Bembeya Jazz

Bembeya Jazz: Bembeya

by AAJ Staff
July 25, 2003

Some time around bebop's coming of age, jazz morphed from a popular music of dance and song into a rarified art form. Critics and historians can debate the details, but the bottom line is that the music went through a tremendous shift in its audience. They began to listen more and dance less. The challenge that faced jazz after its institutionalization (and perhaps the biggest one it still faces) was how to get back in touch with ordinary people. This ...