1/31/2024 0 Comments Lwt me tell you why song![]() ![]() ![]() It's like they're not necessarily playing drums or cymbals. MORAN: You know, in this recording, there's something so raw about the percussion. And I should say, I really love James Reese Europe's music. So tell us what you'd like us to listen for in this recording. So first I want to play some of the recording, and then we'll hear your interpretation of it at the piano. So first I want to play James Reese Europe from, like, the 19-teens, I think it was, like, the late 19-teens, playing the "Castle House Rag." And the Castle refers to the dance duo Vernon and Irene Castle. So the first thing I want to do is play some music. It's so exciting to have you at the piano and to have you back. Jason Moran is joining us from the studios of WNYC in New York. It's available only on Bandcamp for streaming or download. Jason Moran's new album is called "From The Dance Hall To The Battlefield," and it features Moran's take on James Reese Europe's compositions and pop music of that time. He also led a regiment band that combined military music and syncopation, creating a new sound. In World War I, Europe joined the Army and fought with the 369th Regiment of the infantry known as the Harlem Hellfighters. He was the music director for the then-famous dance duo Vernon and Irene Castle. In the early 1900s, Europe led his own band and founded the Clef Club, which functioned like a union for Black musicians. His new album is a tribute to James Reese Europe, an important but little-remembered figure in jazz history. Moran composes music and has also put his own spin on the works of early jazz pianists and composers, including Fats Waller and James P. He also teaches at the New England Conservatory of Music. He's the Kennedy Center artistic director for jazz, and he curated the permanent exhibition in the new Louis Armstrong Center in Queens, N.Y., which is across the street from Armstrong's preserved home. He's making exciting recordings that draw on the early years of jazz, as well as the avant-garde. Well, Moran is no longer an up-and-comer, and he certainly fulfilled his promise. The first time I interviewed him in 2005, when Moran was 30, I quoted our jazz critic, Kevin Whitehead, who called him one of those rare up-and-comers who makes you optimistic for the future of jazz. Joining me at the piano is a terrific musician and composer - Jason Moran. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |