[Dixielandjazz] 1959: The Year Everything Changed

[Stephen G Barbone]

A George Will Column reports that a Fred Kaplan, an MIT Ph.D. has  
written a book titled in the subject line. In it, he discusses the  
many changes that 1959 brought to America. Among them are; the  
publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover, the Government approval of the  
Enovid birth control pill, Texas Instruments introduced the integrated  
circuit (microchip), President Eisenhower authorization that US  
military advisors could accompany South Vietnamese units on  
operations,  etc., etc. Then Will says:

"Kaplan is especially convincing concerning jazz as a leading  
indicator of more serious, because more disciplined, cultural  
enrichment. On March 2, 1959, Miles Davis began recording 'Kind of  
Blue', perhaps the greatest jazz album. On May 4 John Coltrane  
recorded 'Giant Steps', on May 22 Ornette Coleman recorded 'The Shape  
of Jazz to Come' and on June 25, David Brubeck began recording 'Time  
Out'. The emancipation of jazz from what Kaplan calls 'the structures  
of chords and pre-set rhythms' proved that meticulously practiced  
improvisation is not an oxymoron."

"Proved that meticulously practiced improvisation is not an oxymoron?"  
Interesting . . . But then, consider that Art Tatum proved that,  
decades before. Hear his Tiger Rag at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaPeks0H3_s&feature=related

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband