The Meaning of Jazz

Readers: You all tune in weekly to read and learn about jazz. But I'm going to ask you a question: do you really know what jazz is? There are so many misconceptions of what jazz really is. Too often it is characterized as that nice, soothing music you hear in an elevator or in the background of an elegant party. First of all, what you are hearing is NOT ALWAYS JAZZ. There is this little genre called smooth jazz whose name disgustingly misrepresents itself. SMOOTH JAZZ IS NOTHING BUT "JAZZY" POP MUSIC! Kenny G is not a jazz musician, he just adds a little soul to his notes. The problem is that smooth jazz lacks the very thing that makes jazz so unique--improvisation. So, if any of you think of jazz and Kenny G together in the same thought as of now, change it now!(unless you are thinking about what a despicable, hideous, odious, revolting, vile fraud Kenny G is and how much he is NOT A JAZZ MUSICIAN).

That being said, there is another, perhaps more subtle misconception of jazz out there. Sometimes the music you here in elevators or at the party really is jazz. The problem is that people think of jazz as just that: a nice, soothing type of music. The following letter I wrote (via facebook) to a friend of mine who "listened to Jazz [Charlie Parker in specific] cuz it's relaxing" on an airplane ride. The letter should clarify what jazz is, what it isn't, the problems facing jazz, and what you can all do about it.

"Charlie Parker's the best. No one plays like him. I'm glad you listened to that stuff and enjoyed it. My only problem is with the way you view jazz. Albeit some jazz is relaxing, a lot of it really isn't, if you really listen to it. Charlie Parker spearheaded the bebop revolution. Bebop is a style of jazz which showcases dissonance and wildness. It is often not relaxing. You have highlighted a problem that jazz struggles with. On the outer layer, it is relaxing--at least compared to other modern styles--which is deceiving. Jazz is not always meant to be a relaxing music. Jazz is intended to be a music ACTIVELY listened to. Jazz, unlike other genres, is really a high art form. It should be analyzed carefully and precisely. Admittedly, this requires more energy. as a matter of fact, this is probably the reason that jazz is so under appreciated--not enough people have the energy to realize how exciting jazz can be. People only hear the relaxing outer layer that may be soothing, but not enticing. It is fine to listen to jazz to relax yourself, only understand that there is much more to jazz than that. It is perhaps the most complex, exciting, and interesting genre of music around, at least at its core. And furthermore, understand that jazz is an underground music form. The stuff you hear is probably only the most commercialized songs, and not truly representative of jazz. There is SO MUCH to jazz. There are so many different styles. So if you don't catch on to one, there should be another one for you. If you want to get into jazz, which I highly encourage, make sure to REALLY listen to it--don't just let it wash over you while you are doing something else. If you do this, you will never fully appreciate jazz. Anyway, I'm glad that you have at least started being exposed to jazz and I hope that you will dig deeper in the future."