Jazz Thing

Jazz Thing - Gang Starr

Written by：L.E. Elie/B. Marsalis/C. Martin/K. Elam

I would like to play a little tune

I just composed not so long ago

Ms. Billie Ms. Billie Ms. Billie Holiday

Byrd

The music called jazz

It's roots are in the sounds of the African

Or should I say the mother

Bringing us back again

From the drumming on the Congo

We came with a strong flow

And continue to grow

Feet move to the beat of the t'balo

Now dig the story and follow

For then it landed on American soil

Through the sweat the blood and the toil

Hear

Praise the Lord shouted on chain gangs

Pain they felt but it helped them to maintain

Scott Joplin's rags

Bessie Smith's blues

St. Louis blues they were all the news

Ringing smooth in all the listeners ears

Fulfilling the needs and planting the seeds

Of a jazz thing

King Oliver's group was a train coming through

To Chicago bringing the New Orleans groove

And when Satchmo blew the audience knew

Basil Street blues was the whole house tune

It was music great to dance to

Great to romance to with a lot to say to you

Relaying a message revealing the essence

Of a jazz thing

In the 40's came be-bop the first be-bop

The real be-bop so let me talk about

Diz' and Byrd giving the word

Defining how a beat could be so complete

Playing with ferocity thinking with velocity

About ornathology or anthropology

And even and this is real history

Theolonious Monk a melodious thunk

No mistakes were made with the notes he played

His conception was re condite

A star glowing bright among dim lights

The critics did cite that he sounded alright

Charlie Mingus such nimble fingers

Droppin the bass all over the place

And Max Roach cymbals socking

Bass drum talking snare drum rocking

Restructuring the metaphysics

Of a jazz thing

John Coltrane a man supreme

He was the cream he was the wise one

The impression of Afro Blue

And of the promise that was not kept

He was a GIANT step

And there was Ornette Coleman

He was another soul man

The original invisible playing great music

I wonder why the

Bangles couldn't use it

Now listen see

The real mystery is how music history

Created by white men or any other white man

That pretended he originated uh-huh

And contended that he innovated uh-huh

A jazz thing

Of course we know who can really blow

Scheamin on the meaning

Of a jazz thing

And this music ain't dead so don't be misled

By those who said that jazz was on it's deathbed

Cause when Betty Carter sings a song

Ain't nutting going on but simply good music

And you won't refuse it

She's taking her time making the nuances rhyme

Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone

With a big old tone reciting poems

With notes as words and haven't you heard

Next stop butter right past oleo

Now there's young cats blowing

And more and more people yes they will be knowing

Jazz ain't the past this music's gonna last

And as the facts unfold remember who foretold

The 90's will be the decade of

A jazz thing

A jazz thing

A jazz thing

A jazz thing

A jazz thing

A jazz thing