Some 350 years ago, bands of European's, settled in the new world. Most came from the British Isles, many from France, Scandinavian country's and Eastern Europe. Indentured servant's served throughout the colony's while the South chose slavery as their foundation of growth.
The costs of slavery are almost beyond comprehension. I have read sources that estimate that the human life costs of Slavery from onset to the emancipation proclamation, was around 350 million people. Lives lost in Africa with capture, more lives lost in transport, being stack like sardine's with a survival of the strongest, a perceived benefit. Villages in Africa were destroyed time and again, family's were torn apart iun auction, and life on the plantation had its beatings, food shortages, and many deaths. Life as an American slave in the South was anything but easy.
The European slave holder's saw Christianity as a safe normalizer of human property. It would lead to a common language, but more importantly it would provide the colonizer's with justification for their practices from the Good Book. It served as hobbles against a people.
Church was an attraction for slaves. A day off, an opportunity to bathe and dawn the best cloths. A chance to sit down to eat with family and less exhaustion. And the power of music and rhythm. People brought instruments and musical heritage, and the advent of gospel was an immediate addition t the culture of the South. This music, and possibly a shack as a church were tolerated within the "civilized" view of the European's, and thus the transformation of many cultural spiritual practices of African people's became an American genre.
The blues arose at the same time as gospel in the South. Its place was far from the eyes and ears of the colonizer's. Tradition would find Friday and Saturday nights as best opportunities, as plantation owner's often used these days for social gatherings. For over 200 years, the blues grew and developed throughout the South. With the navigation fo the Mississippi River, the blues and gospel made its way upstream to the Norther states and Chicago in particular. With the advent of the phonograph, the Blues became a dominant American genre.
My dear friend Leroy Vinegar retraced this path, as he started as a church pianist in Georgia. Many churches, many pianist's and few paid jobs, he took up the bass, inventing the technique that is call the walking bass. Hew moved to Chicago and played clubs with many blues icon's, and moved to New York City in the early 50's where he would play on Broadway, do countless recording's and end up as the unnamed member of the Les McCain, Eddie Harris Trio. Then off to Los Angeles where he would be a dominant influence in TV and the Rock movement of the 60's. Jazz was always his forte, and he held two combo bands up to the end of his career, in which he recorded over 830 albums and CD's. He, in one lifetime journeyed the entire pathway of slavery to freedom in the history of out nation. Here's to you, sweet Leroy, teacher, mentor and best friend, you left the world a better place.
Comments