Jazz
-
This Isn’t About a Western Film: It’s About a Remarkable WWII Story When I first picked up a guitar, it was because of two towering inspirations: Django Reinhardt and Jim Croce. Django, with his captivating melodies and revolutionary style, made the strings sing in ways I could only dream of. Born in 1910 in Belgium…
-
The Background of Chattanooga Choo Choo Few songs define the sound and optimism of early-1940s America as vividly as “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” Performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, the 1941 recording became one of the most recognizable swing-era hits and earned a unique place in music history as the first recording ever to be…
-
Johnny & Jones refers to the Amsterdam-based jazz duo consisting of Nol (Arnold Siméon) van Wesel (Johnny) (August 3, 1918 – April 15, 1945) and Max (Salomon Meyer) Kannewasser (Jones) (September 24, 1916 – March 20, 1945). Van Wesel and Kannewasser first met while working at the De Bijenkorf department store. In 1934, they were…
-
Eugene Bullard was an extraordinary figure in history whose courage, resilience, and determination helped him overcome significant racial and social barriers. He was not only the first African American military pilot but also a soldier, entertainer, and spy who played a significant role in both World Wars. Despite his achievements, Bullard’s story remained largely unrecognized…
-
Arumbai refers primarily to a traditional plank-built fishing and transport vessel originating from the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It was widely used throughout the region and was historically present in areas such as Batavia Arumbai is also a notable piece of music by the Dutch-Molukse band Massada, originally released as a single in 1979.…
-
It thought it was time for me to do a Saxy blog(pardon the pun). Om June 28 1846, Adolphe Sax patented the instrument named after him, the Saxophone. However this nearly didn’t happen, not because he forgot to submit it but because he must have been either the luckiest or unluckiest man,depending on how you…
-
Compared to other concentration camps ,Westerbork was ‘reasonably’ safe and life was less harsh there, But that is also what made it a more sinister place. From 1942 to 1945, Westerbork was a transit camp (Durchgangslager) located in the Netherlands. As a transit camp, Westerbork served as a temporary collection point for Jews in the…
-
“Southern trees bear strange fruitBlood on the leaves and blood at the rootBlack bodies swinging in the southern breezeStrange fruit hanging from the poplar tree.” The lines above are from the song “Strange Fruit,” a beautiful song about a horrific event. It’s very hard to listen to it, but equally, it’s impossible not to listen…
-
Josephine Baker is mainly remembered for her erotic and provocative dances, vaudeville routines, and appearances in films. However her efforts to fight the tyranny of Fascism have received very little attention. She was born as Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother, Carrie, was adopted in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1886 by Richard…
-
They say that music soothes the savage beast, But it can also bring joy and transport you back to a better time in your life. Benny Behr must have known this because he tried to keep up the spirits by playing music. Benny was Jewish and married to a non-Jewish woman, Wien Bouwina Sijtina Havinga.…
History of Sorts 