Mozart checks out Blues and Jazz

While jogging in Central Park, I was listening to Alicia de Larrocha play a Mozart Sonata.

The next piece of music to play in my Air Pods was B.B. King singing and playing "How Blue Can You Be?", live in Cook County jail.

Mozart stood up. "What is this!?" For a moment he clutched his ears and seemed horrified. But then his left foot started stomping. "What IS this!?"

"Maestro, that's B.B. King. This is a 12-bar blues in D."

I proceeded to explain blues and the fact that B.B. played an "electric" guitar.

"Why are people screaming?" said Mozart, still stomping his left foot.

"Well, this is a live performance, and he's performing in a prison. They love blues and they are very glad to have him come play for them."

Next we listened to the Red Garland trio playing "Perdido", Live at Prelude Club, NYC, 1959.

This was Mozart's first time listening to a jazz trio. I explained that the upright bass was not appreciably different from the ones in his day. The usage, however was.

"This is not how I usually hear percussion", he said, starting to snap his fingers on 2 & 4. "Also, the piano eighth notes are unusual. Neither straight nor dotted, but something else!"

I explained that this was a 32 bar song in Bb in which the full structure was played once, and then the players improvised.

"Maestro, this is really not unlike your Twinkle Twinkle variations.

"Twinkle Twinkle?" He looked at me quizzically.

"Uh..."Ah vous dirai-je, Maman". They are both theme and variations."

"Yes, I can hear that! Fascinating!" Still standing, he crossed his arms, and with a great shouting laugh, said-

"Play me some more B.B. King!"