29/03/2016 WhatisJazz?GoodQuestion...

WhatisJazz?GoodQuestion...

ByJASONWEST
Published:January12,2012
Views:136,088

Whatisjazz?AccordingtoWyntonMarsalisjazzismusicthatswings.AccordingtoPatMethenyjazz
isnotthemusicofKennyG.AccordingtoWebster'sjazzischaracterizedbypropulsivesyncopated
rhythms,polyphonicensembleplaying,varyingdegreesofimprovisation,andoftendeliberate
distortionsofpitchandtimbre.Personally,Ipreferthedefinitionfoundintheoldmusician'sjokeabout
jazzbeing"betterthansex,anditlastslonger."

Certainly,thequestionisahighlysubjectiveone.Ask100differentpeople"Whatisjazz?"andyou're
likelytoget100differentanswers.Thedebatebecomesevenmoreconfusinggiventhefactthatthe
historyofjazzisrelativelywelldocumented.

It'snosecretthatjazzmusicstartedintheblackghettosofNewOrleansattheendofthe19th
century.Inthe1920sjazzmoveduprivertoSt.Louis,thentoChicagoandNewYorkasAfrican
Americansmigratednorthinsearchofabetterlife.The1930ssawtheevolutionofswingbandslike
thoseleadbyDukeEllingtonandCountBasie.Atthesametimegreatsoloistsemerged,virtuosilike
LouisArmstrong,ColemanHawkinsandLesterYoung.Inthe1940sbebophit,personifiedinthe
musicofCharlieParkerandDizzyGillespie.TheMozartofhisday,Charlie"Bird"Parkertookallof
themelodicandharmonicinformationavailableandcrystallizeditintobebop.But,evenin1955,at
thetimeofBird'sdeath,mostpeoplecouldanswerwithconfidencewhenasked,"Whatisjazz?"

Whythen,lessthanhalfacenturylater,can'tweagreeonaworkingdefinition?Partofthereasonis
becausejazzhasalwaysbeenandremainstodayalivingartform,everchangingandevergrowing.
Subsequently,afterBirdtookbeboptoitslogicalconclusion,musicianslikeMilesDavisandOrnette
Colemaninventednewformslikemodalplayingand"free"jazz.Inthe1960smusiciansbegan
incorporatingR&B,rockandnewelectricinstrumentsintotheirjazz.JohnColtranegaveus"sheetsof
sound."TheModernJazzQuartetmixedjazzandclassicalmusic.Everythingexplodedandsuddenly
jazzwasallovertheplace.

Intheirefforttomarketthesemusicalvoyages,majorrecordcompanieshaveaddedtothe
mystification,bombardinguswithlabelstoponder:Contemporaryjazz,mainstreamjazz,smooth
jazz,alternativejazz,avantgardejazz,Latinjazz,fusion,etc.Atpresent,itseemsthatthereare
almostasmanynamesforjazzastherearejazzgroups.Stillpuzzled?Metoo.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/whatisjazzgoodquestionbyjasonwest.php 1/2
29/03/2016 WhatisJazz?GoodQuestion...

Butnottoworry.

Onceagain,eachoneofusisleftwithourownpurelysubjectiveviewsonjazz.Myguessisthat,if
asked,evenmusiciansthemenandwomenwhoarecurrentlydedicatingtheirlifetocreatingthis
musicwouldlikelydisagreeonthemeaningofjazz.

Soperhapsabetterquestionis:Whatdoyoulike?FromJellyRollMortontoLeeMorgan,from
JamesP.JohnsontoJohnZorn,theanswerisoutthere,preservedonrecordforourlearningand
listeningpleasure.Yes,experiencingallthedifferentstylesofjazzisadauntingtask,buttherewards
aregreatandthemoreyoulisten,themoreyou'llfindsimilaritieswithinthestyles.What'smore,jazz
elementscanbeheardoutsideofitsowngenreinrock,R&B,Latinmusic,Africanmusicthelistis
endless.

Yet,onethingissure:JazzremainsAmerica'sonlyoriginallivingartform.Today,itsinfluence
envelopstheglobe.It'sexpressive.It'senriching.Callitwhatyoulikejazzisheretostay.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/whatisjazzgoodquestionbyjasonwest.php 2/2