[Dixielandjazz] What is Jazz?

[Steve Barbone]

"Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com> wrote
 
> However, regarding your comment, "From my point of view as a listener, not
> everything Louis did was jazz.", IMO regardless of who Louis recorded with,
> no matter in what setting, no matter what style the band was playing, he
> always played Jazz.
 
> If you disagree, please point out on which recording he did not play Jazz.

Ha, Ha, Bob. Like I said in quoting Louis "Jazz is what YOU are." Since I
agree with that statement 100%, I MUST therefore agree with YOUR opinion,
even though mine is different.

Keep listening to all those pop tunes Louis played. You're bound to hear
some non-jazz in there, along with some jazz. <grin>

Me? I like Max Roach's view on "jazz".

"Late in his career, he rejected the term 'jazz,' saying it relegated his
music to second-rate venues and low pay." (From Washington Post Obit)

Lots of the GIANTS in the so-called jazz world preferred to call it MUSIC.
Perhaps because nobody seems to be able to define what "JAZZ" is, in a
manner that is acceptable to the rest of the population. That's why you and
I disagreed with Marek about Brubeck. That's why it is fruitless to argue
that a number, and/or a player is jazz, or playing jazz. It is all
subjective and all in the mind of the listener.

Even those who claim to be knowledgeable about what jazz is might be quite
surprised to compare their knowledge to that of the high school kids who
study jazz in some schools. See below for lesson plan:

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/classroom/jazzdefinition.htm

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Who also remembers that after Herbie Hancock wrote "Watermelon Man" and got
his first royalty check, he bought a Shelby Cobra. (The real one, not a
Mustang) Onward and upward from there like Miles, to Ferrari's etc. That's
one difference between music and jazz.