The Gospel Influence in Jazz
In this analysis we will touch briefly on Gospel music and how it influences Jazz at its core, particularly Jazz rhythm. We will first look at ‘Abide With Me’ and listen to a 1957 recording from the album ‘Monk’s Music’. It is played ‘straight’ by Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Ray Copeland and Gigi Grace. The music that accompanies the lyrics of ‘Abide With Me’ is actually called ‘Eventide’ written by William Henry Monk in 1861.
African music, Irish jigs, and, of course, Christian hymns are all related to Gospel music. I would strongly recommend reading the page called ‘Rhythm’ (Link). The concept of Pattern, Period and Pulse and what Charles Mingus calls “strolling” are crucial here. African drumming and Western 6/8 time have a loose connection. I am going to avoid the temptation to “groove one hypothetical school of poetry oilily into another” as Dylan Thomas calls it. But rather I will offer some examples and let the readers come to their own conclusions.
In West Africa, musicians like to overlay different rhythms. These are called bell patterns.
This is an Irish jig written down in 6/8 time. It’s called the ‘Swallowtail Jig’
‘Touch Me Lord Jesus’ performed by the Angelic Gospel Singers. The hymnal shows the piece as being in 4/4 time and these singers performed it in 6/8 time.
This is ‘Just a Closer Walk With Thee’ in 4/4 time, as written in the hymnals.
‘Deep River’ is one of many Spirituals handed down and modified for a broader audience. The tune is the bases of a popular 1921 song ‘Dear Old Southland’. The YouTube Link is a Louis Armstrong version.
