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Is That Even Jazz?
by Anastasia Bogomolets
The question has accompanied jazz almost from its beginnings. Nearly every generation has questioned whether new forms of jazz were “really jazz." One of the most versatile musical genres, jazz has always been defined by transformation: improvisation, experimentation and a constant search for new forms of expression. From bebop's rejection of swing conventions to free jazz's ...
What Shapes Jazz Improvisation: Culture, Training, or the Moment?
by Anastasia Bogomolets
Improvisation is widely regarded as an inherent characteristic of jazz, with the exception of a few subgenres. At the same time, there is a contrasting view that much of modern improvisation amounts to a recombination of well-learned, drilled scales and licks. There is also a third dimension to consider: many folk music traditions across ...
Which African Jazz Artist Most Merits A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award?
by Ian Patterson
Better late, they say, than never. Twenty-nine years after his passing, Afrobeat legend and fearless political activist Fela Kuti received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He joins an illustrious pantheon of jazz artists similarly recognized in the afterlife. A partial list includes Louis Armstrong (1972), Charlie Parker (1984), Billie Holiday (1987), Charles Mingus (1997), ...
Jazz: Cultural Diplomacy, Art or Show Business?
by Anastasia Bogomolets
There is a firm belief among scholars that jazz and the American Jazz Ambassadors programme played an important role during the Cold War era. Extensive literature explores the significance of jazz in shaping global post-war relationships. The world has changed dramatically since then. On one hand, music, including jazz, has become increasingly commercialized; on the other, ...
Which Writer Or Broadcaster Has Most Influenced Your Appreciation of Jazz?
by Ian Patterson
2024 was a sad year for All About Jazz, with the sudden passing of both John Kelman and Chris May severely rocking the ship. Each of these unique writers had dedicated twenty years to All About Jazz, promoting the music with love and artful care. Between them, these two venerable jazz advocates contributed over ...
The Future of Jazz Standards: Will Contemporary Jazz Leave a Lasting Legacy?
by Anastasia Bogomolets
Some of what we now call jazz standards originated on Broadway, while others were initially composed as jazz masterpieces by the genius composers of the past. These jazz standards form the backbone of the “jazz tradition." Aspiring jazz musicians typically learn a couple of hundred of these standards to build their repertoire and launch their careers. ...
The Lives Behind the Music: Do Biographies Shape Our Understanding of Jazz?
by Anastasia Bogomolets
Charlie Parker died at the age of 34. Ella Fitzgerald lived a long and remarkable life, which included her time at the Colored Orphan Asylum during her adolescence and having her legs amputated later in life, alongside tremendous career success and many bright accomplishments along the way. Duke Ellington began his career as a ...
Why Are So Many Jazz Musicians So Bad At Selling Themselves?
by Ian Patterson
It is a head scratcher. Why do so many jazz musicians, professional jazz musicians, simply suck at selling themselves? You may recognize the type--no website, or else a sloppily designed one with an outdated bio, poor quality photos, no live dates displayed, no juicy quotations from album or gig reviews to entice potential customers, no high-quality ...
Does Jazz History Weigh Too Heavily on Today’s Practitioners?
by Ian Patterson
It is no outlandish claim to say that jazz is obsessed with its past--just look at the number of tribute albums, songs and concerts inspired by the music's forbearers, or at the never-ending stream of historical reissues. For many jazz musicians, navigating jazz means honoring the music's “ancestors" and playing “in the tradition." Jazz ...
What Is Your Favorite Jazz Interpretation Of The Beatles?
by Ian Patterson
When The Beatles landed at John F. Kennedy Airport on February 7, 1964, they were greeted by around three thousand fans. Two days later, when The Fab Four performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, the television audience topped 70 million. Popular music was never the same again. It was not long before jazz musicians ...
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