That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

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Part III: The Beat Goes On: Jazz Appreciation 101
The key to any jazz collection is that it’s personal. Choose the artists and
periods you like the most, and gather artifacts that reflect your passions. If
you need help deciding, head to Part II, where I cover many different eras,
from the 1920s to today’s jazz scene.
Don’t just settle for any old décor to set the mood for your party. The World
Wide Web is a fantastic source for inexpensive, one-of-a-kind finds. Look for a
few eye-catching items that may impress your guests and serve as great conversation
pieces, like the following:
� Old magazines: I found a 1966 Life magazine with a fold-out cover of
Louis Armstrong blowing his horn. I also have a 1952 issue of Downbeat
with Louis on the cover, celebrating his induction into the Jazz Hall of
Fame. A more exotic choice: Satchmo on the cover of a 1947 issue of the
French magazine Regards. Any one of these would look great framed and
hung on your dining room wall. Three of them together would make a
really stunning statement.
� Photo prints: You can get a print of photographer Carl Van Vechten’s
black-and-white image of Bessie Smith holding a feather fan, with a shy,
pensive look on her face. This photo and others by Van Vechten are
available from the Library of Congress Web site. Photos of jazz musicians
by William Gottlieb (whose photos are featured in this book) also
are available from the Library of Congress. In your own city, there are
probably photographers or galleries selling prints of jazz performers
(either famous musicians or unsung local heroes).
� Posters: A silk-screened Mondrian-like poster in tribute to Afro-Cuban
percussion great Chano Pozo lends your décor the essential Latin ingredient
Pozo brought to his collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie. Or you can
add a cool ’50s touch in the form of a poster for Miles Davis’s 1957 headlining
gig at San Francisco’s Blackhawk, with Dave Brubeck as the
opener. Artist Paul Colin’s posters of Josephine Baker and the jazz age
are available for less than $50 from a variety of online poster outlets.
IKEA, the Scandinavian home furnishing chain that’s gradually spreading
across the United States, is a great place to purchase good-looking wood
and metal picture frames at very reasonable prices.
� Vinyl records: Benny Goodman’s 1938 performance at Carnegie Hall was
an epic event, both for putting jazz in a first-class concert venue and for
showcasing black and white musicians together. I found the two-record
set on vinyl on eBay for less than $20, with a cool cover photo of
Goodman, flanked by lists of his stellar special guests. Display the album
cover where guests can see it, and play them cuts like “One O’Clock
Jump” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (I hope you have a turntable).
� DVDs: Launch your décor into the stratosphere with a DVD featuring
intergalactic jazz emissary Sun Ra. Even with the sound turned down,
Sun’s godly presence lends your party a special aura. Not exactly otherworldly
but certainly dreamlike is the Cool Jazz Sound DVD, which captures
Miles Davis and John Coltrane performing together on television