Some Miles – and all that jazz...
SERIES’ DETECTIVE BOSCH AWAKENS A PROFOUND PASSION FOR THE GENRE It is romantic, too, with its slow sensual ballads.
It’s a genre that’s been on the periphery of my playlist, tasting a few notes here and there for a few decades, never really delving into it or consuming large chunks of music.
But that all changed, thanks to Bosch, a detective series on Showmax and Amazon Prime, where the main character, a detective called Harry Bosch sought solace in the music of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
The music reeled me in and I was hooked, Thoroughly. And now I understand why artists like Harry Sideropolis has such a profound passion for the genre. He’s so damn good at it, too.
Very briefly, jazz originated in African American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New Orleans.
Jazz has much of its roots in the blues, and at its genesis musicians would play, loosely, in brothels, saloons, street parades and dance parties. Then, and today, jazz remains very improvisational with artists building up, as they go along, on one another’s solos and live collaborations.
And I reckon that that is why jazz has become so influential. It’s free flow, improv and spontaneity fuels creativity, reflects emotions in the here and now, at the exact moment of performance, and it has also allowed for a constant evolution of the genre. Bebop, which is characterised by complex harmonies and virtuosic solos, and fusion, which blends elements of jazz with other musical styles, such as rock and funk, which also have a significant part of its roots in jazz.
Some of the most iconic artists of all time, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane all have this magical genre wrapped inside their talent. The standards,
Frank Sinatra, Tony
Bennett and the ’20s’ jive all have jazz to thank.
The science of jazz is that it’s not calculated. It can be sexy, playful, brimming with sorrow or melancholy, all at the same time.
Harry Bosch’s daily indulgence, after a long day at the Hollywood Homicide, evidence that – and he takes viewers on that journey.
Jazz has an ability to convey a wide range of emotions, it appeals on a deep emotional level. It reminds me of wine tasting, a collection of complex notes that, together, shape a taste and aroma of exceptional depth.
There are notes of nostalgia that evoke feelings of longing for the past, there’s joy with upbeat swing and bebop, cojoined by energetic solos and fast-paced rhythms.
Serenity and more introspective pieces bring with it feelings of peace and contentment.
Hugh Masekela was an absolute master at emoting musically.
Jazz is often imagined as a romantic genre, too, with its slow sensual ballads.
Love is often played out against a backdrop of jazz and so too is passion.
Spinning a few records, metaphorically, the moodiness of jazz is evident and a single track can take you from melancholy to exuberant joy, from gentle romance to wild, frolicking passion. It really is the classical music of our time, and I can imagine Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin as 21st century composers sinking their teeth and wigs into some dixie, rag and sax blues. It’s the music of toil, the soundtrack of feeling, and the foundation of much of popular culture today.
It can be sexy, playful, brimming with sorrow