h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Jazz, a complex music - A30060848
Author: iyasur - U10637953

To the best of my abilities, this is jazz.

Wow iyasur, you ARE brave. There is enough material in the word jazz to fill half of h2g2. Anything that attempts to cover this field in one entry has got to mention only the very highest peaks. Even then, you are going to get a host of jazzophiles saying 'Hey, you've totally missed this', or 'What about that?'

Having said that, IMO you've not made a bad fist of it.

Since I'm the first to comment, I throw in my For me, the essence of jazz is 'structured improvisation'. The call and response interplay of a group of musicians feeding off each other at a moment in time - truly 'making music'. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

You'll probably have all sorts of conflicting opinion posted, but . Stick with what you want to say, but do let others help you get it into the best possible shape.

I shall follow this entry with interest and probably throw some more later. Well done.

You can't ever really completely tell the story of anything. Even the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy once had only a one word entry on earth. As I already stated, to the best of my abilities, this is my way of explaining jazz. Of course, people will argue, but don't they always. I didn't write a word about any jazz singers yet, I might still, but I wrote what I personally thought was important. Anyway, it was a gap in the H2G2 that I filled, which is what I perceived as my duty after reading the H2G2 about page. As my first entry, I feel good about it.

For such a huge subject this does seem rather minimalist. I would expect more of an Entry claiming to cover "Jazz, a complex music". But this would be just about right for an Entry more directed at "Jazz, a brief introduction".

There's already lots of Jazz-related entries in the Guide that you could draw inspiration from, perhaps opportunities for more tie-ins (I know there's an entry about Charlie Parker around here somewhere). You could try looking at some of these:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/Search?searchstring=jazz&showapproved=1&searchtype=article

If you approach it from the perspective of creating a basic introduction I think you may have a more well-rounded entry than one that tries to summarise all of Jazz.

My

Hi! I am a presenter at a local Radio station and the show I present is Jazz and Soul with some Blues. I agree that Jazz is a bit complex but it is a specialized genre. I did a lot of research before I took on the position as a presenter for the show and one thing I did find was that Jazz goes back to the Slave trade times. Then as time went on, came artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Glen Miller, Billie Holiday, etc

What some people don't (and I say some and not all), is that quite a few of the pop artists go one to Jazz and Soul, A good example of this are Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. Also there are some who have heard artists such as George Benson, Michael Buble, Katie Melua and Norah Jones, sing. And when you mention to them that they sing and play "Jazz," they are shocked as they are not aware that the piece of music that they have just heard is Jazz.

What you have written is good but try and expand it a bit more by mentioning names of artist and the type of style that they have played. For example, Louis Armstrong, could not only just play the trumpet but he could sing as well and his style was completely unique. Another example is Eric Clapton, who is known mainly for Blues style but he has also done Jazz as well.

While I agree with you kitrapsjasani that many artists are jazz-influenced, the problem for this entry is not what to include, but what to leave out.

Just think of Ken Burns 2001 film series survey of the subject, which takes up 10 DVDs and runs for a total of 19 hours! And even that would not be described as definitive.

A single entry on jazz has got to be nothing more than a mere taste. None the less, I'd like to see it attempted.

hsringer I agree that there is a lot but I am just thinking that it may be a good idea to expand this slightly bit further by mentioning artists and the type of jazz genre that they play or have played. For example mentioning under swing - Glen Miller and Frank Sinatara. But I have enjoyed reading this article and it is a good one.

Or, for swing you could link to A31738494

Frank Sinatra is still on my list of things to do. (Although I find it hard to believe no one's beaten me to it).

Miles! I play a lot of Frank Sinatara on my show on the radio and I also listen to a lot of his tracks at home as well. I have quite a few of his albums and I think that he was one of the best artists. I have a rare album of his on which he is performing with Count Basie at the Whitesands in the USA in the 1960's.

Let me know if you are ever thinking of writing about Frank Sinatara.

Last posted 26 December. Flea Market?

Sadly, I agree. Too big a mouthful for a single Entry, however I still think something *could* be made of it

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I don't know about 'rare', kitrapsjasani, I got the album you mention as a Christmas pressie from my mum in about 1965. It was a double LP and is still up in my attic somewhere. A year or so ago I bought a CD version which I still play. ( I think it can be got off Amazon). The Sands was a nightclub in LA (I think)
Details:

Title: "In Concert - Sinatra at the Sands"
With Count Basie and the Orchestra
Arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones

Tracks:
Come Fly with me
I've got a crush on you
I've got you under my skin
The shadow of your smile
Street of dreams
One for my baby
Fly me to the moon
One o'clock jump (instrumental)
The tea break monologue
You make me feel so young
All of me (Instrumental)
The September of my years
Luck be a lady tonight
Get me to the church
It was a very good year
Don't worry 'bout me
Makin Whoopee (Instrumental)
Who knows where or when
Angel eyes
My kind of town
A few last words (monologue)
My kind of town (reprise)

Label: Reprise Records (Used to be owned by the Rat Pack but now a division of Warner Bros Records)
Number 7599-27037-2

One of the best Sinatra.

This is excellent. Good luck!

Let me know if I can be of any help as I have a lot of jazz info as I am a presenter at local radio station and I do play jazz and soul with some blues.

This is now available on a CD which is now rare. But I must say that it is one of my favourite albums and even when I play a track from it in my show, I just sit back and listen.

I recentl watched the movie "High Society" and I really enjoyed watching anf listening to some of the tracks as well as the likes of Louis Armstrong.

You are right. Sands was a night club in LA.

The CD opens with Sinatra being introduced and saying 'How did all these people get in my room?'
That suggests that maybe he OWNED the Sands (?)

I don't go for spoken bits in amongst music, but one thing Sinatra said in his monologue was 'I feel sorry for someone who doesn't drink, 'cos when they get up in the morning that's as good as they're going to feel all day.'
Not sure I like the sentiments with its encouragement to boozing, but it is very funny.

Going back to Jazz, I'm a volunteer at the Dankworth/Laine 'Stables' and see a whole lot more live jazz (for free) than I ever did before. A couple of months ago, I 'discovered' Geoff Gascoigne' His jazz is exactly what I like. Jamie Cullum guestedon piano and some vocals - a truly memorable evening. Also, a trumpeter that really knows how to write and play good jazz, Guy Barker. He had a 12 peice orchestra. Wonderful stuff.
Have you come across them?

I thought this had gone to FM?

The Eds in their wisdom stuck it in the EGWW: F57153?thread=5184599 but with the author Elvised, I don't know how it can be worked upon, someone else would have to make a new Entry to do the editing.

Talking about Jazz, as a kid, I went to Geneva with one of my family members and while there, I had the opportunity to go to Montreaux Jazz festival. On the day I was there, Miles Davis was performing and I must say that the atmosphere was terrific.

I am also a fan of Jamie Cullum.

I feel that to appreciate Jazz, one has to listen and try and understand the styles that are there.