[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
informed Schuller s consciousness as well, prompting him to describe Blackwell s performance
on T. & T. as one of the purest examples of African drumming in jazz.
Another component of Free Jazz practice was the inclusion of African musical
instruments, as well as the literal or implied instrumental techniques associated with African music
by its practitioners. One example would be Blackwell s use of the West African talking drum:
By casting aside most features of the bop style, free jazz players harked
back in many respects to simpler forms of jazz and earlier music in which elements
derived from African music predominated. This in turn permitted an unusual influx
of ethnic musics into jazz, examples being the world music of Don Cherry, the
West-African talking drums approach cultivated by Ed Blackwell [italics mine],
and the pygmy yodeling techniques adopted by the singer Leon Thomas
(Robinson. Free Jazz. p.166).
Ornette Coleman, reflecting on his own awareness of the African-derived performance style
of African-American jazz drummers, also believes that Blackwell s drumming portrayed the
influence of West-African talking drums:
58
I ve been playing with Blackwell over twenty years. We used to play when
I first went to Los Angeles. Blackwell plays the drums as if he s playing a wind
instrument. Actually, he sounds more like a talking drum [italics mine]. He s
speaking a certain language that I find is very valid in rhythm instruments. Very
seldom in rhythm instruments do you hear rhythm sounding like a language. I
think that s a very old tradition because the drums, in the beginning, used to be like
the telephone - to carry the message (Jarrett. Ornette Coleman Interview. p.5).
Most individuals are referring to an hourglass-shaped, West-African instrument when they
use the phrase talking drum. 28 This string-tension drum has different names depending upon
the ethnic group being considered, such as the lunna of the Dagomba people from northern Ghana
or the donno used by the Ewe people of Southeastern Ghana and Togo. It is possible to vary the
pitch of a donno by squeezing and/or pulling the attached strings. For this reason, it is also
known generically as a pressure drum. The donno can be used to approximate the varied
pitches and bent inflections associated with West-African tonal languages.
Two recordings in particular show the influence of the talking drum language upon
Blackwell s drumming style. The Dewey Redman album Tarik (original release: BYG Records
529.334 - volume 34) and the Don Cherry release Mu (Charly - LeJazz CD 56) feature
Blackwell playing a tom-tom which allows pitch manipulation.29 On both recordings, Blackwell
played rapid, two-hand patterns at the same time the drum pitch was fluctuating. This would
imply the use of a foot pedal to facilitate pitch-bending independent of the hands.30 Regardless of
the instrument or the technique Blackwell might have used to play it, the sound quality is quite
similar to that of the West-African donno.
We know that Blackwell incorporated principles of organization, various rhythmic
constructs, and instruments associated with West African traditions within his drumset
28
It is important to note that other West-African instruments, including the atumpan drums (a pair of master
drums used by the Akan people of Ghana) and the slit-log or log drum, may also be used to talk.
29
The Redman album Tarik is out-of-print and virtually impossible to locate. However, the title track from this
recording has been reissued on the 3-CD set entitled Jazz Actuel (Charly - CDNEW 137-3).
30
According to T. Dennis Brown, a floor tom-tom with a timpani-like tuning pedal was first used in the 1960 s
( Drum Set. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. p.310). Phil Hey also recalls that Blackwell sometimes played such a
"timpani floor tom" - the "Hollywood/Meazzi" model.
59
performances; however, the cultural seeds of this practice were sown long before his trips to
Africa as a result of his upbringing in New Orleans.31 According to ethnomusicologist and
percussionist Royal Hartigan, Blackwell:
played drums on boxes, steps, and other materials during his childhood...
He related that the practice of using boxes, bottles, and other non-manufactured
materials as musical instruments was common in New Orleans and other cities
where he observed youth and, occasionally, adults making music. This is similar to
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]