Quote from: rodglu on Apr 16, 2009, 07:01PM"How did the Jones brothers make it through 30 or 40 years ago? Thad, Elvin and Hank? Out of the burning ghetto of Detroit? Surviving the viciously tough life of a black jazz musician in the '50s and '60s? All three of them? FUGEDDABOUDIT!!! The Heath brothers too."
Sam - While I totally agree with your premise, I'd just like to clear up a few facts. Detroit was not a "burning ghetto" in the 40's, 50's or the 60's.
An unfortunate choice of words, to some degree. In the mid-to-late '60s/early '70s I got a good, up-close-and-personal look in Roxbury, Harlem and Atlantic City at the end of the urban black working class neighborhood culture that had existed at least since the great northward migration of the early 20th century, and I agree that it had its strong points. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the urban riots of the '60s and later had their roots in the viciously segregationist system that had been in place in the U.S. for over 100 years. North and south. All you have to do is read Malcom X's autobiography to understand that fact, and it is my opinion that the black musicians who survived that system relatively sane and came of age in the bebop and post-bebop era were heroes on every level imaginable.
They paid unimaginable dues to follow their artistic dreams. I have lived and traveled with many of them, and that's what I have seen, anyway.
QuoteIt was a great place to live and play, and spawned more jazz musicians than any other community during that time period. Besides the Jones brothers (who were actually from Pontiac, a city approx. 35 miles north of Detroit) there were Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers, Curtis Fuller, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Red.....
Nothing personal - Just sticking up for the 'hood.
Rod
Nothing personal taken, Rod. Storyville was no bed of roses either, nor was the South Bronx, but look at the music that came out of those places.
S.