Why jazz music will never die

Jet, Feb 16, 1998

It's very clear-jazz music is here to stay.

Jazz, an art form originated in this country by Black Americans, is still flourishing after it was created about 100 years ago. The sophisticated music is still swinging, growing and evolving.

Jet contacted a number of jazz performers and music educators to get their thoughts about why jazz music will never die.

Famed jazz trumpeter-composer Wynton Marsalis tells Jet: "Jazz will be here forever. But I know there are some people who want jazz to die; some people want anything positive to be dead. But this music is the sound of freedom, intelligence, sophistication, and most importantly, soul. But there are many who are offended by the thought of something being soulful. They rather you come up with harsh words and harsh devices that celebrate ignorance."

Marsalis, who is currently headlining Jazz at Lincoln Center's "All Jazz Is Modern" tour with the center's orchestra, adds that jazz is surviving simply because, "It is a great music. A lot went into the making of it. It's made to be strong and durable. There were so many great musicians who played it and recorded it that the artistic standard is still very high. It will always be a challenge for younger musicians to play it. And when it is played properly, the audiences love it."

Famed songstylist Nancy Wilson notes, "Jazz is a musical improvisation of life, and as long as we continue to live the expressions we know as jazz, the music will continue to thrive. Our everyday life, walking, talking, crying, loving, enjoying a meal all have the rhythms of jazz."

She adds, "The music is here to stay because it crosses all the barriers the music industry has placed in its way to flourish."

Veteran jazz and blues vocalist Joe Williams observes the everlasting quality of jazz. "If it's good, it's good. People gravitate to things that are good, things that are uplifting. Jazz fees the human spirit." He notes that the music of such jazz masters as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald is here to stay.

"You turn on your television today and you hear Louis Armstrong singing Oh, What A Wonderful World. Nat King Cole's daughter, Natalie Cole, cam along and revived what he did, what he did so well years ago. Basie's band is still going and sounding wonderfully, and Ella's music is still here."

Legendary singer Lena Horne, who has performed the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie throughout her pioneering career, states, "I have no idea when jazz will die. I hope it never dies."

Interest in jazz is indeed growing. The International Association of Jazz Educators reported a 40 percent increase in attendance at its recent conference in New York City, the New York Times said.

Other signs that jazz is here to stay include the major jazz programs at the Thelonious Monk Institute, Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution and Carnegie Hall. Jazz education is also on the rise as most college music programs offer jazz courses, educators point out.

Dr. Willie L. Hill Jr., president-elect of the International Association of Jazz Educators, points out that college students are embracing the music, which is keeping it alive. "They are being exposed to the music. They see the value of it."

Hill, who is also assistant dean of the College of Music at the University of Colorado in Boulder, adds, "As students are learning about Bach and Beethoven, they are also learning about Ellington and Basie, which is music created right here in our country. As a student grasps Beethoven's Fifth, they should also be able to grasp Ellington's Sophisticated Lady. Jazz is forever. This is an American tradition. It's America's classical music. It's not going anywhere."

Jazz was created in the late 1800s by Black Americans and grew from a number of influences, including European harmonies, African rhythms and American band traditions. It is the only art form to originate in this country. Through the years, jazz evolved into various styles, including bebop, hard bop, cool jazz and the swing era of the 1930s and '40s, an era which featured such artists as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole.

Jazz great Ramsey Lewis notes that people respect and love the history of jazz. "It started out being a music of Black folk, and it ended up being a cornerstone of American culture. People around the world say jazz is an original art form that comes from America and has progressed from a solely entertainment music, dancing and partying to include now serious concert work that involves thousands of musicians who work at this as their primary profession."

Grammy Award-winning jazz singer-guitarist George Benson, who has enjoyed success in pop, soul and jazz, observes, "The experiences I've learned from and cherished the most have been playing with the world's greatest musicians, jazz musicians. Their creativity, artistry and Went are what keep jazz alive and growing .... The popularity of the new jazz musicians on the scene today is proof of jazz's longevity."