“AND THE BEAT GOES ON—la de da de de—la de da de da” sang rock and roll greats Sonny and Cher! We certainly know that to be true with the beat of JAZZ—
The traditional jazz beat started with Ragtime back in the late 1880’s, and The Blues, then came the Dixieland and New Orleans styles of the early 1900’s, followed by Swing in the 20’s thru the 40’s. They are all styles of what is known today as Traditional Jazz.Scott Joplin, King Oliver, Benny Goodman, stars of these early musical eras, have passed on their music to many, many great musicians. Jazz has grown worldwide as musicians spread the musical word around the globe. Still, it is America’s music, known to all as “our national heritage”. Styles of jazz have also expanded to include those known as bebop, straight a-head, fusion, West Coast, free, and funk, but the “roots” of it all are buried deep in what we call Traditional Jazz, and those roots continue to flourish.
The North Carolina Jazz Festival proudly continues the presentation of this joyous music using the great musicians of today. This year we will again be adding some new faces to our roster of talented musicians. From New Orleans comes John Royen, a stride pianist; from NYC we will bring Dion Tucker, trombonist with the Harry Connick Jr. Orchestra; and from Minneapolis, MN – Patrick Harison, a young jazz accordionist!
“AND THE BEAT GOES ON—la de da de de—la de da de da”
Leave a Comment