This weekend my wife asked me out of the blue - "what's the name of that song by Dave Brubeck?" I knew she meant "Take 5" which is credit to Paul Desmond but I decided I would run with it.
So I tell her the tune and she proceeds to fire up the whole album on Rhapsody.
As it is playing during dinner it occurs to me that even though the album is filled with odd time signatures that the music is unbelievably catchy to this day. It's melodic and interesting at the same time.
Then it further occurs to me as to why we all bemoan the lack of popularity of jazz. Jazz has become to a large degree "art music". Jazz fans have become jazz snobs. The experimental took over and now rules the roost.
To use a rock and roll analogy, imagine if in 2020 the only legitimate rock and roll was that which was derived from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Robert Fripp. The "popularity" of that music would be limited with the general public.
This is to a large degree what has happened with jazz. I would argue that there are not any modern day Brubecks and for that we are all poorer.
So I tell her the tune and she proceeds to fire up the whole album on Rhapsody.
As it is playing during dinner it occurs to me that even though the album is filled with odd time signatures that the music is unbelievably catchy to this day. It's melodic and interesting at the same time.
Then it further occurs to me as to why we all bemoan the lack of popularity of jazz. Jazz has become to a large degree "art music". Jazz fans have become jazz snobs. The experimental took over and now rules the roost.
To use a rock and roll analogy, imagine if in 2020 the only legitimate rock and roll was that which was derived from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Robert Fripp. The "popularity" of that music would be limited with the general public.
This is to a large degree what has happened with jazz. I would argue that there are not any modern day Brubecks and for that we are all poorer.