Jazz – Encyclopedia of the Possible
Author: Marquis’ McGee
Abstract: To describe any musical tradition or genre solely as the summation and analysis of its musical notes and compositions may be a disservice to the wealth of knowledge, history, and cross-disciplinary lessons to be learned from it. There may be no other musical styling that this rings more true for than Jazz. In some regards, Jazz could be considered a musical synonym for adaptability. As a style, it has influenced numerous musical genres and provided a framework for musical improvisation and communication that has become the standard for musicians seeking to become more flexible and well-rounded in their playing. What can musicians and nonmusicians learn from Jazz? This entry will focus first on a brief history and description of Jazz and present opposing ideologies relevant to the difficulties of defining the musical tradition. It will then break down various aspects of Jazz, explain general practices in learning how to utilize these aspects, and then discuss what is possible for the genre itself and what may be possible for nonmusicians in terms of incorporating Jazz into their own lives.
Cite this entry as:
McGee M.B. (2021) Jazz. In: Glăveanu V.P. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_117-1