The Philadelphia Story is long overdue, in words that is. In reading
many books on the history of Jazz and other essays about Jazz in America,
many cites that have produced great innovators have been overlooked. Philadelphia,
Detroit, Newark, Fort Worth, Washington DC, Boston are just a few that historians
have bypassed in their research. For some reason they only look at New Orleans,
Kansas City, Chicago and New York for their references. It's true that musicians
of these great cities made great contributions, and deserve the credit given
them, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the history
of Jazz.
This next statement will upset some of you, but truth is Jazz did not start
in New Orleans, or with Louis Armstrong. Musicians were improvising all
around the country many years prior. According to The Music of Black
Americans, by Eileen Southern, musicians were playing in the Jazz style
at the beginning of the 1800's.
Philadelphia during that time was the cultural capitol in the US which was
a new country. And there were many bands that played the states and traveled
to Europe, the same as we do today. Musician/Composer Frank Johnson was
the most popular among them and played the music of that period in what
was later to be known as the Jazz style, in other words his band improvised
the music they were playing.
Philadelphia has been the home of many great innovators, especially in the
20th century. Which is the period where most historians think Jazz began.
Lets put it this way. John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Philly Joe Jones, Dizzy
Gillespie, Jimmy, Percy and Albert Tootie Heath, Stan Getz, Randy and Michael
Brecker, Sun RA, Jimmy Smith, Chris McBride, Stanley Clarke, Lee Morgan,
Hank Mobley, Wilbur Ware, Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray, Grover Washington
Jr., Benny Golson, Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman, Clifford Brown, Rahsaan
Roland Kirk, Red Rodney, Pat Martino, C Sharp, Shirley Scott, John Gilmore,
Kevin and Robin Eubanks, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Odean Pope, Byard Lancaster,
Rufus Harley, Charles Fambrough, Walt Dickerson, Khan Jamal and there are
hundreds of others. who were born, raised or lived part of their lives in
Philly.
If you're into Jazz history it's worth checking out, and don't forget cities
like Boston with Sam Rivers, Tony Williams, Jackie Byard or Washington DC.
with Duke Ellington, Buck Hill, Detroit, with Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones,
Donald Byrd, Yusef Lateef, Marcus Belgrave. Just a few names of many.
