Letter: Jazzy grunts
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Whereas 'grunting' may be regarded as a problem in the realms of tennis and symphonic music (Letters, 4 July), jazz musicians have solved its manifestation not by eliminating it but by adapting it into their music.
The arch-grunter was the pianist Milt Buckner, whose recordings abound with rhythmically delivered explosions of grunt. Duke Ellington evolved a keening kind of grunt which, slightly off-key, can be heard throughout many of his piano solos. Count Basie grunted a lot, too, but more modestly than the florid Oscar Peterson, whose powerhouse grunting often triumphs over the sound of the piano.
Lionel Hampton, on the other hand, is the major exponent of bleating. The connoisseur finds his greatest moments on the many recordings by Peterson and Hampton together, where the collision and conjunction of bleat and grunt reach an apex in collective improvisation.
Yours faithfully,
STEVE VOCE
Liverpool
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments