[Dixielandjazz] Seeking humorous jazz definitions

[Norman Vickers]

Hello Jazzcats:

 

I'm doing a jazz seminar at our local library-tell you about it in the next
paragraph-we're holding off on a definition of jazz until the end of the
series, letting the participants work out their own collective definition.
As part of that, I'm seeking humorous

Comments and definitions.  Will use it as a teaser for the participants.

 

Examples:

 

Jazz:  what I listen to when I decide to listen to some jazz

 

Tell me, just what is there to this jazz?   (  answers-- attributed to Louis
Armstrong, Fats Waller and others)

A:  If you gotta ask, then don't mess with it!

 

Just send your answers online and we can all have fun with this.

_______________________________________________--

 

Now for more serious portion.  The American Library Association (ALA) has
developed a program for a jazz seminar consisting of six two hour sessions.
They have prepared a syllabus and it comes with DVDs-some from the Ken Burns
series on jazz and some  separate videos on Harlem Renaissance, Billie
Holiday, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.
ALA has jumped through all the hoops regarding copyright permission to show
to the seminar audience.  I, as moderator of the seminar,  am about hallway
through the series.  It was fun, because I had to watch all those videos in
preparation for the series.  It's not a course in musicology and designed
for the general audience.  Our local audience has been mixed with some jazz
society stalwarts as well as people with no jazz background.  Last session
on Harlem Renaissance, I had our local pianist/vocalist Crystal Joy Albert
to do "blow and tell informance"  about her years living and working in
Harlem in the 60s.  She had about a 20 minute portion of the two hour
program. Following that, she and I led the discussion session.

I mention this because it can be done easily in your own locale.  The
library expends about $500 for the videos-includes all 17+hours of the Ken
Burns series plus the separate videos.  After the seminar, the videos can go
in general circulation for the library.  For a number of years our Jazz
Society and library have a cooperative program.  We select the jazz books,
CDs and videos and library matches our donation.  Current value of the
collection is $13,000.  

 

The timing of the program was chosen to end about one week before our 25th
Pensacola JazzFest.

 

You can do it in your own locale!

 

Norman Vickers

 Jazz Society of Pensacola

www.jazzpensacola.com