Us: Welcome to CBC Music's Beasts of Beat, your guide to the very best animal jazz online.
You: Animal jazz?! But I thought music was the universal language of humankind.*
Us: You're absolutely right — if you believe poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow or the many others (from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to pianist Herbie Hancock) who've used different words to make similar affirmations. But I don't remember them ever saying anything about the "language of music" not extending beyond our species.
You: OK, that sounds like it might be true. Tell me more.
Us: What was it that Doctor John Doolittle said?
If I were asked to sing in hippopotamus,
I’d say "whynotamous?" and I would!**
Is that not a tacit acceptance of animal communication through music?
You: You know he's a fictional doctor, right?
Us: Noproblemamous! If real science is more your thing, you can check out this recent study from Emory University, suggesting humans and sparrows share similar neural responses to music and song.
You: That's very interesting. All right, I'm willing to conceed that music could mean something to animals. So how did you choose this list of "animal" jazz anyway?
Us: With fun as our filter and absolutely no science whatsoever, CBC Music set out on a virtual safari to explore the wilds of the internet and bring back the very best animal jazz just for you.
You: Is that humane?
Us: That would depend on what you mean by "humane" and your reaction to the videos. But I can assure you that no animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.
You: OK, impress me. Bring on the Beasts of Beat! This better be good.
Us: Well, have you ever heard a cat scat? What online menagerie would be complete without a cat video?
You: That's not really what I was expecting. I thought this was supposed to be serious.
Us: Maybe you'd prefer something a little more contemporary-sounding? With a poodle?
You: But that's just YouTube trickery. Those animals are not really performing. This is a waste of time. And that poodle video reminds me I should be changing the sheets on my bed.
Us: Wait, don't go. What about this walrus? He can play the sax!
You: That walrus is not playing the sax.
Us: Sure he is, let's watch it again.
You: It's just dancing to a pre-recorded track. Surely you must have an elephant or something that can really play.
Us: To be honest, I think the elephants are more into classical music.
You: Oh, good grief.
Us: But the cows, they really seem to dig Dixieland.
You: Does that even count? I don't personally care for that old-timey jazz, and I still haven't seen or heard any animals actually making any of the music here.
Us: Well, I do also have this clarinet/humpback duet; or how about this funky flock of zebra finches? They play a pretty mean guitar. For real.
You: Wow, that's actually kind of beautiful. But the music seems just random. I'm not sure I'd call it jazz.
Us: It's avant-garde jazz.
You: I say it's random.
Us: Did you say random?
You: Very funny.
Us: What? That's definitely an animal playing jazz.
You: Are you referring to Animal or Buddy Rich?
Us: Very funny.
[Silence; the sound of crickets can be heard in the distance.]
Uh, how would you like to hear an animal jazz trio, jamming in the forest?
You: Let's just say I'm not getting my hopes up.
Us: The hunter kind of reminds me of you: all that animal jazz around and yet he never seems to notice.
Hey, where'd You go?
You sure is a tough customer. Do you know any amazing animal jazz videos that could help Us impress You? Tell us about them in the comment section below, or send an email to jazz@cbc.ca.
*Longfellow, H. W. Outre-mer: or, A Pilgrimage to the Old World, by an American. Vol. 2, p. 36 (London, 1835).
**Bricusse, L. "Talk to the Animals" from Doctor Doolittle (1967).
Related:
Pannonica de Koenigswarter: The musical legacy of bebop's butterfly baroness
Phil Minton and the Feral Choir in Ottawa and Victoriaville
Eco tips for jazz lovers from CBC Music and Earth Day Canada
posted by
Scott Tresham
on Jan 16, 2013