> > class citizenry there. Thus their musicians, similar in many respects to
> > black musicians, were ignored by the "historians" and even Nick 
>LaRocca's
> > over the top boasts could not overcome that slight.
> >
> > As an aside, that helped the Mafia form and strengthen in New Orleans. 
>And
> > non musician relatives of Bonano (and Provensano, who Tito first 
>mentioned)
> > led the two leading Mafia families) Just goes to show you not to mess 
>with
> > Italian musicians because we get even. :-) VBG
> >
> > Thank goodness the Mafia formed because they bought all the nightclubs 
>in
> > Chicago, New York etc., and were the largest employers (and just about 
>the
> > only employers) of jazz bands in the United States during the 
>prohibition
> > era. Those halcyon days of jazz when the music was much more visceral 
>than
> > the "art form" revivalists would have us believe today.
> >
> > The FIRST Jazz Band in history was led by a Sicilian immigrant named 
>Gombari
> > Boldano who later Americanized his name to Buddy Bolden and passed for 
>black
> > because blacks were treated better than Italians in early 20th Century 
>New
> > Orleans. Dan Hardie, do you know about this? :-) VBG.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve Barbone
> >
> > PS. The above is all true except the last paragraph. So, those who still 
>try
> > and separate jazz, from social developments in the USA might reflect a 
>bit
> > and re-examine their bias.
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
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