Past, Present and Future of jazz eh? This is not the way that jazz should be discussed. It is certainly important to appreciate the great artists such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk etc. However, it is the philosophy behind Jazz that separates it from most other genres of music.
The first acknowledgment that should be made when trying to understand Jazz is that it is an underground form of music. In mainstream music, many artists are playing purely for money. They feel no measure of passion for their work whatsoever. They produce music in order to satisfy listeners.
The main reason that jazz is an underground art form is that its purpose is NOT to satisfy the listeners. True jazz musicians purely use jazz as a medium to discover, express their emotions and push the boundaries of jazz music. Playing jazz is a personal and unique experience to every jazz musician. The primary reason that people listen to a specific jazz artist is that they can appreciate and understand what the artist is trying to achieve.
Why is Jazz underground? This is because it is primarily an instrumental form of music and secondarily because it often has an obscured or non-existent beat. These days the average person desires simple and catchy melodies with lyrics that are easily understood and a strong beat. However, Jazz is often insulting to a first time listener. It presents you with confusing and intimidating rhythmic and melodic figures and this is then further obscured by the abstract concept of improvisation. This means that the listener must work hard to try and interpret what is being played. Improvisation is a key factor that turns the average listener away from jazz as many cannot comprehend the concept of improvising over a series of chords. It can be said that Jazz intends to be underground music. However, those who persevere are very much rewarded. The pleasure gained from listening to an artist journey through new and exciting territory results in emotions of joy that are indescribable.
To start your journey into the rich and complex tapestry that Jazz weaves, I suggest the following artists:
Louis Armstrong
Miles Davis
Dave Brubeck
Hank Mobley
Herbie Hancock
Bill Evans
Nat King Cole
Oscar Peterson
John Coltrane (the work with Miles Davis)
For the fans keen to extend their knowledge I suggest,
Dave Liebman
Jaki Byard
Andrew Hill
Wayne Shorter
Ornette Coleman
Eric Dolphy
Joe Henderson
Miles Davis (fusion years)
Jimmy Smith
John Coltrane (Later Years)
John Scofield
Medeski Martin and Wood
Courtney Pine
Learn more about this author, Kefilwe Das.
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