by musicians who studied jazz , trying to confront jazz with its unexplored limits , electronics and other materials .
Labels like Hubro and music festivals support this wave of experimentation . 20 jazz festivals take place in Norway for just a 5 milion population , and artists who resonate worldwide are the Trumpet player Nils Peter Molvaer who use electronics . Esbjorn Svensson trio , Lisa Ekdhal , etc . It is interesting to notice the presence of Georges Russell , the American composer and jazz pianist who settled in Scandinavia from 1964 till 1969 , he taught in Lund University , Sweden . As Russell was always searching for new concepts , he found in Europe a suitable ground for his experiments .
Jan Garbarek is a name you ’ ll find associated with other musicians and genre . His collaboration with the Indian Tabla player Zakir Hussain “ Making Music ”, with Fateh Ali Khan “ Ragas and Sagas ”, with the Tunisian Oud player Anouar Brahem “ Madar ” shows than he is all about inviting other traditions in the dance of jazz . In a way he also a participant in exporting jazz and make it audible for people from different cultures . He is one of those jazz prophets who did a lot for the genre . We can say the same about many other artists like John McLaughin ( Shakti ) or the Israeli Upright Bass player and composer Avishai Cohen , who brought the American tradition back to Israel and participated to build a strong jazz community in his country . Georges Russell in Scandinavia , Mulatu Astatke ( Ethio Jazz ) for Ethiopia and many more stalwarts such as these exist .
In the 70 ’ s , the legend Miles Davis , Wayne Shorter , Herbie Hancock and others started using Funk , Rock , Electronic music in jazz . It was important to create a bridge between jazz and the new society , to stay connected with the audiences . Weather Report and Headhunters are some of the bands that open the way . In 2011 , UNESCO declared the 30th of April as International Jazz Day . A day to celebrate music as a bridge between cultures in its infinite variation around jazz . As an ambassador of the intercultural dialogue , Herbie Hancock has been a giant , a pioneer and the main prophet .
The story of Jazz is not over , its evolution is still ongoing , using anything and everything to reinvent itself and its story by way of new instruments and technologies . It seems that New York City is still the centre of the story as you can hear every kind of Jazz there . You can hear the best musicians from everywhere in the world , trying to understand the language of jazz from their own perspective . Each musician sounds unique for that reason . While playing a jazz song , you must put something authentic from you and see how it reacts with the melody and harmony of jazz . Like the French accent in English , it ’ s still English but with a French base .
While thinking of the relationship between jazz and India , I couldn ’ t really answer the question fully . It doesn ’ t seem to be settled . There is a Rock influence more than a jazz influence , and Indian instruments are not fitted for harmony . But there ’ s reasons to look for something , like Zakir Hussain did with Jazz Drummers
Eric Harland or Marcus Gilmore . The two genres share concepts of improvisation and complex rhythmic development . There is a great Indian Jazz player , Louis Bank who collaborate with American musicians , great projects like Miles From India ( 2008 ), Sachal Jazz Ensemble and Wynton Marsalis . Ten Years back , the True School of Music where I teach Guitar , and Global Music Institute in Delhi were the first music schools in India involving international faculty , exposing music students to jazz . In India , it is still to find its way between the vast music background of Indian Classical music and Bollywood which are part of the process . We have yet to distillate the concepts of Jazz through the Indian musical mindset .
That ’ s what the saxophonist John Coltrane managed to do in the opposite way . He took concepts from Indian Classical Music and applied it to Jazz . Coltrane said about Ravi Shankar ’ s music : “ I collect the records he ’ s made , and his music moves me .” In the quest of being more melodic , more spiritual , Coltrane felt connected with India , the concept of mood of a Raga ( Rasa ), the use of a Drone reflecting his research of modal approach . Coltrane “ transposed ” those concepts in his compositions , in a very conceptual way .
Jazz is like a very open-minded person , capable of understanding the other , learning from them , and making the other better at the same time . There have never been more students learning Jazz in and around music schools in the world than now .
The Score Magazine
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