[Dixielandjazz] What is "Cool" - was perception.*

[Steve barbone]

Larry Walton Entertainment at larrys.bands at charter.net wrote:(polite snip)

> but you didn't answer the $24K question
> and that's what is cool. You seem to know what isn't.

Oops, sorry. For me, "cool" is laid back. In music, a laid back groove. e.g.
Miles & Birth of The Cool. It started on the West Coast.

It is, again IMO, a state of mind. "That's cool," meaning it's "OK". When we
used the word 60 years ago, "cool" and "groovy" were synonyms. Something
that you "dug", without getting overly excited. In jazz, the opposite of
"Hot". Cool jazz was ethereal, intellectual, beautifully constructed, warm
toned. It was played by musos without visible emotion on their part or that
of the audience.

We would go to hear cool jazz in absolute silence. Honing in on the chord
changes, shimmering sounds and magical setting it evoked. Yep, we were
intellectually involved and felt superior to those not hip enough to
understand what we were doing and/or playing.

Trouble was, not enough jazz intellectuals around with the patience to
groove on the music alone and so it quickly disappeared. Or then again,
maybe it become "smooth jazz" with a rock beat to appeal to the masses.

Cheers, somewhat tongue in cheek,
Steve