Jazz Notes Part I

I will be posting some of the jazz notes that I have taken in the past years. I really do not have an idea how many parts there will be but please do not expect something that is organized and structured because all these notes have been created spontaneously...They can be at best treated as a very rough reference (no ostentatious intent) on the basics of jazz and its history (not necessarily with a chronological order either).

What Is Jazz?

"Man, if you need to ask then you'll never know"

Louis Armstrong

 

• Jazz is conversation (monologue, dialogue or a group discussion) made in the musical language. As all conversations, it can be partly planned but mostly spontaneous (improvised). It is performing a pre-determined tune (mostly at least) with individual interpretations in response to other musicians’ performances and whatever may occur “in the moment”: called improvisation and the key element of jazz .
• It is a good reflection of true democracy (not the one we know on this world). Individual freedom but with responsibility to the bigger group (I am referring to the philosophy of jazz only, obviously there is a vast amount of jazz musicians not too different than the world political leaders, but unlike them, most musicians were able to find the true path by leaving their egos behind).
• It is a music of the present moment. While performing, jazz musicians utilize the inspiration of the moment, their knowledge of music theory, life experience, social, political, and economic surroundings, technical savvy on their instruments, and, especially, all the music (particularly but not limited to jazz and blues) they have ever heard that has influenced them (even the most avant-garde jazz artists reflect, in some way, the music of their musical forefathers). Jazz is a music of the present moment, anchored strongly and respectfully in the past.
• Jazz is relatively a new form of music. Unlike general classical music (baroque, classical and romantic eras) jazz can be considered a musical form dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.
• It was born out of the black experience in America, basically fusing African and European musical traditions. Evolving from slave work songs, spirituals (religious Black American folk songs), blues, brass band music, and ragtime (a rhythmically sophisticated piano style), jazz first appeared in the culturally diverse city of New Orleans in the early 1900s. 
• Jazz today is embraced worldwide. African Americans devised the major elements of jazz in its formative years and were the primary pioneers of stylistic changes in later decades. Today, jazz is performed, innovated, and listened to by people all over the world from virtually every ethnicity, religion, country and culture. 
• It is a unique art form. Jazz has influenced and been influenced by other musics: rock, rap, country, funk, Latin, classical, blues, gospel, African, Eastern, pop, folk, hip-hop, etc. Jazz, while extremely diverse and all encompassing, however, is a unique art form. It is more about the way the music is played rather than what is played.
• Jazz is relatively complex (not in an intimidating way). As far as types of music go, jazz is relatively complex; there are many musical, technical, intellectual, and emotional elements happening simultaneously. Jazz makes far more demands on the listener than do most popular styles which are fundamentally simpler than jazz, requiring less from the listener. The more one knows about jazz (i.e., how to listen, its history, evolution of its styles, key players, forms, relationship to American history and culture, etc.), the more one can appreciate and enjoy it, even possibly gaining insights about humanity via aesthetic experience, probably jazz’s ultimate goal.
• It is about feeling. Although complicated, the core of jazz is about feeling, not intellectual definition.
• Jazz is a language. It is a tool where musicians constantly exchange thoughts and ideas. Languages such as English or Turkish are used to communicate just about everything in life; however, they cannot express emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, and everything in between) in the same way as music; as a singular phenomenon, music communicates emotion to every human being on the planet, regardless of language, culture, or nationality.  That's why music is found in every culture. A helpful analogy: classical music (no offense) is to jazz as reading a good book aloud is to having a good conversation; while a printed book never changes, a conversation changes according to the situation or moment and depending on with whom you are having the conversation. 

Young Louis Armstrong

Next part "Improvisation" coming soon!

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year everyone.