Jazz is an Irish invention

[Jonathan Dembling]

The connection between Scottish Gaelic and African American line  
singing isn't as direct as the articles suggest. It was once a common  
practice throughout the English-speaking and Gaelic-speaking Protestant  
world (perhaps Welsh-speaking too?), but only survives in these  
marginal communities. The only area where there was a Gaelic-speaking  
community in the US strong enough to impact outsiders would have been  
in the Cape Fear Valley region of North Carolina. That's where Dizzy  
Gillespie's family was from - apparently some of his grandparents spoke  
Gaelic. Gaelic was spoken in both the black and white churches there  
into the 20th century (and lasted longer in the former).

Here are some relevant links to stories and audio clips:

Interview with Gaelic scholar Michael Newton, talking about the  
interaction between Gaels and African-Americans in North Carolina:
http://www.ibiblio.org/wunc_archives/sot/index.php?p=436

Commentary on Newton's research:
http://greenespace.blogspot.com/2005/11/afro-celts-and-other-cultural- 
cross.html

Juan Williams NPR piece on a gathering of line singers from the US and  
Scotland:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4632964

Gaelic line singing audio clips:
http://www.gaelicpsalmsinging.com/audio/

Pieces on Willie Ruff's research into the Gospel-Gaelic connection:
http://www.gms.org.uk/news/04/49.php
http://www.alternatemusicpress.com/features/gospel.html
http://www.sundayherald.com/48330

Cum fionnar, a chait
(stay cool, cats),

Jonathan



On Jul 2, 2006, at 9:10 AM, Harriet Ottenheimer wrote:

> The counterpunch article is still there and the link in that article  
> to the article on line singing is equally fascinating.  The  
> complexities of African/European American cultural exchanges are still  
> so highly politicized that it is still difficult to follow the various  
> threads of interchange without arousing ire on one side or another,  
> but the bunkum story sounds plausible (although it is a stretch to  
> think that this means that the Irish invented Jazz) and it is actually  
> a surprise to see that so many folks did not know that line singing  
> came to the U.S. from England/Scotland.  Thanks for sending this.   
> --Harriet Ottenheimer
>
> Timothy Mason wrote:
>
>> Rachel Reynolds wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Timothy Mason:
>>>
>>> I can't get the link to work.
>>>
>>> Rachel
>>
>>
>> Bizarre - it seems to have gone, although I was able to view it a  
>> couple of hours ago. Anyway, here's a taste - How the Irish Invented  
>> Slang
>> The Bunkum of Bunkum (for Dizzy Gillespie)
>>
>> http://www.counterpunch.org/cassidy07012006.html
>>
>> On the address which no longer works there are several articles all  
>> of which centre on the role of Gaelic in the development of Jazz  
>> slang and other USA discursive practices. Many of the articles are by  
>> Daniel Cassidy, the author of the Counterpunch article.
>> .
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Timothy Mason
>>
>>
>