[Dixielandjazz] Unforgiveable Blackness

[Charles Suhor]

This kind of license is pretty familiar--anything that sounds "old 
timey" is used, and anachronisms abound. Of course we don't really know 
how jazz/pre-jazz sounded in 1910, but Burns and Wynton know very well 
that ragtime would have been more suitable than "music of the early 
jazz age" (I assume, the 20's?--I haven't seen the program). The movie 
"The Sting" was set around the 30s as I recall but the music was very 
tardy ragtime, in this case. It's kind of like learning about history 
from "Hagar the Horrible" or "B.C." in the comics.

Charlie Suhor

On Mar 16, 2005, at 10:54 AM, Sean McGuire wrote:

> I have re-subscribed to DJML after some years away, and still have 
> trouble keeping up with the flow, so forgive me if this ground has 
> already been covered.  The Ken Burns documentary on Jack Johnson, 
> Unforgiveable Blackness, shown this season on PBS, credited both  
> Burns and  Wynton Marsalis for the soundtrack selections.  These men 
> have impeccable credentials, so when much of the soundtrack was filled 
> with early jazz, I figure they know better than I, but still. . . when 
> we're talking a prize fight in say, 1908 or 1910, should we really be 
> hearing the music of the early  jazz age?   I'm thinking some ragtime, 
> some of that James Weldon Johnson stuff, JP Sousa. . .
>    I tried but can't find an e-mail address for Burns, so I thought it 
> best to go to the guys and gals who ought to know.   Thanks in advance
>
> Sean McGuire
> Plainville, MA
>
>
>
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