What is jazz?
Well let's be careful about what it isn't -- smooth jazz, which has been on everybody's mind this week after it went away from the Detroit dial -- started out as a genre of soft, contemporary instrumentals, but evolved into a mix of R&B, pop and those atmospheric instrumentals.
Whatever it is or was, it was only a distant cousin to jazz.
There are interesting arguments going on right now about the jazz audience, whether it is declining rapidly because of a lack of interest among younger people, or not.
The Wall Street Journal critic Terry Teachout, who has a Louis Armstrong biography due out in early December, is among those who think jazz has become a form of art, rather than entertainment, a sure way to mummify any form of music.
A lively discussion at the artsjournal blog deals with just that.
I have been fascinated with the younger audience attracted to the swing dance competitions around town and to the Hot Club of Detroit gigs. I don't think I'd write jazz off just yet...
Comments
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What Is Jazz?
If I don't make the spelling errors good I'll never stop thinking about them! I looked up "G R A F F I T I" and discovered that the word has two "F's", one "T", and is actually a plural form of "graffito", meaning a singular, crude work of visual art, the country of origin of course being Italy.
No excuse for "there's", but I do wish this blog had "spell-check".
What Is Jazz?
You're absolutely right Susan, "Smooth Jazz" was never a pure form. More like elevator music actually, but as an alternative to the usual stuff on the radio it was welcome from time to time. And like the "lower" forms of visual art (comics, grafitti, etc. ther's no harm done unless the audience takes it for the "real" thing. Thanks for the correction.
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