What is Jazz?

                                   ©Text by Taliya Khafizou

Photos by Almira Khafizou 

Perception of music is subjective and definition of its styles may vary from person to person. A splendid phenomenon of world music culture, Jazz, is hard to describe in one word, too.

We may say that Jazz is improvisation, but that will not fully reflect the essence of this music.

Having resided in Ascona, Switzerland, for a couple of days last summer I got the chance to make acquaintance with Jazz and generate my own relationship with it thanks to AsconaJazz Festival. I suppose, every human being may have his or her own attitude to this music. As for me, Jazz is a metaphor of Life. Spontaneous in its entity, it is yet structured. It is ready for change and flexible, but one needs knowledge to make changes and inspiration to keep going in creating own World.

With its creativity pattern, variety of motives and infinite forms that exist within certain structure, Jazz resembles me the nature. Jazz, with its plethora of ideas, moods, paths to be gone and words to be said, gives people Freedom. Nature has almost no constraints for creative flow, too: however, the structure exists anyway, be it our Life or Jazz as its part and parcel.

As Nat King Cole has once said: “Creativity comes from Limits”. In other words, when you have a structure then you can improvise off it.

Interestingly, the jazz itself appeared as spiritual freedom in the frame, within material limits. This music, accordingly, bolstered the African-Americans up as they fought to actually become free themselves. Shadrach Kabango has once stated that meaning of jazz, in its origin, can be expressed by the phrase: “I am searching for the freedom within this confinement that I have”. Up to nowadays, improvisation and structure balance themselves to create what we call jazz.

Let me quote Gary Smulyan, baritone saxophone musician, who also shares what is jazz for the improvising musician:

“Jazz is a lot more than just playing by ear or by feeling. There`s this misconception: oh, I`m a jazz man, I play what I feel man. And that`s not what it is.”

According to the jazz virtuoso, four things have to hook up: what you can think, what you can hear, what you can feel, what you can execute on your instrument.

Thinking part is very important. Because unless you`re really thinking about the music you can`t really manipulate the changes. So is in the life: reckless actions, happy-go-lucky approach are not likely to bring you the fortune.

Unpredictable, exciting, full of different motives and yet going through certain stages, chords. So is the Jazz Music to my mind, and very close to the nature of Life, itself.

Spontaneous as Thought, which is also constrained with cognitive functions of our mind or limits of expression. Divine as it goes from the soul, able to transfer feelings and meanings as form of communication, great as an Art and unforgettable when performed in places like ASCONA…. Now, let me follow these ruminations on jazz with reminisces of wonderful town on the lago Maggiore – the town which is harmonious as well as music it is filled up with.

Ascona is located in Ticino region of Switzerland. It is endowed with historic values, magnificent lake view and promenade, where bright and cozy hotels rub shoulders with authentic restaurants and coffee houses.

Maggiore coastline can be also proud of such its pearl as Eden Roc hotel – a place where the atmosphere of festivity, solemnity and happiness reigns alongside with immaculate service, highest quality management and welcoming splendor. Many other hotels in Ascona are also offering nice service to their guests with Swiss quality and Italian cordiality.

For many years the distinctive opportunity to meet with international musicians and get a profound understanding of Jazz through this face-to-face communication have been the main advantages of Ascona Jazz festival experience. Providing these unique opportunities to connoisseurs of jazz, it also reflects other key features of typical jazz-music performance during which our various senses come into play. In a live Ascona jazz setting you are to enjoy not only music but much more… Listening to performance on Piazzetta restaurant stage, for instance, you may also delight your adventurous palate with some Ticinese delicacies: perfect minestrone or mouthwatering “plato” with variety of salamis and sausages, to name just a few. In addition to traditional cuisine, Ascona offers unique culinary experience to its guests: food from Louisiana is presented here to uplift your spirits in the course of the festival and enrich this sheer jazzy enjoyment with some gastronomic delights.

The view of Ascona, picturesque houses, amazing shore of the Lago Maggiore, some in- and exterior decors compete for our attention and make you get the enjoyment not only in audio but in visual plan.

Sight of musicians inspired by surrounding beauty and improvising on the spot is also amazing. Sincere emotions, movements and motions that we see from the stage transfer the sense of rhythm and our sense of touch alongside with our other means of perception comes into play and manifests itself in tapping feet or fingers.

Finally, in this wonderful atmosphere of Ascona Jazz Festival, you realize that you experience something that will never happen exactly the same way again….

 

You also understand that this event becomes the indispensable part of your life and the desire to come here back will rest in your soul. Delving into sweet memories you aspire to return here to savor the marvel of jazz at its most: filling you up with jazzy rhythms and unforgettable impressions, imbuing every listening heart with feelings of Love, Happiness, Joy, and Freedom – Ascona meets your expectations with its own remarkable style.