Is Jazz America's Classical Music?

There are varying opinions on whether or not Jazz should be classified as America’s classical music. Jazz and classical music do have similarities. First, in both genres, performers are highly trained and are of distinguished reputations. Moreover, fans of both genres are well-read and informed of the background of the music. Secondly, both genres are placed as long-form development music. Their structure is made of an exposition, then a development section and finally a recapitulation (Adams, “Is Jazz America’s Classical Music?”).

            On the other hand, the genres differ in their music. Classical music is written in fixed compositions while Jazz uses improvisation. Also, in Jazz, rhythm is crucial but in classical music it a subtle part of the music. There are stark differences in the origins of both genres. Jazz music started from African-American folk-forms whereas, classical music started from European styles rooted in centuries past diatonic ways. Finally, classical music performance is based on refined compositions from the past while Jazz music remains fresh in each performance where artists improvise on the spot by re-composing the music each time they play (Adams, “Is Jazz America’s Classical Music?”).

            In conclusion, based on the arguments above, clearly, Jazz cannot be categorized as classical music and is itself unique and belongs to its own category as Jazz, not America’s classical music.

Eric Darius

            According to his website, Darius is an American Jazz saxophonist, songwriter, producer and vocalist with six albums under his belt. He boasts a SESAC award as one of the top ten Jazz artists of the year 2015. Darius is a product of renowned music schools and chooses the saxophone as his instrument of choice. Darius has a long list of collaboration with both Jazz and pop artists. Darius insists on producing energetic and relevant music targeting people of all age groups. Darius fuses Jazz with hip/hop, R&B, Soul and, Rock to create a unique sound that is versatile and fresh. Furthermore, Darius endeavors to re-create the vibe and energetic atmosphere of his live performances in the studio. Darius’ song, My Prayer for Haiti, is an embodiment of his style, as he takes listeners through a journey of melancholy with raw emotion which demonstrates his depth as a player and composer. His way of playing is muscular, technically profound, innovative, visceral and free-spirited.

Works Cited

Adams, Judy. “Is Jazz America’s Classical Music?” Dirty Dog Jazz, http://dirtydogjazz.com          /Blog/index.php/is-jazz-americas-classical-music/ Accessed 24 April 2018.