Michigan Journal

Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Mike Hicks

Media Credit: Mike Hicks

Media Credit: Mike Hicks

Media Credit: Mike Hicks

Although, the fourth installment of pianist Kenn Cox's music lecture series was called "Jazz: African American Classical Music", Cox made it very clear that jazz was not a word that he used to describe the musical genre.

"No jazz musician tagged this music jazz," Cox said in a fiery tone. "They called it 'hot blues,' not jazz."

Throughout his presentation, Cox not only took his audience on a journey of the evolution of African-American music, but he was accompanied by the Kenn Cox Quartet, who also made specific remarks about the history of jazz.

With Marion Hayden-Gardener on bass, Djollo Keita on drums and Mike Hiemstra on saxophone, Cox was easily able to illustrate the innovative techniques of New Orleans' jazz style in "I found my baby" as well as perform tango melodies in W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues."

Yet, when Cox began discussing ragtime music, instead of playing a traditional ragtime classic such as Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag," on the piano, Cox made full use of his body by demonstrating the "cakewalk". The "cakewalk" was a dance that originated during slavery, but became a popular dance between African-Americans and whites during the late 1800s.

Cox attempted to raise up his legs as high as the Radio City Rockettes in order to show the audience how to do the "cakewalk". Although he fell short in his efforts, he continued dancing while educating the older audience.

"Ragtime was played in the east by free men, and was embraced and made more danceable by adding horns," said Cox.

Members of the Kenn Cox Quartet also participated in the lecture by giving the historical background of their instrument.

"Before there was the modern trap drum set, musicians would just play the bass and snare drum," said Keita.

Keita's brief military inspired drumming performance and dialect was followed by Hiemstra's chronicle of the saxophone and how the instrument became a significant part of jazz music.

During Gardener's historical account of the string bass, she discussed how the instrument used to play off of the tuba sound. Lastly, Cox explained why the piano was the most important instrument in the rhythm section.

"All of the rhythm section came out of the piano," he said.

"The pianist is the linkage between the harmony and the pulse."

The passionate jazz professional did not hesitate to constructively criticize the contemporaries in jazz music during the question-and-answer portion of the event.

"There ain't no drama in jazz, jazz is supposed to be about individualism, not conservatism." Cox stated.

John Kavanaugh, a friend of Cox, also showed keen interest in the power of jazz.

"If it had not been jazz, there would not be a Barack Obama," said Kavanaugh.

The educational music experience that Cox brought to the four-part lecture series proved to be a success, but Cox will be continuing to explore African American music culture at the UM-D during the winter of 2009.

Cox, who is the Visiting King-Chavez-Parks Professor for 2008 will be teaching a course in African-American music history on Wednesdays from 6:10 to 9 p.m. beginning in January.

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