I am thrilled to be attending the Turtle Island String Quartet's presentation of Miles Davis's album Birth of the Cool this Friday at the Swasey Chapel 7:00 pm at Dennison University. The ensemble has won two Grammy Awards, 2006 and 2008, and they embody the concept of the crossroads between classical and jazz perfectly. Personally, I am hoping they include some Dave Brubeck and singles from Miles Ahead Friday, too. http://youtu.be/xKDwzihp1GI In 1957, jazz icon Miles Davis released the album, Birth of Cool, on Capitol Records. It was released with 11 tracks, it signaled the move from singles to full-length albums in jazz, and it set out the new, long format, artistic album concept. By the end of the 1950's, approximately one third of record sales in the US were jazz albums. So what does this mean, and how is it related to Black History Month? Cool is more than a word describing how popular or fashionable something might be. It has a deep history and reactionary message that goes back to jazz and the mostly men who started it. In music today, many artists perform both jazz, classical, and a combination of the two with, perhaps, a little less thought for social commentary than the art form originally took upon itself. The definition of cool in early jazz was the essence of acting out, non-conformity, and a lack of action in the face of immense tension. Jazz's coolness was a measure of control that musicians declared when they had little control over their pay, their safety, and their equality. These musicians wore their sunglasses inside, took up a distinctly French look, borrowed European styles, and essentially checked-out of mainstream culture as much as possible. It is my privilege to be studying Miles Davis this semester with Dr. Samuel Barrett from the University of Cambridge, and his lectures have lent quite a new perspective on jazz and its relationship with classical music. The friction between the two has cooled significantly in recent decades, but it is important to recognize, regardless. Simply put, some musicians cross between jazz and classical, some do not, and a few find the idea abhorrent. Over the next month, Black History Month, we'll take a peek at a few aspects of this relationship between jazz and classical music and where to find it in older albums as well as around Columbus. Upcoming Events: CSO's Happy Hour, Porgy and Bess, CSO's Rhapsody in Blue
Evolution of the Cool
