[Dixielandjazz] Imitate - Assimilate - Innovate

[Steve Barbone]

JT <jack.teagarden at comcast.net> wrote (polite snip)
 
> Jazz trumpeter Clark Terry has a great piece of advice for aspiring
> jazz musicians: "Imitate, assimilate, innovate." etc.

IMO that pretty much nails it shut. Wouldn't we agree that there is
virtually NO really "original" thought in life. That new thoughts are based
upon a foundation of old thoughts?

Jazz itself wasn't invented. It evolved from earlier music genres. Bop was
not so earth shattering. Harmonically, much of it borrows from (imitates)
classical music and rhythmically much of it it borrows from (imitates)
Ragtime. Then after some assimilation, it went on to innovate.

Perhaps the trick is to balance that time spent in Imitation, Assimilation
and Innovation so that one's jazz communication is in one's own voice and a
bit different from everyone else's?

All the Giants of Jazz are instantly recognizable when a listener hears
them. Shouldn't we lesser mortals be recognizable too, rather than clones of
the dead guys who preceded us.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone