VOA常速英语2007年-French Pianist Says Jazz Builds Cultural Bridge

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
12 December 2007

Music is said to be the universal language, and jazz, in particular, travels well from one culture to the next. A recent conference in Los Angeles looked at the ties forged by jazz between France and the United States. Mike O'Sullivan spoke¹ with noted² French pianist Rene Urtreger about the influence of jazz in his country.

The American singer Josephine Baker³, escaping racial prejudice at home, became a sensation in France in the 1920s and 1930s.

Other jazz musicians would follow, including tenor⁴ saxophonist Coleman Hawkins in the 1930s.

Rene Urtreger, a noted jazz musician in Paris, says the French embraced the American music in the 1930s, but the jazz clubs were silent under the German occupation of World War II.

"Of course, during the occupation by the Nazis⁵, jazz was forbidden because it was supposed to be a music, let's say, 'decadent,'" Urtreger said.

But after the hardships of the war, he says the French welcomed jazz and other imports.

"When the war was finished, the French people were ready for American influence of movies and food and jazz," he said. "There were many young people who loved jazz and were very eager to go to the concerts."

Among the Americans who came to Paris was jazz coronetist and trumpeter Sidney Bechet.

Urtreger was also part of the vibrant⁶ cultural scene in the St. Germain section of Paris, where philosophers, writers and artists met to talk in cafes and listen to jazz. He played with visiting jazz greats Lester Young and Miles Davis.

Urtreger came to Los Angeles for a conference on jazz and art in California and France, sponsored by the Getty Research Institute. California had a spirited music and art scene in the 1950s, when San Francisco and Venice Beach became the West Coast centers of the Beat movement, which celebrated⁷ jazz, modern art and free-form poetry.

Urtreger says musicians share a common culture, but absorb new influences as they play. He says that as a young pianist in the clubs of Paris, he never dreamed this music would be the subject of conferences. But he enjoyed meeting with scholars and other musicians, and playing some jazz.

Urtreger says he loves jazz because it is unpredictable, and he complains about musicians who follow the score too closely, including a few big names who have played in Paris.

"Jazz is supposed to be a music of improvisation⁸, of madness," said Utreger. "We don't know exactly what's going on in the next five minutes. But with those people coming, they were playing a perfect show. For instance, I had to play one week with a saxophone player, very well known, and the third day or the fourth day, I knew exactly what he was going to do. And this - I cannot accept this."

Jazz great Louis Armstrong told musicians to "never play a thing the same way twice." Rene Urtreger follows the advice. He says jazz is an adventure inspired by the moment, and each song is an exploration, for musicians and audiences, wherever they are.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

5 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

7 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

8 improvisation   

n.即席演奏(或演唱)；即兴创作

参考例句：

• a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
• Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。