[Dixielandjazz] Free Form Music

[Charles Suhor]

Yes. As Tennyson said, "I am a part of all that I have known." Making use of it in inventive ways is a good way to live. 
Most of you likely know that back was famous as an improviser on organ in his time. There's the story of a cuttin' contest, no less, in which he and another worthy were given themes on which to improvise (this had to be "free from," I'm thinking) and Bach send this rival home packing. I'm guessing that Bach's genius must have pulled off such improvisation (free form, in the baroque style) in ways that were unmatchable in any era. In the fifties, Don Shirley and for many years, Ran Blake did free form keyboarding. Blake was fun to hear. He might still be around, in the Boston area.

Charlie

On Oct 20, 2014, at 7:03 AM, Paul Kurtz Jr wrote:

> David, this piece is a lot like Hohvannes’s Prayer of St. Gregory for organ and trumpet, or orchestra and trumpet. 
> 
> What I’m trying to get people to think about is this. We can take traditional dixieland forms of music with instrumentation, take certain parts of freeform thought in chords and musical interactions, create beautiful music, and add to the repertoire. This is what the Bach group, you know, J.S., C.P.E., and all of the other 20 children (not forgetting of course, P.D.Q. Bach :-) :-) :-) did in their many improvisatory works of their day. We don’t know what they really did from week to week in churches; we only have what was written down or commented on. But, we can take a Saints beat, a St. James Infirmary beat, a Nearer my God to Thee beat, and put tons of stuff around that. Maurice Andre did this with his Toot Suite by bringing classical form into jazz and he’s not by himself. In creating just a wee bit of ferment, you create some great music. And by the way, for those who don’t know, Andre loved American jazz and swing music and could play it well. 
> 
> Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL
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