[Dixielandjazz] Rock and Roll is Jazz - Duke Ellington

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Stan Brager wrote:

> Bob;
>
> I have to agree with Steve on this one. Duke was probably looking to the
> roots of Rock and Roll which are the blues. Certainly, he didn't think
> that
> all Rock and Roll is jazz. My guess is that he was looking at Rock And
> Roll
> as a form of music and that jazz could be written within that framework.
>
> Herbie Mann, Dick Hyman, and many other jazz musicians utilized the Rock
> and
> Roll form in recordings.



Yes, many Jazz musicians do use the rock rhythms in Jazz.
As we know, Miles utilized the Rock rhythms in his later years.

Actually, the rock rhythm is very close to the New Orleans Street beat in 
some respects.

>From time to time we use a Rock type rhythm in Fulton Street and the 
audiences love it.

 So then we can assume that Duke was hearing the good parts of Rock and very 
obviously discounting the non-musical bad parts of it.

I wonder what Bix would have thought if he suddenly came back to life after 
being gone since 1931, (some 76-years), turned on the radio and heard some 
of what is being played.  Not only Rock, but some of the stuff that is now 
being passed off as Jazz.

Music has changed so much in the past 76 years, I'll bet to him, most of it 
would not even sound like music to him.

Yes, Bix was very forward thinking in his chord structures, etc.  He would 
probably be intrigued by some of the modern Jazz.  But I am speaking of the 
Grunge Rock,and the other disgusting stuff that big business is shoving down 
the American public's throat.

--Bob Ringwald