What is Jazz?

What is Jazz?

Dictionary Definitions
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines jazz:
1 a : American music developed
especially from ragtime and blues
and characterized by propulsive
syncopated rhythms polyphonic
ensemble playing varying degrees
of improvisation and often
deliberate distortions of pitch and
timbre b : popular dance music
influenced by jazz and played in a
loud rhythmic manner!
The American Heritage Dictionary
defines jazz:
1! A "ind of native American music
first played e#temporaneously by
$egro bands in %outhern to&ns at
the turn of the century and in most
styles having a strong but fle#ible
rhythmic understructure &ith solo
and ensemble improvisations on
basic tunes and chord patterns
and in more recent styles a highly
sophisticated harmonic idiom!

Dictionary Definitions
The New Harvard Dictionary of Music uses over four pages
to e#plain the term 'Jazz!'
(t begins:
An ecclectic e#panding collection of )*th+century styles
principally instrumental and of blac" American creation!
%&ing and improvisation are essential to several styles but
only an emphasis on characteristic timbres spans all musics
called jazz &hether functional or artistic popular or esoteric
instrumental or vocal improvised or composed 'hot' or
'cool!'
Jazz intert&ines &ith other genres! !!!!

Dictionary Definitions
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians begins its
treatment of 'Jazz' &ith:
The term conveys different though related meanings:
1, a musical tradition rooted in performing conventions that &ere
introduced and developed early in the )*th century by African
Americans-
), a set of attitudes and assumptions brought to music+ma"ing
chief among them the notion of performance as a fluid creative
process involving improvisation- and
., a style characterized by syncopation melodic and harmonic
elements derived from the blues cyclical formal structures and a
supple rhythmic approach to phrasing "no&n as s&ing!

What is Jazz?
There are many boo"s &ritten about jazz- Billboard Magazine publishes jazz
charts ran"ing the popularity of jazz albums and individual performances- there
are numerous courses concerning jazz at this college and many others!
(t &ould seem that defining the term jazz should be a simple project!
(n reality it is not!

The New Grove definition hints at part of the problem! Jazz is a
developing art form! (t is changing/ As such a definition &hich includes
the essence of one style or set of styles leaves out other styles &hich are
generally considered jazz!

Of course, there is not even agreement on what music is jazz.
Gridley, Maxham, and Hoff ("hree
!""roaches to #efining $azz" MQ
%&'(()*+*,- .)&/.&), write-
here has long 0een a reluctance
among musicians and "urist fans to
include within the jazz category any
watered/down variants of a style that
derives from the jazz tradition. his was
why distinctions were made 0etween
swing 0ands and sweet 0ands during
the )*(1s. 2ount 3asie fit the former
category, and Glenn Miller fit the latter,
for instance. #uring the )**1s, the
same distinctions could 0e made
0etween saxo"honists Michael 3rec4er
and 5enny G.

%o &hat is jazz?
%o &hat is jazz?
6n examining, the definitions here and elsewhere and reflecting on the music we
are going to study, there are a few things which most styles of jazz share. One
might even venture to say that all styles have at least some of these as"ects-
7 8art of a musical tradition that has its roots in !merica com0ining as"ects of
9uro"ean and :estern !frican music.
7 6m"rovisation. 6m"rovised music is "erformed and com"osed at the same time.
Generally, only "arts of a jazz "erformance are im"rovised. he amount and
degree of im"rovisation can vary considera0ly 0etween styles.
7 ;wing feel / this may 0e as difficult to define as jazz itself. he 0eat is not
divided into e<ual "arts//generally, the first eighth note in an eighth/note "air is a
0it longer than the second (in ('( time,.
7 !n a0undance of synco"ated rhythms.
7 6nstrumental em"hasis. Most styles of jazz have an instrumental focus centering
on the following intruments- "iano'4ey0oard, 0ass, drum set, saxo"hone,
trom0one, trum"et, and guitar. =ocalists and other instruments are found in jazz,
0ut most styles do not center on these sound sources.