Jazz: A Tradition Of Innovation
Origins of the jazz tradition: New Orleans, a community of diverse cultures with a never-ending demand for good entertainment provided the ideal conditions for this music to germinate.
Performance Practices: While improvisation is a key component of the jazz traditions, not all of the components of jazz are created in the moment. Most of the jazz improvisation we hear takes place in the context of songs. Historically, jazz musicians have favored popular American songs from the early to mid-twentieth century as creative vehicles for their art. A song is a starting point for a journey in which the jazz musician manipulates melody and harmony to create art that varies from one performance to the next.
The Artistic Process: Musicians learn their art by imitating the work of others just as a child imitates the language spoken by his or her parents. Someone learning a second language has to assimilate the vocabulary, grammar, idioms, and many aspects of the culture in order to be functional in that language. The same is true for the musician assimilating the musical language of Jazz, where it is only through endless hours of practice and total immersion in the music that one can hope to communicate musically in a meaningful and spontaneous way.
Creative Movements: No art can exist in a bubble. While the jazz tradition is very much, about individuality, the music is created through a collaborative process. Thus, musicians are identified with their musical communities. Musical communities and creative movements may be regional such as New Orleans jazz or the “West Coast” sounds. They may be generational like the jazz-rock fusion movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. In some cases, an association with a particular artist that defines the group, such as Lennie Tristano and his disciples, may identify a group of jazz musicians.
Jazz in the Academy: While the performing of live music is on the decline in America, Jazz education is growing. And while having Jazz in the Academy allows more people to appreciate and study this musical tradition, some critics and musicians have expressed concern that formal study is leading to further codification and homogenizing of the music.
Profile of Speaker
Michael Kocour is an Associate Professor and the Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Previously, he served on the Jazz Studies faculty at Northwestern University. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the most sophisticated pianists in jazz,” Kocour has performed at the 1992 World’s Fair in Seville, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, the Blue Note in New York, and the Chicago, Montreal and Quebec City Jazz festivals. Among the many artists and ensembles with whom he has appeared are Dizzy Gillespie, Eddie Harris, James Moody, Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Ira Sullivan, Carl Fontana, Dewey Redman, Lew Tebackin, and the Chicago Symphony.
His recorded work as a studio musician includes soundtracks to two major motion pictures, and numerous television commercials. He has eight works published by Warner Brothers, which include collections of original compositions and arrangements for piano.
Kocour holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from University of Illinois and a Master of Music in Music Theory from Northwestern University. He was awarded National Endowment for the Arts study grants in 1988 and 1990 and from 1991-94 he was a visiting lecturer in Jazz Studies and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Illinois.
In recognition of excellence in teaching, Mr. Kocour was awarded the Herberger College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teacher Award for the academic year 2004-2005.