“I don’t mean a thing if it ain’t that swing”, - that’s what famous jazz musician Glenn Miller used to say. African slaves brought to the USA began performing ‘dotty’ rhythm and swinging pulsations for white jazzmen to take up mysterious syncope later. At that, “black” and “white” jazz were going in separate directions: Africans preferred improvisation while Europeans opted for ready melodies.
Jazz has been considered music of the “black men” for a long time. Disgraceful, immoral – jazz was ascribed wit negative qualities, parents forbade children play such music. Situation changed in 20th century when western musicians paid attention to jazz. “Jazz Age” comes to Chicago step by step and in New Orleans jazz melodies performed at funerals set in as fashion.
Those were clarinetists from New Orleans Leon Rappolo and Limme Noone who became teachers of fourteen-year-old Benny Goodman. The latter one didn’t acquire “royal” title instantly. In times of the Great Depression they booed his art and demanded ticket fees back. When Goodman’s band came to Hollywood, they, in order to raise ratings, began opening their shows with popular dance music. But even that left audience pretty unenthusiastic. Desperate, Goodman started playing jazz and – what a miracle! – rejoicing of the crowd had no limits. After that concert Benny Goodman was nicknamed King of Swing and his music style is considered the most distinctive till now.
Back in the days there was race rule: white people only played with white people. Anyway, Benny Goodman disregarded public opinion and invited Africans to his band: vibraphonist Lionel Hampton and pianist Teddy Wilson. This bold move broke the ice for tolerance in jazz.
In 1920s-1930s jazz got crowned with laurels of popularity but happened to be out of law at the same time – all because jazz was performed in back-street bars created as a counterbalance to the Prohibition. For youngsters the style became a symbol of deliverance and all-permissiveness.
Another great musician – Glenn Miller – brought strictness back to jazz. Stringent discipline reigned in his band: not a single world was allowed on stage and color of socks had to match the color of a handkerchief in jacket’s pocket. Upon acquiring global popularity Miller dismissed his star orchestra and during war with Japan was off at the front to inspire soldiers with his performances.
“I'm happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a high-priced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz”, - these are the words said by Gene Krupa, drummer who was the first in history to bring drums to the status of a lead instrument in jazz. Gene Krupa denied pioneering work of “white” musicians saying that “white” jazz owed its existence to Louis Armstrong. Another controversial view denied necessity of improvisation: “When I go into a solo, I need to have an accurate picture of what I am going to play.”
Last name of another celebrity – Paul Whiteman – has a very talking meaning. Jazz-playing white man began with military melodies in his tracks. But he did so only until he got the idea of combining classic tunes with commercially successful melodies. Now that we’ve mentioned it, Whiteman’s performances in symphonic jazz style were the most expensive in American show business of 1930s – one ticket cost 10000 dollars.
… Modern jazz is up-market. Dance music evolves into cool-jazz genre, elaborated by saxophonist Lester Young. Melody gets more and more complicated and a musician has to be primarily a composer. Famous jazzmen of modernity – Michael Davis and Chet Baker – developed ‘cool’ manner of sound extraction and polyphonic musical form. That’s why on present-day jazz festivals expression agrees with lyric poetry and audience insist that jazz is not just a music style – it is a lifestyle, too.
Despite a wide-spread belief, European flea markets have little in common with both second-hand and ordinary trade rows on traditional merchandise markets. These places per se are unique due to a one-of-a-kind reflection of the country’s spirit and what at first glance seems like plain goods may tell you about its past and help feel a spirit of an era.
Austrian tour operators launched an unusual touristic tourdesigned for fans of singing style called yodel. Hikers wander through the Ziller Valley, a broad trail narrows opening the way for only the most avid travellers, then track leads upwards. Tourists look into the interactive station shaped as a giantsonorous walk-in cowbell, then they go around thelargest alpine horn and head to place...
First exhibition of paintings in the world’s most visited museum the Louvre was opened on 1793. But its building was well-known far beyond France, though the edifice was not used with such lofty cultural purposes.
"A small territory with a great mission" is the motto under which on February 11, 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See recognized Vatican as a sovereign territory. It was an agreement which opened doors for curious patrons who for centuries had been trading gossip about "What is kept inside Vatican castles?".
It is said, the easier it is, the better we feel, however, is it always like that? We know that not all the nations follow this principle. OUTLOOK has found out the strangest, toughest and hard in articulation international languages and would like to share it with the readers.
Behind the window sad eyes of old man peered at Petrograd engulfed by revolutionary fire. This fire spread on his life's work: a proud four-story building was invaded by noisy commissioners and sailors, whose presence seemed a cruel joke after regular customers. Workshop owner Carl Gustavovich Fabergé, apparently, noticed in this chaos approaching decay of his career. However, he could have a secret gleam of hope for another life of his heritage.
Our "Peruvian cycle" is replenished with the story of the most revered animals in Peru. Being the link between the present and the past, they play an important role in the life of this nation. Wise ancestors of the modern Peruvians, the ancient Incas, were living in harmony with all life that surrounded them.
Independent artist originally from the Philippines, Patrick Cabral conquers the world with his unusual artwork. His creations are an innovation that combines the age-old traditions of calligraphy and cutting-edge 3D technologies. His art is a way to change the world for the better, both through aesthetics and through the fulfillment of a social mission.
- Do you want to try some rice? - such a question is greeted by guests in China. And if the owners are also farmers, they can invite you on an unusual excursion and show you the masterpiece of natural art. The grass which we often eat without thinking about its aesthetics, at the time of growing resembles a blanket woven from multi-colored rags ...
Twelve-string guitar, the twilight of Portuguese nights, candles, and soul-gripping voice… Dramatic incentives of fado song tell about unrequited love. It cannot appear in the crossroads of destinies; however, it enables feelings to embody into the touching sounds of Portuguese romances.
In 1994, a cave was discovered in the mountains in the south of France, inside which there were more than a thousand rock carvings dating back to the 34th century BC. According to experts, these are traces of the first civilization in Europe. The excellent quality of the preserved drawings of the cave is due to the fact that, as a result of the collapse of stones...
After having spent merely an hour for a flight from Kyiv, I suddenly realized I reached the city where continental Europe’s oldest subway is situated. And things that Budapest underground is famous for are not limited to this. OUTLOOK sets on a trip around metropolitan of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Want to go down?
If you like having rest in Bulgaria but haven’t picked a town to stay in, try and do it in Balchik. It will suit those who value cozy yet non-costly trips without a flow of holiday-makers and an empty pocket afterwards. And the town’s ancient age together with unique landmarks will create a great alternative to sun and sea bathes.
The word is, Guy de Maupassant hated Eiffel Tower. The famous writer believed that it was uglifying the face of Paris without benefiting the city. Nevertheless, he could be often seen in a cozy cafe on the top of the construction. In such cases the author of “Bel Ami” used to say that “it was the only way the damned tower dropped out of his sight…”
Merely on hearing “Silk Road” we picture valiant wanderers and caravans full of precious items and exotic articles that cross countries and continents. Today we tell about Tajik cities that acted as major transfer points on this trading artery.
Sauntering through picturesque nooks of Grand Dame Europe we look around without even suspecting how many interesting things there are beneath our feet. If you are annoyed with standard tours that include marathon race around museums and monuments, we suggest you have a look at good Old World from a different perspective. Or more specifically, look under its feet.
This music is one and a half thousand years. Gentle and penetrating melodies played on the flute duduk have been called ‘the voice of eternity’. In Armenia where people esteem national motives believe that in duduk there is a soul of apricot tree what made tree sound. Staying plangent and soul-touching, they are framed with the sound evocating light wistfulness.
Land-art is not simply the landscape design but also the whole direction in art which in thee 21-st century considered one of the most important when only lazy people do not speak about the ‘green technologies’ and environment. The names of stars of such an activity have sturdily come into the speech of the tutors, critics, and connoisseurs, especially they outline Patrick Dougherti.
Sometimes it happens that you look at a postcard with a picture of a city and instantly realize that this is Kyiv, or Moscow, or Rome or your native village. And it isn’t courtesy of your geography teacher but back-breaking efforts of artisans with whose hands commonly familiar architecture masterpieces were created. Today we recall Italian conqueror of marble Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Today marks 120 years since the birth of the famous Ukrainian artist - Kateryna Bilokur. Her talent has been recognized in her lifetime, her work has been admired by Pablo Picasso, and nowadays her paintings are exhibited in museums, and Google dedicates its doodle to her. And it all started in totalitarian times...
