Jazz and Blues are one of the great culture clashes

the band heats up
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

Guitar player Carl Robinson jams on a traditional blues tune in the basement of Thymeless Restaurant during the Monday night blues jam in Downtown Modesto. This, and all the photos on this topic, were taken on May 22, 2006. This photo was taken with an open shutter to catch the colors and the motion, while still preserving the reflections off the instruments. Also, I think it accurately reflects the mood that night.
Jazz and blues are often referred to as the first original music form of North America, an argument I won't dispute. But it became possible because of the great American melting pot and the culture clash that it creates.
Jazz and blues are dominated mostly by European instruments, but rely heavily on African and Latin rhythms. The history of the music form can be traced to slaves in South, Central and North America who brought with them their traditional songs along with its traditional beats, and then blended that with Latin and European folk songs.
The music form later progressed into American bars and saloons where it was refined to what we know it as today.
Without the mix of cultures in the United States, Jazz and blues would have never been invented.

For more information, I suggest you visit this page.

Robinson jams

Robinson jams
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

Guitar player Carl Robinson jams on a traditional blues tune in the basement of Tymeless Restaurant during the Monday night blues jam in Downtown Modesto. The guitar, just like the piano, is distinctively European in origin. Few people realize this, but the guitar is traditionally tuned after the violin (they share the same tuning for the last four strings). A fiddle is traditionally tuned g-d-a-e. A guitar is tuned e-b-g-d-a-e.
Four of the strings share the same tuning, in the same order.
The Bass fiddle (stand-up bass to the rest of the world) also shares the same tuning as well (The last two strings on the guitar are tuned from the bass). A bass is tuned g-d-a-e, just like the last four strings on a guitar. Yet, the instrument is most often associated in the United States with blues and jazz music and its distinctive Latin and African rhythms.

Organ keys

Organ keys
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

A keyboard player plays a solo on "Brick House" in the basement of Tymeless Restaurant during the Monday night blues jam in Downtown Modesto. The keyboard is incredibly European in influence, having originated in Italy and spread throughout the European continent. Yet blues and jazz both have distinctive Latin and African rhythms.

Carl Robinson and bass player

Carl Robinson and bass player
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

Jazz guitarist Carl Robinson and a bass player jam on "Brick House" in the basement of Thymeless, a restaurant in downtown Modesto. Taken on May 22, 2006 during the Monday night blues jam session. They played a wide-variety of jazz and blues, which is basically a combination of African and South American folk music mixed in with European fols and classical music.

bongo player

bongo player
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This bongo player (sorry I don't know his name) played for several hours to both jazz and blues music at the Tymeless Restaurant in downtown Modesto. For me, this is yet another piece of evidence of how jazz and blues represent a fantastic clash of cultures. The bongos, you see, originated in Cuba around the 1800s, about the same time that slavery was abolished there. They are believed to have originated from a combination of African influence (specifically from Morroco) from the slave trade and the Abakua Religion in Cuba and South America. Yet, today, they are widely accepted as a jazz percusion instrument, which is considered to be very "North American."

Hof Brau sign

Hof Brau sign
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is the sign to Noah's Hof Brau in downtown Modesto. Noah's Hof Brau used to be a German restaurant until it was purchased by a Chinese family about 20 years ago. They kept the name but radically changed the menu. The joke in Modesto is "Noah's Hof Brau has the best German food in the valley." I tried to get an overall shot of the front of the restaurant to show that it really does have a Hof-Brau feel to it (dark roof with wooden tiles) but a city tree is overgrowing in front of it, blocking most of the view.

Hof Brau windows

Hof Brau windows
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

his is the window to Noah's Hof Brau in downtown Modesto. The Hof Brau used to be a German restaurant until it was purchased by a Chinese family about 20 years ago. They kept the name but radically changed the menu, as can be seen by the signs in the window. The papers signs seem to be propogating lately. They are all over the inside of the restaurant too, announcing menu items that the family doesn't have room to put on their light-up board.

Hof Brau menu3

Hof Brau menu3
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is the menu inside Noah's Hof Brau in downtown Modesto. The Hof Brau used to be a German restaurant until it was purchased by a Chinese family about 20 years ago. They kept the name but radically changed the menu. As you can see by the line, it's incredibly popular. There often is a line out the door and it's frequented by everyone from judges and attorneys to construction workers.

Hof Brau menu

Hof Brau menu
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is the menu inside Noah's Hof Brau in downtown Modesto. The Hof Brau used to be a German restaurant until it was purchased by a Chinese family about 20 years ago. They kept the name but radically changed the menu. The prices aren't too bad, though just about everything is soaked in gravy or msg. Oddly enough, there are some food items that are not on the menu. One popular dish is the 1 1/2 which is a combination of the number one and number two - giving you pork, rice and chow mein.

Hof Brau menu2

Hof Brau menu2
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is the menu inside Noah's Hof Brau in downtown Modesto. Noah's Hof Brau used to be a German restaurant until it was purchased by a Chinese family about 20 years ago. They kept the name but radically changed the menu. As you can see, there are some sandwiches, but most people go for the Chinese food.

fiddle

fiddle
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is a fiddle used by Steve Kenworthy, a talented fiddle player who plays often at P. Wexford's in Modesto. He mostly plays Celtic music at the pub, but also plays blues, jazz and the occasional classical song. Notice the Guiness sitting next to it. P. Wexford's is an Irish-themed Pub in Modesto California that serves imported and domestic beers along-side hamburgers and nachos. Though it features Celtic music at least once a week, it's mostly dominated by modern rock and frequented by 20-somethings. It does serve as a shining example of how the Irish culture has been adopted in America. For more photos, see my Flicker site.

spouts

spouts
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

These are the beer spouts in P. Wexfords of Modesto, an Irish pub that's really more American than Irish.

droptop

droptop
Originally uploaded by Inkyhack.

This is the Drop Top neon sign inside P.Wexford's Pub in Modesto California. The pub is a shining example of how the Irish culture has been adopted in America. The pub features Celtic music one night a week and lots of posters about Ireland, but also serves hamburgers and nachos. Rock bands usually play the other nights.

Geesh louise ...

Finally got my new digital camera today. I swear they shipped it by Bannana boat and made sure it went around the horn of Africa on the way here. Anyway, give me a few days to get used to the new toy and then I'll start posting photos.