I found a quote from Louis Armstrong that cracked me up. "All music is folk music," he said. "I ain't never heard a horse sing a song." He has a point, really. So whether classical or Irish trad, what you're playing was written by folks. Not horses. Go ahead and hijack this one, I'm a little bored.
Someone help me out, but didn't one of those guys, Armstrong or Duke Ellington say something to the affect that scottish reels/jigs was the only other kind of jazz??
Ok- maybe ,mixed up but something like that?? help???
This is digressing from the topic a bit, but felinoba's entry reminded me about hearing a recording of the Sally Garden reel being played by a turn of the century New Orleans jazz band on that PBS documentary about jazz. Did anyone else catch that?
What exactly is the folk music you can't abide Michael? Pray elucidate.
Are we talking White Heather Club here?
If we must differentiate between folk music, ITM and other sorts, then we must do it properly.
From this: Folk Music would be the traditional music of East Anglia only. (Norfolk and Suffolk - the realms of the North Folk and the South Folk. Folk being a specific tribal name.)
This would be distinct, within English Traditional Music, from, for example, Saxon Music, Icenian Music, Kentish Music etcetera.
Moving on from there we would need to define exactly what is traditional and whether we need to be certain of the first origin of a tune to be able to call it Irish, Scottish, etc.
I think that it's probably more the "folk scene", some of the people involved, the attitude towards the music, and context it gets played in e.g. folk clubs, "circle of death" sessions etc rather than much of the music itself that Michael doesn't like. In many respects, I'm inclined to agree. I much prefer playing and listening to "tunes" these days but too many of these "folkies" get in way.
BTW I quite agree with the sentiments about the "folk scene".
We really are talking White Heather Club and its descendants here.
It's just an established game - Michael makes a bald sweeping generalisation, then someone else offers a careful bit of picking. It's huge fun and passes many fridays quite nicely, and no one gets hurt if they understand whats happening.
Possibly relevant to a bit in the National Geographic article, there's a great CD out called "The Kilmartin Sessions". (Available in the UK. Not sure how available elsewhere.) It's music played with bone flutes, pottery & skin drums, bronze crotals, a carnyx, etc. Mostly fairly "primitive" (sic) instruments, although they do end up with a couple of more modern instruments also. The players start out imitating bird calls and so forth, and eventually wind up with medieval chants and other composed pieces. Pretty illuminating stuff, not to mention fun to listen to. They did a lot of creative work trying to get inside the head of earlier humans, musically speaking.
Maybe the best way to define folk music is to hijack Louis' quote on jazz, when a reporter asked him what it was --- "Man, if you gotta ask, you ain't EVER gonna know." After all, if you put 100 folkies in a room, you'd get 127 definitions of what folk music is!
Fiddlemouse, that means that at least 73% of folkies are bloody minded and only have one opinion i.e their own. The other 27% must , at least, be open to an alternative point of view. :>))
i think that depends on the octane content of the beverages present with them. ;)
anyway, bloody mindedness has its points. according to terry pratchett it's one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. you don't want everything to fall apart, do you? (ok, maybe i hang around too much with druids...)
Genius Quote
Genius Quote
I found a quote from Louis Armstrong that cracked me up. "All music is folk music," he said. "I ain't never heard a horse sing a song." He has a point, really. So whether classical or Irish trad, what you're playing was written by folks. Not horses. Go ahead and hijack this one, I'm a little bored.
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by Emmaline
Re: Genius Quote
Heh, that's a good quote. I like it, and it's true. Although, there is always the sweet music of simple nature...
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by CristoirDollard
Re: Genius Quote
What, you've never heard of the A Capella Apaloosa's?!?!
Sorry, I must have too much time on my hands....
But...whales sing. Louis himself even sang a song about birds singing. The wind sings in the wires.
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: Genius Quote
Someone help me out, but didn't one of those guys, Armstrong or Duke Ellington say something to the affect that scottish reels/jigs was the only other kind of jazz??
Ok- maybe ,mixed up but something like that?? help???
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by I_Fel
Re: Genius Quote
This is digressing from the topic a bit, but felinoba's entry reminded me about hearing a recording of the Sally Garden reel being played by a turn of the century New Orleans jazz band on that PBS documentary about jazz. Did anyone else catch that?
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: Genius Quote
I don't know how that fits with the fact that I can't abide folk music
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by llig leahcim
Re: Genius Quote
Remember:
Eternal Vigilance is the price of pedantry.
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Genius Quote
Big Bill Broonzy was credited with the same quote.
# Posted on March 1st 2003 by dafydd
Re: Genius Quote
What exactly is the folk music you can't abide Michael? Pray elucidate.
Are we talking White Heather Club here?
If we must differentiate between folk music, ITM and other sorts, then we must do it properly.
From this: Folk Music would be the traditional music of East Anglia only. (Norfolk and Suffolk - the realms of the North Folk and the South Folk. Folk being a specific tribal name.)
This would be distinct, within English Traditional Music, from, for example, Saxon Music, Icenian Music, Kentish Music etcetera.
Moving on from there we would need to define exactly what is traditional and whether we need to be certain of the first origin of a tune to be able to call it Irish, Scottish, etc.
I think its probably safer to go with Louis.
Dave
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Genius Quote
I think that it's probably more the "folk scene", some of the people involved, the attitude towards the music, and context it gets played in e.g. folk clubs, "circle of death" sessions etc rather than much of the music itself that Michael doesn't like. In many respects, I'm inclined to agree. I much prefer playing and listening to "tunes" these days but too many of these "folkies" get in way.
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Genius Quote
Whoops! I meant to say "get IN the way",
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Genius Quote
JohnJ - your next post should now read:
"Whoops! I meant to say "Whoops! I meant to say "get in THE way"".
Sorry - but until the engineer finishes fixing the press, I've got nothing to do but pick.
Dave ;o)
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Genius Quote
BTW I quite agree with the sentiments about the "folk scene".
We really are talking White Heather Club and its descendants here.
It's just an established game - Michael makes a bald sweeping generalisation, then someone else offers a careful bit of picking. It's huge fun and passes many fridays quite nicely, and no one gets hurt if they understand whats happening.
Dave
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Genius Quote
Have "Folk" Clubs and Sessions deteriorated that much, back in dear old Blighty, or is this a virtual session site?
I last lived on Lundy, like edge of Atlantic, remote, and people came out there for a session, period!
If you get a few together who want to play, then if they all know the Kincora, surely that's good enough!
Bx
PS I've only got to travel 300 km for my next session...tomorrow... terrible!
Bx
# Posted on March 11th 2004 by briantheflute
Re: Genius Quote
It's the pewter tankards on carabinas
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by llig leahcim
Re: Genius Quote
I got some slurry on a carabiner once and the danged gate never worked right after that. There was no morris dancing involved.
Michele
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by Batlady
Re: Genius Quote
Jocklet--
You're right about Big Bill. I have a recording of a live performance at Northwestern Univ. in the late 1950s where he makes the comment. Mark
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by markwilson
Re: Genius Quote
Clearly all folks are persons. But are all persons folks?
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by Brendan
Re: Genius Quote
Sorry. Louis, Big Bill, and the rest of you are all wrong, and there's scientific evidence to prove it. See here...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/01/0105biomusic.html
(Note from the same article that y'all were wrong about "4 minutes 33 seconds" too!)
Greg
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by grego
Re: Genius Quote
Possibly relevant to a bit in the National Geographic article, there's a great CD out called "The Kilmartin Sessions". (Available in the UK. Not sure how available elsewhere.) It's music played with bone flutes, pottery & skin drums, bronze crotals, a carnyx, etc. Mostly fairly "primitive" (sic) instruments, although they do end up with a couple of more modern instruments also. The players start out imitating bird calls and so forth, and eventually wind up with medieval chants and other composed pieces. Pretty illuminating stuff, not to mention fun to listen to. They did a lot of creative work trying to get inside the head of earlier humans, musically speaking.
Maybe the best way to define folk music is to hijack Louis' quote on jazz, when a reporter asked him what it was --- "Man, if you gotta ask, you ain't EVER gonna know." After all, if you put 100 folkies in a room, you'd get 127 definitions of what folk music is!
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by sara g
Re: Genius Quote
Fiddlemouse, that means that at least 73% of folkies are bloody minded and only have one opinion i.e their own. The other 27% must , at least, be open to an alternative point of view. :>))
# Posted on March 12th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Genius Quote
i think that depends on the octane content of the beverages present with them. ;)
anyway, bloody mindedness has its points. according to terry pratchett it's one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. you don't want everything to fall apart, do you? (ok, maybe i hang around too much with druids...)
# Posted on March 15th 2004 by sara g