"Besides the blind forces of nature
nothing moves in the world that is not of Greek origin"
Sir Henry Maine.
"Totum Graecorum est" (Everything comes from the Greeks)
Cicero, Pro Placco 9.
I have always thought that jazz and contemporary creative music has a very close relationship with the Greek traditional music and with Hellenism in its broader form as global cultural source of enlightenment.
Jazz music could not escape the influence of the Greek elements anyway.
Thus it has always been my belief that jazz music like every music that has improvisation as its basic element, is closer to the Greek traditional music than for example classical music. That does not mean that classical music is not based also in Greek artistic and musical elements (musical scales and forms etc). But jazz is closer to the mentality of the Greeks and therefore is closely related to the Greek traditional music. Also someone can also claim that free jazz is suitable to the mentality of the Greeks which are influenced by the chaotic and complex geographical landscape of their country and are therefore very liberal and free spirits with great difficulty in adjusting themselves in rules and normal conditions and they generally have tendencies for constant seeking and chaotic creativity.
That general notice has been verified the last few years when many bands in Greece and abroad have combined the contemporary creative music with the Greek traditional music with great success and that finally became very strong musical trend broadly known as ethnic, in which case music embodies national elements of the music of different countries. Not only from Greece of course but from all countries of the world. In our case we are referring to Greek traditional music.
Similarities between jazz and traditional music start from the musicians that play the music. In most cases both in jazz and Greek traditional music they are self-taught and learn music by themselves through improvisation and personal seeking. Of course nowadays, both kinds of music have entered the field of academic training but that does not change the initial development of the music. One could say that musicians in both cases learn their musical art on stage.
Improvisation in both cases is the key element. The jazz musician improvises over a musical theme that is so freely interpreted that if you are not familiar with it, you can barely recognize it. In Greek traditional songs, maybe also because of the lack of written music, many songs are being interpreted so differently that only the lyrics remain the same to recognize them and that itself is sometimes changed. Words change in place or are omitted for the sake of improvisation that, although broader audiences do not conceive clearly, it is always present and runs through the musical course that becomes a crucial element.
It is well known the similarity of the Greek traditional song and the Rembetiko songs with the blues that is the basis and ancestor of jazz music. In that case the similarity consists in the form with the question and answer that are in constant exchange with the music and the lyrics. Also the lyrics are very simple and with the same content that one can realize if he translates them.
Improvised solos in both cases are so close that we speak of Greek clarinet players that when American and European musicians hear them playing they are amazed by their skill and their expressiveness. In the rhythmical part where the Greek traditional music is very rich, a careful listener will see that Greek traditional musicians play their musical phrases in many ways. They literally swing. This also differentiates the jazz and the traditional musician from the classical musician the latter playing usually either on top of the beat or in a very free manner (rubato).
Furthermore the music of the Macedonian (a Greek region) horns is so similar to the music of the bands in New Orleans , the cradle of jazz music that sometimes one cannot help but think that the theory that wants the Greeks crossing the Atlantic before the Spanish is right.
It is also known that jazz music was born out of the parade bands in New Orleans that were playing in funerals or weddings it the streets. Of course they did not have any written music with them but it was all about improvisation. Does this remind you of the bands you often see in the streets of Greek villages where the musicians march and play?
Those are just some of the similarities and others also exist.
Of course it is worth mentioning that all music modes that are used in jazz music (Ionian, Dorian, Locrian etc) are ancient Greek music modes that are widely utilized in Greek traditional music too.
All these show that it is really worth the involvement with jazz music through this prism of Greek traditional music and not only through mainstream.
