WHAT IS JAZZ?
Understanding Its Origins and Evolution
Define: Jazz is a query that doesn't have a simple answer!
As an example, John Coltrane insightfully opened a door to his mind on what he feels jazz represents in his interview with Frank Kofsky—a conversation documented in Kofsky's book, John Coltrane and the Revolution of the 1960s (ISBN 0-837348-857-1). When asked a politically charged question about jazz in relation to the Vietnam War, Coltrane stated:
"In my opinion I would say that's true, because jazz - if you want to call it that, we'll talk about that later - to me, it is an expression of music; and this music is an expression of higher ideals, to me. So therefore, brotherhood is there; and I believe with brotherhood there would be no poverty. And also. with brotherhood there would be no war."
This quotation underscores Coltrane's broad interpretation of jazz as more than just a genre, but as a medium for expressing profound ideals. Notably, he even questions whether "jazz" is the right term, highlighting his view that the essence of the music goes beyond labels and categories.
Every jazz musician, and indeed every jazz fan, has their own interpretation of what jazz and the term itself mean to them. As an example, Esperanza Spalding expressed her personal connection by stating, "Jazz music just resonates with the frequency of me." In contrast, Louis Armstrong humorously highlighted the universal human aspect of music by famously saying, "All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song." Read more quotations about music on this page to explore the diverse range perspectives on the genre.
The Jazz Centre UK Defines Jazz as:
In short: we believe that jazz is where you find it. The primary criterion is that performers - regardless of their identity - aim to delight their jazz audience. It is important that the intention of the performer is to contribute or appeal to some area of of the jazz artistic arena.
To gain further points of view and discover more about jazz we invite you to scroll down! We hope that the information on this page points you in the right direction to discover what jazz means to you.
A GENERAL OVERVIEW:
The Birth of Jazz in New Orleans
At the start of the 20th century, New Orleans was a cultural melting pot, where the music of marching bands, ragtime, and the blues could all be heard. Musicians combined these elements to create their own music through improvisation, a key element of jazz.
Key Elements: Improvisation and Composition
As the music progressed, especially during the 1920s, it was enriched by the founding fathers of jazz, including Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong. Jazz developed its own character and vocabulary, becoming a natural stage for jazz soloists and laying the foundation for formal composition, as exemplified by Edward 'Duke' Ellington. This means jazz can be both improvised and written down.
The Evolution of Jazz Styles
For the next thirty years, jazz moved through progressive stylistic genres like swing, modern jazz (bebop), and free-form, each contributing to the music's diversity. The advent of 1960s rock music gave birth to jazz-fusion, blending the characteristics of both forms.
Contemporary Jazz Influences
Today, jazz performers continue to incorporate contemporary influences such as rap, hip-hop, and reggae, while preserving its classic traditions.
Visit us, to see our Walkthrough History of Jazz exhibition to learn much more.
What 'Jazz' Means
PROJECTS AROUND THE TOPIC 'WHAT JAZZ MEANS'
'What Jazz Means to Me' and 'Voices from the Past' were two very exciting projects within our National Lottery Heritage Fund project 'Jazz at the 100 Club: Bringing History to Life'. Both of them collated memories, thoughts and feelings around the topic of Jazz. The 'Voices from The Past' project culminated in our very first publication 'Ace of Clubs' which collates memories of The 100 Club through the decades from over 50 musicians, promotors and personalities. You can purchase the book today via our online shop.
Our 'What Jazz Means to Me' brought together contemporary and past opinions on the genre through a series of Interviews conducted with UK musicians, general listeners and researched statements by classic performers from 1930s - present.
You can watch the video 'What Jazz Means to Me' on this page or on our YouTube Channel. We hope you enjoy the film and that it helps convey the broadness of perception to the music.
BREAKING BARRIERS
We were also delighted to run another exciting project with the National Lottery Heritage Fund titled 'Breaking Barriers'.
This project begins to explore the diversity of Jazz music and highlight barriers contemporary musicians may be facing today. Topics including race, gender, women in music, LGBTQI+, age and education were covered through a series of interviews with young established musicians.
We invite you to watch the full interviews on our website via the button below or on our YouTube channel.
SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to discover 'what jazz means' is to listen! If you are new to the genre our Trustees and volunteers have compiled some great Spotify playlists to get you going.
Use the buttons to the right to explore the decades of Jazz; those who performed at Britain's longest-running jazz venue 'The 100 Club'; playlists that highlight Women in Jazz, and much more by following our Spotify profile.
JAZZ MUSIC LIBRARY
Another fantastic place to learn all about jazz is at our Centre! We invite you to visit our extensive jazz music library and Media Centre.
Research, learn, listen, watch and enjoy our huge offering of vinyl, CD, tape, video, books, periodicals, letters, pictures and rare heritage artefacts.
USEFUL JAZZ WEBSITES
The largest resource of anything today is of course the internet! But it is very difficult to know where to start so, we have compiled some of the best online resources to listen, learn and enjoy jazz music.
We wish you the very best with your exploration of the genre and cannot wait to see you soon either at the centre or one of our virtual events!
