Why Jazz?

Well, here in 2024 we find technology in every crevice of our existence. Often it’s a luxury and very beneficial…however it comes at a cost of privacy and more so…focus, or lack of.

Music is no exception. Technology is in every part of a musicians experience…at times a musician will be tethered to a laptop or device first and their instrument 2nd. Pro Tools, Monitoring, Backing Tracks…very useful in the right environment but to my eyes and ears it comes at a cost as it seems the machine is playing us instead of us playing the music.

Last Music Standing

Jazz is still a style that can and often exists best without any assistance from digital technology…no in ear monitors, tracks, autotune, etc. It’s a handful of musicians in close proximity that can hear each other play and are responding to each other in real time. If you’ve had the pleasure of this experience you already know there is nothing like it. If you haven’t, please do so.

As I have jumped through the hoops of life and music…jazz is the one thing that has come back time and time again. Often failing to see it through…giving in to the pressures of financial stability, the next gig and my own insecurities…I never saw it through.

Improvisation Rising

A couple of years ago I finally made the commitment to this music. I put away most of my other instruments, refused any gigs outside of jazz and stayed the course. It’s funny how quickly things happen once your focus is centered. I’m happy and grateful to say those paramenters worked. Currently, I play a jazz gig most every week if not 2 or 3. I’ve been fortunate to play with some incredible musicians and as important, fantastic people.

Fears and Friends

The vulnerability of playing improvised music in a live music venue is more nerve racking than you might imagine. So it really comes down to your sense of self and the sense of those selves around you…when it’s right, there are few comparable experiences i’ve had that lift my heart and soul to those extreme heights.

Onward

So as 2024 gets rolling I hope to see you at a show somewhere and if I don’t know you, please come up and say hi. Jazz is community and the community is YOU.

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Categorized as Jazz