Jazz Notes IV

I guess it might be a good time now to write something about the History of Jazz, where it came from and its origins.


Before waving goodbye to 2017, the 100th anniversary of the first jazz recording, we can only try to jot down some notes on the origins of jazz as there are various commonly held beliefs that are, in my opinion, still mysterious and vague.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band’s Livery Stable Blues was the first jazz recording but their later song Tiger Rag would be more influential (Wikipedia)

Where does the word "Jazz" come from?

The word "jazz" first appeared in San Francisco Bulletin in 1913 in the articles of Edward Gleeson who was an Irish sports reporter. The word had nothing to do with music but refer to a quality possessed by the baseball players. A common belief today is that the word "jazz" comes from "jass" which was the pronunciation of an Irish word "Teas"...

The word "Teas" (pronounced jass, chass or tas) meant heat, high spirit/energy, excitement and effervescent.

It is recorded that when the baseball players wanted to drink something bubbly in their training camps, they were asking it  as "jazzy water". Gradually the word was carried to the baseball field and when the coach wanted to energize the team, he shouted "c'mon guys, lets jazz it up".

We can say that the word "jazz" was not coming from New Orleans but to New Orleans from San Francisco and this did not happen before 1917.

There are many other rumors about "jazz" like certain sexual connotation, as reference to a woman's backside. Or rumors saying that it derived from "jas" short for the word "jasmine", a scent used by the New Orleans prostitutes.

What are the roots of Jazz Music?

If we leave the etymology aside, I guess it is safe to say that jazz music was born in New Orleans. It is also safe to say that its roots go back to African and European music. But how so?

I guess African impacts can be found in the music's rhythm and feel, its "blues" quality and the tradition of playing an instrument in one's own expressive way, making it an "extension" of their human voice.

On the other hand, it is fair to say that the harmony notion or the chords accompany the music along with the family of instruments came all the way from the other side of the Atlantic.

Buddy Bolden Band

The Original Creole Orchestra 1912

New Orleans was a perfect location for jazz music to evolve because it was a melting pot of cultures, very rich in brass band music, hymns, spirituals, minstrel music and plantation chants.

During the beginning of the century, the city allowed all of these elements to come together, as it was a port city (with people arriving from all parts of the world), a meeting place for people of different ethnic groups, and a city with a nightlife where musicians had the opportunity to play together, learn from each other, and blend all of these elements.

If we could travel in time, we would make couple of stops in different parts of the city and most probably could get a perfect glimpse of the origins of jazz.

Our first stop is in a cotton field where we hear a plantation worker singing a work song as he picks cotton.These workers are probably descendants of people who were slaves before the “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1863 granted them freedom. Although by this time free, few employment opportunities other than labor were available to African Americans. Singing as they worked was a way to ease the boredom of this difficult, exhausting, boring work. These songs would eventually become part of jazz. 

I be So glad, when the sun goes down

Second stop could be in a church at a worship service. When brought to the United States, Africans were forced to abandon their religious practices and adopt Christianity. They brought with them musical traditions from Africa where everyone participated in some way. People danced, drummed, clapped, sang, or moved with the music. Listen to the call and response patterns in the music and the emotion with which the song is sung. Many of these spirituals were composed during the days of slavery so the lyrics often referred to hopes of escape and freedom. These kinds of melodies, and especially the feelings with which they were sung, would later become part of jazz. As you play the track again listen to the call and think of how you would sing a "response.". This is also the beginning of the blues.

Roll Jordan Roll from the OST of 12 Years a Slave

Now it's night time. Work is finished, worshipping is finished. Where can one be headed to? The last stop is obviously the bar where you can listen to "Ragtime", from Scott Joplin if you are lucky. Scott Joplin not only performed as an entertainer, he composed many songs called rags or Ragtime for solo piano. These compositions were published as sheet music which people purchased in order to learn to play it on their own piano. The compositions were also "recorded" on piano rolls which people purchased to be played on mechanical player pianos.

Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin

And from time to time people gathered altogether at funerals which was a great location for amazing music. As we march down the Basin Street, a parade is passing by. This particular parade is for a funeral which has just left the cemetery after burying a dear friend.

Oh didn't he ramble - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band

So here is a very brief introduction to the origins of jazz.

I wish everyone a very happy new year. See you all in 2018...

Jazz Notes III

I am sure everyone familiar with jazz music hears the term "Swing" from time to time. There are two separate meanings of this word in the jazz world somewhat related to each other.
One of them defines a musical style performed  mostly by big bands that has been extremely popular mainly in the USA and all over the world in the 30s and 40s. Notable musicians of this form are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey and Cab Calloway.
The name of this musical form obviously derives from the "swing feel" which will be the topic of this post.


What is Swing?

"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing"

Duke Ellington

What is Swing?

Any answer to the question of "What is Swing?" can only be given with the understanding of "syncopation". Swing can be summarized as a playing technique with syncopated rhythm. But what is syncopation or syncopated rhythm?

A simple description of syncopation is the creation of rhythmic surprise. This can often be done by accenting certain notes or by unevenly timing the beats. Both jazz and ragtime make use of syncopation; the name of ragtime music itself comes from its uneven or "ragged timing." When music is played as it is written on the sheet, it is played "straight", or without swinging. In other words, if what is written on the page of music are 8th notes, and you play those notes as perfectly timed 8th notes -- each having the same duration of time -- then you are playing the music straight.




Straight Rhythm

And swing refers to the creation of the feel of a forward momentum, a forward momentum that seems to want to drive the listener to dance and sway to the music. Often this is done by dividing each beat into a pair of 8th notes, but playing the first slightly longer than an 8th and then playing the second slightly shorter than an 8th, or vice versa. This is sometimes described as the first note "stealing" some of the second note's time so that they are of unequal duration. This is often called "swing time."





Swinging Rhythm


Another way the music is "swung" is by playing the just a fraction of a beat ahead of the actual beat giving the music as a whole a feel of forward momentum. On the other hand, playing just behind or slightly after the beat can give the music a relaxed feel. Music that has swing is often exciting or at least makes you want to dance.

Straight vs. Swing

Swing is probably one of the most debated term in jazz music. When jazz performer Cootie Williams was asked to define it, he joked, "Define it? I'd rather tackle Einstein's theory!". When Louis Armstrong was asked on the radio show what swing was, he said, "Ah, swing, well, we used to call it syncopation—then they called it ragtime, then blues—then jazz. Now, it's swing. Ha! Ha! White folks, yo'all sho is a mess." Benny Goodman, the 1930s-era bandleader nicknamed the "King of Swing", called swing "free speech in music. His contemporary Tommy Dorsey gave a more ambiguous definition when he proposed that "Swing is sweet and hot at the same time and broad enough in its creative conception to meet every challenge tomorrow may present."

Like so many things about jazz, swing is hard to describe in words, but when you hear it, you know it and you feel it.

Straight vs. Swing

So briefly, swing means that while keeping the beat (foot tapping) steady, rather than each note being held for the exact same length of time, the notes falling on the downbeats are held twice as long as those falling on the upbeats, making a long-short, long-short, long-short, long-short pattern and giving the music a kind of a different feel or groove.

And for syncopation, a final summary can be made as: "doing the unexpected rhythmically", something that messes with the regular flow of the rhythm. Often, this means emphasizing or accenting a weak beat instead of a strong beat. In four-four time, strong beats are on beat one and to a slightly lesser degree on beat three. Syncopation can be as simple as accenting beats two and four instead of beats one and three. So instead of one, two, three, four; you have, one, two, three, four.

If you would like more information on syncopation please google the terms "downbeat" and "upbeat"...

A good example of swing rhythm: One o'clock jump by Count Basie



A good example of straight rhythm: Chameleon by Herbie Hancock
(Pay attention to Australian bassist Tal Wilkenfeld 24 years old at that time)

Let's finish with a provocative question. Can we say that, generally speaking, American jazz musicians swing better than their counterparts elsewhere in the world (especially European jazz players)?

Please comment what you think on this question...









Jazz Notes Part II

As promised, here is the second part of my jazz notes. In this post I will try to touch the most important element of jazz called "improvisation". Being a characteristic mainly associated with jazz music, improvisation needs to be well understood in order to place jazz to its unique hierarchy among other types of music...

Miles Davis "So What"

What Is Improvisation?

"You've got to find some way of saying it, without saying it"

Duke Ellington

• In daily routine of life, people improvise all the time. When talking to someone you do not know what you will say next, when you are dancing you do not know what will be your next step or move (not pro dancing of course), when you hear some news you do not know what your reactions will be...These are all examples of improvisation, and your actions are purely shaped on many unknowns. Similarly jazz musicians do the same with their instruments, but rather than using words to communicate, they use music; it's kind of like musical conversation.
• Improvisation is inventing something on impulse and in response to a certain situation; in jazz, it is when musicians perform a different interpretation each time they play the same tune, i.e., a tune is never played the exact same way twice, whether played by the same musicians or an entirely different group; the improvisation becomes its own musical dialogue between band members without any preconceived notion of what the final outcome will be. It is re-inventing or re-composing a piece, or in more technical terms, it is the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune.
• When jazz musicians improvise, they are playing the notes that they “hear” (imagine) in their minds; they “hear” these notes just a split second before they play them (just like when you are talking, you “hear” the words in your head just a split second before you say them).
• Jazz musicians learn how to improvise in a way that is similar to how kids learn how to talk. Young jazz musicians learning how to improvise listen to other jazz musicians improvise and try to imitate them; kids (even babies) learn how to talk by listening to others talk and trying to imitate them. Jazz musicians play their instruments a lot; kids learning how to talk, talk a lot.
  To play better, jazz musicians study instrumental technique (the physical mechanics of playing an instrument) and music theory (how notes and chords fit together); to speak better, kids study pronunciation and grammar.

Coleman Hawkins "Body and Soul"

• In my opinion, improvisation is a separate art within an art form. Someone can be a good jazz musician but his/her improvisation skills can be inferior compared to his/her musicianship. Many people, especially non-musicians, think that improvisation is simply playing what you feel or whatever comes to your mind. This is ultimately true and is the final goal of the improviser. However, that doesn’t mean that everyone picking an instrument and playing what they claim they “feel in the moment” is improvising! Improvisation is a language and, like any language, it has structure, rules, patterns, and clichés.

John Coltrane "Resolution"

• Normally improvisation can exist in all types of music. For example, Bach and Mozart were great improvisers of the classical music. However classical music transformed into a form where improvisation is extremely limited, sticking to play the score as written; but this led the performers to concentrate more on feelings and expressions while playing. One can also argue that rock solos are improvisations. This is partly true when you think of the licks (especially blues) of some great guitarists. Of course most of the real improvisation takes place in the jazz scene. Especially after the 1950s where jazz music has been elevated to a new level where it became a more mature, complex and a deeper form of music (obviously improvisation also existed heavily before the 50s but due to the fact that jazz being considered popular music of that period, the methods of improvisation like melody, harmony and rhythm were simpler).
• Advanced listeners say that the best improvisation sounds as composed and the best composed music sounds as improvised. There is a huge difference between composed music and improvised music but in jazz both merge into a magical mixture and that's the beauty of jazz.

"In fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in fifteen seconds, while in improvisation you have fifteen seconds."

Steve Lacy

• As a final comment as I tried to explain, improvisation is the most vital element in jazz music. Can you call a music without improvisation jazz? In my opinion, hardly...Musicians play their instruments to play with the music. And this is unique to jazz...
• Don't forget, improvisation is: a wordless connection with the audience and the members of the group, it is some sort of meditation and a key component in jazz that makes this music form somewhat superior to listen to.

"Ahhh - those Jazz guys are just makin' that stuff up!"

Homer Simpson

Note: You can visit the links for fine examples of jazz improvisations

Jazz Notes Part I

I will be posting some of the jazz notes that I have taken in the past years. I really do not have an idea how many parts there will be but please do not expect something that is organized and structured because all these notes have been created spontaneously...They can be at best treated as a very rough reference (no ostentatious intent) on the basics of jazz and its history (not necessarily with a chronological order either).

What Is Jazz?

"Man, if you need to ask then you'll never know"

Louis Armstrong

 

• Jazz is conversation (monologue, dialogue or a group discussion) made in the musical language. As all conversations, it can be partly planned but mostly spontaneous (improvised). It is performing a pre-determined tune (mostly at least) with individual interpretations in response to other musicians’ performances and whatever may occur “in the moment”: called improvisation and the key element of jazz .
• It is a good reflection of true democracy (not the one we know on this world). Individual freedom but with responsibility to the bigger group (I am referring to the philosophy of jazz only, obviously there is a vast amount of jazz musicians not too different than the world political leaders, but unlike them, most musicians were able to find the true path by leaving their egos behind).
• It is a music of the present moment. While performing, jazz musicians utilize the inspiration of the moment, their knowledge of music theory, life experience, social, political, and economic surroundings, technical savvy on their instruments, and, especially, all the music (particularly but not limited to jazz and blues) they have ever heard that has influenced them (even the most avant-garde jazz artists reflect, in some way, the music of their musical forefathers). Jazz is a music of the present moment, anchored strongly and respectfully in the past.
• Jazz is relatively a new form of music. Unlike general classical music (baroque, classical and romantic eras) jazz can be considered a musical form dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.
• It was born out of the black experience in America, basically fusing African and European musical traditions. Evolving from slave work songs, spirituals (religious Black American folk songs), blues, brass band music, and ragtime (a rhythmically sophisticated piano style), jazz first appeared in the culturally diverse city of New Orleans in the early 1900s. 
• Jazz today is embraced worldwide. African Americans devised the major elements of jazz in its formative years and were the primary pioneers of stylistic changes in later decades. Today, jazz is performed, innovated, and listened to by people all over the world from virtually every ethnicity, religion, country and culture. 
• It is a unique art form. Jazz has influenced and been influenced by other musics: rock, rap, country, funk, Latin, classical, blues, gospel, African, Eastern, pop, folk, hip-hop, etc. Jazz, while extremely diverse and all encompassing, however, is a unique art form. It is more about the way the music is played rather than what is played.
• Jazz is relatively complex (not in an intimidating way). As far as types of music go, jazz is relatively complex; there are many musical, technical, intellectual, and emotional elements happening simultaneously. Jazz makes far more demands on the listener than do most popular styles which are fundamentally simpler than jazz, requiring less from the listener. The more one knows about jazz (i.e., how to listen, its history, evolution of its styles, key players, forms, relationship to American history and culture, etc.), the more one can appreciate and enjoy it, even possibly gaining insights about humanity via aesthetic experience, probably jazz’s ultimate goal.
• It is about feeling. Although complicated, the core of jazz is about feeling, not intellectual definition.
• Jazz is a language. It is a tool where musicians constantly exchange thoughts and ideas. Languages such as English or Turkish are used to communicate just about everything in life; however, they cannot express emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, and everything in between) in the same way as music; as a singular phenomenon, music communicates emotion to every human being on the planet, regardless of language, culture, or nationality.  That's why music is found in every culture. A helpful analogy: classical music (no offense) is to jazz as reading a good book aloud is to having a good conversation; while a printed book never changes, a conversation changes according to the situation or moment and depending on with whom you are having the conversation. 

Young Louis Armstrong

Next part "Improvisation" coming soon!

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year everyone.

A Tea Tale

This is my second post about the most popular drinks in the world, following the last post on coffee. It was a tough decision to choose which one should be written first but apparently coffee won by a small margin just based on personal tastes.. Anyhow, it would not be fair not to pay tea its due respect by a post on this blog. So here it is...

History of tea, a drink on top of the list of the most consumed in the whole world, dates back to 2750 BC. Chinese myths tell us that the first sip of tea was an accidental one by Emperor Shen Nung.

While the Emperor, who only could drink boiled water because of his health problems, was sitting as always boiling water under a wild tea tree in the palace garden, a few leaves of tea found their way into the boiling water with some help from the wind. The Emperor, who accidentally became the first man in history to taste boiled tea, was more than content with the experience and thus “tea” was discovered. Although historians decline to agree with the myth for various reasons, the widely accepted version is as above.

Tea picking in China (photocredit:www.epochtimes.com)

There are no written sources available on tea up until 300 BC. As of the date however, we come by a lot of written documentation. For example, a book by a Chinese Doctor dwells on the effects of tea such as concentration building. The Chinese character for tea was pronounced “tu” in the beginning, but as of 2 AD, “cha” replaced it. That is where the pronunciation “chai” of today stemmed from.
 

Until 3 AD, tea was generally prepared from fresh green leaves and mostly used for purposes of healing. In line with rising demand, growing tea took on an organised form and drying and processing systems began to develop. By 4^th and 5^th century AD, tea was no more a drink consumed only by the aristocracy but a drink served at restaurants. The popularity of tea itself helped develop its adjoined sectors. By 4^th and 5^th century, production of tea cups and tin containers for tea keeping were booming.

It was the golden ages of tea during the period of the Tang Dynasty (6-8 century AD); tea consumption was high in every walk of society. In the same period, preparation and serving of tea turned into a detailed ceremony. Emperors of the Tang Dynasty cared highly for tea growing and processing. Strict rules were laid out for the protection of tea quality at the time.

Lu Yu (733-804) wrote the first book on tea known in history. In his book titled “Cha Chang”, he elaborated on numerous subjects concerning tea.

During the Tang Dynasty, tea leaves were first processed through steam baths and later mashed and stuck to each other with the help of plum juice. In the final phase, the paste was molded and dried in the ovens. People used to buy tea in molds and melt them on the fire to use for boiling in powder form.

Production of tea in molds stopped at the time of the Song Dynasty (920-1279). Molds were turned into tea powder beforehand during the period that followed and the powder was boiled in water. The same tea powder could usually be used for boiling approximately for seven times and with full taste too.

Up until the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the whole tea production in China was green tea only. The Ming Emperors altered the way tea was dried in molds and they developed a new technique of drying tea leaves in their original form, just like we do with today’s leaf teas. The new method brought a new understanding to tea processors; however the fact that tea treated this way lost its aroma much quicker resulted in the creation of new tea variations. Hence the black tea and teas with flower-aromas. Initially, people thought that green and black tea came from different plants. But the truth is black tea comes from the same tea plant as green tea. Black tea is just fresh-air dried green tea leaves taking on a copper color because of fermentation and later treated in ovens in order to stop this natural decaying process. At the time, exporting tea to Europe began. Though it was green tea in the first place, later green tea was gradually replaced by black tea.

It was the Chinese who introduced tea to Japan, a rather highly respected authority on the subject, though not as old. The first-known tea drinking in the history of Japan is when Emperor Shomu of China served tea for 100 Buddhist monks in 729. The Japanese who knew nothing of tea started to grow it as of 803 thanks to seeds coming in from China and they did a remarkable job out of it to our day. Suffering from the strained relations between the two countries in the period from 9^th to 11^th century, tea lost its popularity in Japan. However it was not totally forgotten since monks never gave up drinking tea. As of 12^th century, the betterment of neighbour-country relations helped render tea its popularity back in Japan. Buddhist believes and drinking tea developed to give birth to “Cha-no-yu”, the world-famous Japanese tea ceremonies. These ceremonies are essential elements of the Japanese philosophy and aesthetic integrity. They revolve around four main principles; and they are social events which best represent Japanese harmony (between man and nature), respect (for others), purity (of heart and mind) and peace.

Japanese Tea Ceremony (photocredit:www.wikipedia.org)

It still remains a mystery whether it was the Dutch or the Portuguese who introduced tea to European countries in the beginning of 17^th century. Both countries were actively trading in the Chinese Sea at the time. After the Portuguese shipped in the tea to the port of Lisbon, a Dutch firm called “Dutch East India Company” used to distribute it to North European countries and to France. Tea became a popular drink first in Netherlands. However it could not rock coffee off its throne in Italy, France and Germany where it actually did become a widely consumed drink. At the end of 17^th century, tea had become a daily habit only in Russia and England.

Czar Alexis of Russia received tea as a present from China in 1618. That was the first time that tea reached Russia and it succeeded in keeping up its popularity to this day. A tea purchase deal between Russia and China dates back to 1689.

According to official records, the British were introduced to tea in 1658. Thomas Garraway put out for the first time a tender for tea sale in his shop in London between 23-30 September 1658. More than a few buyers lined up in front of his shop thanks to his ad in the paper which read “A brand new special drink from China, full of health”. The very event that triggered the popularity of tea in England was the marriage in 1662 of King Charles II to the Princess of Portuguese, Catherine, who was a tea addict. Tea became an indispensable drink of the British aristocracy and is still one of the most preferred. As of 1670, tea rooms started to open primarily in London and all over England. Thomas Twining opened up a tea room in 1706 in London and thus his tea company, the foundation of which was laid in those days, continued to this day forward as one of the largest tea companies.

A perfect cup of tea (photocredit:www.dreams.metroeve.com)

A very famous tea brand of today, “Lipton”, was founded by Thomas Lipton and thanks to tea imported from Ceylon, finding its way to our tea cups, grew to be one of the biggest tea companies.

Turkish Tea (photocredit:www.istanbul7hills.com)

The word “chai”(original pronunciation of tea in Turkish and Russian) stems from “cha” as I have already mentioned at the beginning. “Cha” from Mandarin Chinese and “te” from Chinese Amoy dialect are the origins for words meaning tea in many countries.

 

For closing up, here is a famous Algerian recipe, cooked with tea:

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

1 kg lamb meat
60 gr. butter
¼ lt. water
1 cinnamon stick
150 gr. almond, peeled
200 gr. powder-like thin sugar (you can use the blender to make sugar thinner)
3 table spoons of orange flower juice (or 9 table spoons of fresh orange juice)
350 gr. red plums (seeds removed)
1 tea pot (1/3 Lt) brewed green tea

 

Cut the lamb in large cubes. Add butter and salt, roast the meat in a deep pan till it is dark brown. Drain and take the meat out of the pan (leave the remaining butter in the pan). Next add the water, cinnamon, almonds, sugar and orange juice to pan with butter. Let cook at high heat and add the lamb next. Cover the pan and let cook at very low heat for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, let the plums soak in the warm green tea. Pour the mixture to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes at very low heat. You may garnish with parsley and serve...

Bon Appétit!

A Coffee Tale

And now a little something not related with music, but as magical as music: Coffee, a drink that is on the top of the list of the best-liked and most consumed drinks in the world.

Food historians all agree that the coffee plant originally came from Ethiopia. However, growing of the coffee plant, which still grows on its own in the nature today in Ethiopia, originated in Yemen.

Yemen, at the time, hosted one of the most frequented ports of the world; Mocha. This helped coffee to spread all around the world almost in no time.

It is a common belief that coffee growing dates back to 575 AD in Yemen, yet hardly any coffee found its way out till the beginning of the 15th century. An Arabic monopoly over coffee reigned until then, similar to that of the Chinese over tea. It was the Sudanese slaves carrying along coffee plants that introduced Arabs to coffee. Some believe that the Arabs brought coffee to Sri Lanka themselves in the 1500s. However a more popular story is about an Indian called Father Budan, who brought home coffee seeds from Mecca.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the German, French and especially the Dutch tradesmen introduced coffee to their colonies and this led to an abrupt increase in coffee plantations. Thanks to the coffee plants the Dutch bought in 1616 from the port of Mocha, an intensive coffee growing took start in Sri Lanka.One of the renowned characters of coffee history is Nicolaas Witsen. In 1696, coffee planting commenced in Java upon his orders, which would in the future lead to the growing of the highest quality coffee in the world. In 1706, coffee plants grown in Java were transported to the Netherlands and were studied in botanical gardens and special greenhouses. In those years, the Dutch also had already started planting coffee in Indonesia and they organized the first export of coffee from this group of islands. Today, Indonesia is still among the highest quality coffee exporters.

A coffee tree brought from the Netherlands to France in 1714 is accepted as the ancestor of the coffee plants grown by the French in their colonies. In those years, the Dutch carried along the coffee plant to South America. In 1730, the British grew the first coffee plant in Jamaica. These coffee trees are probably the first ones of “Jamaican Blue Mountain” coffee, acknowledged to be the highest quality coffee in the whole world.

The general belief is that coffee drinking first started in the beginning of 1400s in the Arab peninsula, passed on to Syria and in 1550s, reached Istanbul. Italian Ambassador of the time serving in Istanbul helped it travel as far as Venice. It was the Venetians again who commenced importing coffee in Europe. In 1644, coffee was tasted for the first time in France thanks to Suleiman Aga, sent as an ambassador to the King, Louis XIV. Coffee drinking became quite common due to the invention of the coffee mill in 1687.

95 % of the coffee production in the world today is comprised of two kinds of coffee; “Arabica” and “Robusta”. “Arabica” coffee is usually oval in shape and flattish, light and quite aromatic. The most delicious coffee is generally produced from “Arabica” seeds. “Robusta” seeds are relatively smaller in size, but much intense caffeine-wise. The taste is more bitter compared to “Arabica”.

Very generally speaking, there are two basic methods to prepare coffee. The first one is the method to prepare Turkish coffee, called the “Turkish method”, of which we all know. It is prepared with finely grounded coffee seeds boiled in a coffeepot. The second method called “French method” is the filter coffee preparation. The logic here is to pour boiling water over lightly grounded coffee seeds.

In modern times, coffee methods have become varied. On the top of the list are Espresso and Cappuccino, refined gifts of the Italians to the coffee world. The preparation of Espresso is similar to the “French method”, but the high pressured water poured over the coffee results in a creamy bubble on top and provides a silky sip. Cappuccino (named after the Capuchin monks’ cloaks) is prepared with adding milk and milk foam over the Espresso.

Let's finish the post with a coffeecake recipe, which I think everyone will like.

First of all, the ingredients:

150 gr. butter

2/3 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg

1.5 cups flour

2 tablespoons full espresso

2 tablespoons full milk

and for the syrup:

1 cup of espresso

1/3 cup of sugar

1-2 table spoons full of coffee liqueur

Stir the butter and the sugar in a pan till quite softened. Add the vanilla and the egg and mix. Next add the flour, espresso and the milk. Stir till mixture is homogeneous. Cook mixture at 180 C in the oven, either in a buttered cake mold or in small muffin cups for about 20 minutes.

And for the syrup, stir at low heat the espresso, sugar and the liqueur. Turn the heat off, and let mixture cool for 5-6 minutes. Serve cake warm with syrup on top.

Bon Appétit!

Best Vinyl Websites (according to me...)

In this post I would like to share with you a list of the websites that I follow about the vinyl world.
I tried to avoid the websites that are purely commercial (i.e. those that are only for buying & selling).

Maybe it is better to include the three below websites which can be considered as a marketplace not only for vinyl but all other mediums of music as well. The reason of my inclusion is that you can get a good amount of information on records, values etc...

www.discogs.com

www.cdandlp.com

www.reverblp.com

Anyhow here is the list for more informative websites (in no particular order):

• www.thevinylfactory.com : A very comprehensive website updated on a daily basis. You can find all kinds vinyl related news such as releases, shopping guides, record shops, analog gear and technology. There are also very fun and informative videos as well on vinyl culture. You can also find a video about Istanbul's (my hometown) vinyl scene.

• http://www.vinylmeplease.com: A "record of the month club" but a digital magazine as well.  You can find vinyl related columns, interviews, 10 best lists (not my favorite type of classification) and even a radio show. 

• https://www.analogplanet.com: One and only Michael Fremer's (Stereophile magazine) website. He is considered to be the guru of Hi-Fi, especially the analog world. On his website he posts almost anything about this world. There is a big section on hardware reviews (turntables, tonearms, cartridges, phono stages, cables, record cleaning machines, tweaks and accessories, anything you can name on reproducing sound). Another huge section is music reviews. He also closely follows main "Audio Shows" (such as CES, Rockymountain, all other big ones across the world) so you can get the latest information/launches on analog products.

• www.vinyljunkies.co: A very decent website about record news and reviews. The "Vinyl 101" section includes many tips on analog. They also have interviews and podcasts on vinyl culture.

•  www.longlivevinyl.net: A comprehensive site on many topics. They even have a print magazine. You can browse the news, featured articles, reviews, interviews and collecting guides.

On the other hand there is a monthly British print magazine called the "Record Collector" (http://recordcollectormag.com/). In my opinion it is the magazine for serious collectors. Its been around since 1980. Take a look if you ever find an issue.

So here are the 5 websites I try to follow on a daily basis. I am sure there are other good ones (please mention in the comments section about your favorites).

Best Vinyl Shops (according to me)...

In this post I would like to mention some vinyl shops that I like and try to visit occasionally (some more often than the others obviously).


Before starting I would really like to congratulate all of them around the world as they are trying to keep the analog sound alive (let's not get into the "which is better discussion" here).
However the ones in my home country, Turkey, deserve a big second round of applause due to the fact that they have been really trying to conduct their business in a much more idealistic way compared to developed countries (only referring to commercial/economic climate).
Having said that I also need to add that even with the current environment, the vinyl shops in Turkey are not one bit less attractive than their competitors operating in more music and/or art rich parts of the world.
Do not forget that you can come across some real gems/collectible items of more popular music but also certain fine examples of the Turkish jazz, folk, Anatolian rock, 70s popular artists which are considered real rarities...


So here is a list of the shops for crate digging (in no particular order)...You can find the details on the links.

• Groove: Very nice used/new vinyl shop in one of the posh neighborhoods of Istanbul. You can find all mainstream genres such as jazz, rock, pop, classical music. The owner is a great guy, very helpful and friendly. Another highlight is that the pricing of especially the used records is really competitive thus making the shop attractive.

https://www.facebook.com/Groove-Music-Shop-515158518601927/

Groove (photocredit: www.timeout.com/istanbul/tr)

• Analog Kültür: Half music studio half vinyl shop where you can also taste great coffee. The owner is a DJ, a producer and a musician. The shop mostly concentrates on electronic music but you can find a very good collection of other genres too. I can say the collection consists of 2/3 second hand records and 1/3 new. You may also check out the vintage Hi-Fi, studio gear or even vintage musical equipment such as synthesizers, drum machines etc. Located very close to Galata Tower.

https://www.facebook.com/analogkultur/

Analog Kültür (photocredit: www.zeroistanbul.com)

• Rainbow 45 Records: One of the best shops on the Asian side of Istanbul in the heart of Kadıköy where you can find almost everything in its bustling small streets from fresh fish to antique shops. The place is run by a couple of partners who have left the corporate world. One distinction of Rainbow 45 is that they also produce and print records with their own title. They do print new Turkish artists as well as make re-issues of sought after items. Mostly blues, rock and jazz as well as a good collection of Japanese prints. Online shopping available.

http://www.rainbow45records.com/

Rainbow 45 (photocredit: www.cazkolik.com)

• Plakhane: Another great shop on the Asian side between two very lively neighborhoods Kadıköy and Moda. Run by two namesakes, a musician and an actor. I can easily say the coziest vinyl shop I have visited. Stop anytime for a cup of tea or something harder. Mostly second hand archive includes rock, blues and jazz along with a good collection of Turkish 45s. Online shopping available.

http://www.plakhane.com.tr

Plakhane (photocredit: www.plakhane.com.tr)

• Kontra Plak: Another one on the European side very close to Istiklal Street once the center for art and entertainment. A wide spectrum of genres include jazz, rock, electronic, soundtracks, classical and Turkish music. You can find both new and used records and some CDs as well. They also carry a significant selection of avant-garde and experimental titles. If you visit the shop on a Record Store Day you might come across some great live music too. Prices are relatively reasonable.

http://www.kontrarecords.com/

Kontra (photocredit: www.veganlogic.net)

• Zihni Müzik: Probably one of the oldest music stores of Istanbul. They stock new & used records, CDs and DVDs. Located in Kadıköy in a very central shopping arcade where you can find other music shops and bookstores. Vast collection mainly jazz and rock. They also have a good online store.

http://www.zihni.com

Zihni (photocredit: www.zeroistanbul.com)

So the ones I listed above are from my hometown Istanbul, Turkey. I am sure there are some fine shops in other cities like Izmir or Ankara but I never had the chance to visit them. If you are interested in new records than the two stores that definitely come to mind is Lale Plak and Opus3A.


https://www.facebook.com/laleplak1/
https://www.opus3a.com/


And what about abroad?

• Ameoba Music: I think we can call this place the heaven for music lovers. As far as I know they have 3 locations in California, USA. I had the chance to visit all of them and have never seen such a vast collection of almost everything. Both new and used items. If you ever plan to visit, make sure you spare enough time for browsing/shopping otherwise you can be sorry.

https://www.amoeba.com

• Rough Trade: One of the best shops of London. They have 2 locations, East and West. I think they have two other shops in UK, Bristol and Nottingham and one in New York. Most stocked items are alternative rock, post punk, indie and electronica items. They organize some serious live music shows from time to time especially on Record Store Days.

https://www.roughtrade.com/

• Crocodisc & CrocoJazz: Discovered thanks to a dear friend living in Paris. A brand with 3 shops very close to each other. You can find almost all genres except classical music. The two next door shops specialize in pop, rock, new wave, soul, funk, rap, jazz rock, reggae and world music. Other location (walking distance) specializes only in jazz.

http://crocodisc.com/

One final comment, as I highlighted at the beginning, these stores are my favorites only.
I am sure I have been to many other shops all over Istanbul and other parts of the world, but these ones have been much more frequent than the others so that they all have left good memories...