Pynchon & Jazz

[Cyrus]

Terrance wrote:

>Morrison's sixth novel, Jazz (1992) finds an emblem for the
>interpretation of self, community, tradition, and renewal in the formal
>requirements and social history of jazz music. 
>
>…
>
>in my listening to most early jazz I hear far more resemblance to the
>call-and-response pattern of black (and many other) folk traditions than
>to European counterpoints. The lead instrument, usually a trumpet, plays
>a phrase, to which the other instruments, trombone, clarinet, rhythm,
>etc. gives answers. These may be and usually are somewhat overlapped,
>fitted together in very complex movements. But one does not listen
>vertically, one listens sequentially. And this skipping back and forth
>among the instruments as they call and respond irregularly against the
>fundamental beat, not at all the rhythmically fixed chordal polyphony of
>Bach, is what gives jazz its particularity, authenticity, and immanent
>cultural anatomy among all the world's music. 
>
>  
>
Jazz is probably responsible for the revival of the art of improvisation 
in Western music, an art which had been “forgotten” after Beethoven. But 
before, and including, Beethoven, improvisation was very common and in 
many cases expected. A church organist, for example, wasn’t considered 
any good unless he could improvise. Bach and Mozart were famous for 
their ability to improvise. In all Baroque da capo arias (including 
Bach’s), the soloist was expected to use improvised adornments on the 
basic melody. I know it’s not the same as free improvisation, but, since 
the Renaissance, Western music had always been “vertical”, i.e. more 
interested in harmony. Eastern music, however, like some types of jazz, 
was (and still is) more “horizontal”, more interested in melody. After 
all, it is mostly modal and monophonic, as can be seen plainly in the 
music of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India. And in Eastern 
music a good player (or singer) is determined by his ability to 
improvise and produce interesting melodic phrases or ornaments in the 
process. I think that especially the musicians in India have taken this 
art to excellence, each improvising after the other (or even “under” the 
other) within the same mode.

Oh, and Pynchon is of course well into jazz, but also very interested in 
classical music and rock.

>
>….jazz ultimately plays a minor role in the imaginative logic of
>Pynchon's texts. 
>
>  
>
Yes. Little things here and there, making up a huge web.

Cyrus