[Dixielandjazz] That elusive definition of jazz

[macjazz]

In all due respect and while there may actually have been some directors 
somewhere that fit this description, I was highly active in the field for 
some 15 years and won state championship in jazz/stage band etc. and am not 
aware of a single director who even began to fit what you are saying here.

I will agree that there were not many high school programs that addressed 
OKOM (jazz) in that the number of students able to improvise COOPERATIVELY 
were few and far between.  There were however, many many individuals and 
groups who played outstanding, swinging jazz and who had band directors who 
were able to make it happen.  I had (and have) the alumni who played and are 
playing professionally, to prove it.

I would be interested to know how many on this list (even based on OKOM) got 
their start with a school music program and were in a program where the 
director had jazz sense, as opposed to those who fall into the opposite 
category.

Sorry troops, but I'll argue this one till hell freezes over!

Mart

Martin D. McKay (Professional Listener)(Retired one time band director)
St. Augustine, Florida (Come on down, and bring money)
----- Original Message ----- 

Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 3:54 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] That elusive definition of jazz


> [This comment is a spin-off of the discussion of smooth jazz, and the 
> related questions defining jazz.]
>
> No one has mentioned that jazz was once defined by the attitute of  people 
> like your rigid high school band instructor. Well, at least it  might have 
> been from 1910 to 1960, when the "stage band" was  legitimized. The 
> academic band director, upon hearing someone playing  a jazz lick in the 
> band room or during rehearsal, would say:
>
> 1. "Don't jazz it up!" Play the dotted eighths and sixteenths as they  are 
> written. In other words, don't swing it.
>
> 2. "Play what's written!"  In other words, the composer is the  authority, 
> and the player has no freedom to change it in any way.
>
> 3. "Follow my direction!"  Your director will decide everything about  the 
> performance style of the piece.
>
> 4. "Jazz is for low-lifes!"  Pay attention, and you might have a  chance 
> in legitimate music.
>
> In other words, in the early years, we could define jazz easily by the 
> people who played it:
>
> Jazz was the province of players who were rambunctious rebels at  heart, 
> had "big ears," didn't read music very well, loved "hot" music,  changed 
> and embellished the melody, chords and tempos as they felt at  the moment, 
> and loved the "jazz lifestyle."
>
> It was a rough and romantic life, and it was hard to survive 
> economically.
>
> There are still a few players of OKOM who fit within this archaic 
> definition of jazz, but most are gone.
>
> The world has moved on, producing generations of sophisticated college- 
> trained jazz studies graduates with electronic gear that allows them  to 
> self-record and produce, sell on the web, and survive in their own  way. 
> It is too bad it is called "smooth jazz," because it really is  original 
> commercial pop music produced by some skilled and sensitive  players. I 
> hope they prosper and live longer, heathier lives than the  old jazzmen.
>
>
> Rick Campbell
> Milneburg Jazz Band
> Portland, Oregon USA
> (503) 234-9440
> ricksax at comcast.net
>
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