Jazz notes

First published Thursday 9 April 2015 in Music news and reviews
by John Marley
OVER the next three weeks I'll be writing these notes from the home of our beloved music. Most importantly, the two cities where jazz really developed: New Orleans and New York.

Jazz music's closest cousin is the blues. For it was the blues that provided the feel and improvisational nature of the early jazz styles.

Memphis, Tennessee is known in the musical world for three main things: Sun Records, Stax and Elvis Presley. All have a strong foundation in the blues.

There are excellent museums for Sun & Stax Records in the city where musicians, often from jazz backgrounds, forged the rockabilly and soul sounds we all know today. Beale Street is alive with music from sunrise to sunset and every bar has some kind of blues.

For some down-home country blues, Clarksdale is the destination of choice. The Delta Blues Museum gives a fascinating insight into the development of the music and its most notable exponents. The whole town has a deserted, old-time feel which is a perfect setting to hear one man and his guitar sing songs of a troubled life.

read more: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/12880564.Jazz_notes/?ref=rss