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September 29, 2005
Jazz is...
Its often said that Jazz is the music between the notes and such zen like sayings. I've thought of a way to describe Jazz.
Older Jazz numbers usually follow a set kind of format. The head, which is usually a strongly melodic intro piece which usually introduces the main melodic themes of the piece. Then you can go through variations of verses and breakdowns which are essentially variations on the theme. The verses are usually where people get a chance to solo and often where things go a bit weird.
To inderstand what happens during these times imagine that everyone in the band playing a Jazz number is listening on a pair of headphones to the groove. No-one in the audience can hear what is playing on the headphones. The musicians play along to that. Things sound weird but it you know Jazz and especially if you know the tune you can hear what they play in relation to the original tune. Of course the musicians listen to what everyone else is doing and alter their playing accordingly.
More than that, with good players it is as if they are playing along to a musician playing along to the headphones so the tune they are playing along to is twice removed from the original tune. Far out daddio.
Modern Jazz is pretty much the same thing. Just without the ipods.
:)
Posted by dottie at September 29, 2005 12:49 AM