Jazz Culture and Miles Davis

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This generation is severely lacking cultural diversity. The United States school system feeds its students “American History,” but some believe it has only educated them on a few main points in history, and most of them have been from the view point of Euro-Centric America, and not the Melting Pot America is. There is so much to American history that even Americans are not aware of, however this generation is so consumed with celebrities, technological advancements, and up-to-date fashion. There is so much technology and access to the past, and yet most people do not take advantage of it. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to open those of this generation up to a culture rarely discussed unless in a detailed study specifically catered to it. Jazz culture to be exact, is the topic at hand. Jazz culture expands throughout many genres and is expressed in many ways. The many genres of jazz are Big Band, jazz funk, modern jazz, smooth jazz, Latin jazz, and jazz fusion. Each of these comes with its own unique sound and origin. Latin jazz, for example, employs rhythms from both African and Hispanic backgrounds. The sound is particularly up tempo with divided eight beat patterns. Jazz artists who have portrayed these qualities of jazz to the world are at the very core of its culture. Many people who are in places of power in this society or are held in some form of esteem have had some exposure to the arts, whether it is classical or jazz. This is due to a desire to be culturally diverse which is a quality held in high esteem in regards to a more worldly point-of-view. There are many aspects of Jazz music that could be approached, but there is one point in particular that must be expressed in detail. The influence on the genre ... ... middle of paper ... ...d of Blue,” “an album now considered to be without equal in jazz history (Merod 67).” He spoke to Davis’ genius in how he leads. He is able to orchestrate elements of his projects to get them to have the feel he is looking for. He noted that “Most of “Kind of Blue” is the product of first takes (Merod 67),” which was due to the fact booking studio time cost money so it was usually a get it right the first time deal. Works Cited Ganter, G. (2009). It's About That Time: Miles Davis On and Off Record. Popular Music & Society, 32(3), 433-435. doi:10.1080/03007760902786124 Schuster-Craig, J. (2011). The Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music. Fontes Artis Musicae, 58(4), 442-443. Merod, J. (2001). The Question of Miles Davis. Boundary 2, 28(2), 57. GILBREATH, A. (2013). Unapologetic Vision. Brick: A Literary Journal, (90), 119.

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