[LAU] New music: And it's time for: Bach again! Bach again! :-)

[Joep L. Blom]

Atte André Jensen wrote:
> On 2010-06-25 04:47, Josh Lawrence wrote:
> 
>>  When I hear his
>> lines, I hear bebop.
> 
> Exactly!
> 
> Listen to someone like Bud Powell, it's very clear.
> 
> I'm often asked "what kind of jazz scale did you play there", and I have 
> to answer that I don't know any "jazz scale", I was simply playing 
> F-major (because the tune is in F-major) or something. But the "secret" 
> is to handle consonance/dissonance the right way, which is very similar 
> to Bach.
> 
This is an interesting discussion.
I agree, partly, that Bach wrote music which can be interpreted as 
jazzy. However, it's in my opinion the other way around. In jazz we use 
sometimes phrasings which are equal to what Bach did and I agree: listen 
to Bud Powell but also Brad Meldow (to mention a current pianist). 
However, the harmonic complexity we use nowadays was not invented then. 
Bach's music is primarily polyphonic (listen e.g. to the Brandenburger 
concerts or the Goldberg variations) using, sparingly, simple chords. 
One of the most "jazzy" elements in Bach's music is the "Basso continuo" 
(often written with figures) and the greatest difference with jazz 
bass-lines is the absence of rhythmic content.
In de realm of the classical music we have Debussy to thank for modern 
harmonies together with the extensive use of the 6-tone scale and other 
modern musical ideas. However the use of -9, -13 and many other 
combinations in chords are 20th century ideas invented by jazz-pianists, 
arrangers and "classical composers" alike and one of the latter is 
Skriabin Take a look at his scores!).
The greatest difference between classical music and jazz, however, is in 
my opinion simply the timing which is unbreakably related to jazz 
melodies and harmonies. Try playing Bach with swing (the most horrible 
example which springs to mind is Jacque Louisier) or Chopin or even Debussy.

Sorry for this rant on something which is part of my daily activities 
and I love dearly.
Joep