The blues shares the optimism of American composers such as John Philip Sousa, but the optimism of the blues often springs from pain and suffering. Traces of the blues are found in every class, every culture, and every genre of music, but Marsalis says “the blues is from America.” A deep sense of freedom emerges uniquely from the American psyche-a collective psyche shared by those who possessed freedom and those who only could dream of it. Marsalis calls them the “The Holy Trinity” of the blues. He asks, what could they all have in common? He answers, “The Blues.” Using metaphor, personification, and dichotomy, Marsalis discusses the deeply moving aspects of the blues - so deep that it can simultaneously generate feelings of great joy and great sorrow.Īnalogies, personal reflections, philosophy, and anecdotes provide a technical chart of the repetitive 12-measure cycle of the three harmonies and three calls and responses of the blues. Chapter 3 begins with a list of several musicians Marsalis has performed with-from jazzmen to classical flutists to country singers to Motown artists.
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