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The Jazz Theologian

Buddy Bolden was a little crazy. New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen. The Big Easy was anything but easy, though it was very unique setting of pain diversity, and depth. Many say that Buddy Bolden was the father of Jazz. It is said that he "played so forcefully that his trumpet could be…

"Jazz evolved hand in glove with American culture…it is essentially an African-American musical phenomenon that evolved out of the unique historical, cultural, and social currents of eighteenth- and ninteenth-century New Orleans. The factors that underlie its emergence are many, but one stands above all: the fact that New Orleans was at base, a French Society."…

In light of the last post on “What is IT?” Perhaps a better question is, “Who is IT?” Grammy award winner, Wynton Marsalis tells this story about “IT“ “Now, my younger brother Ellis couldn’t understand all this fuss about jazz. He wasn’t a musician, and jazz just didn’t speak to him.” But “He figured it…

Just the other night I was part of a group. Young and old. Rich and poor. Black, Latino & white. Farmer types and Hip-Hop. I was at a local jazz club. What is IT about jazz that produces this kind of convergence? The band had a latin saxophonist, a young dread-locked brother on stand-up bass,…

Ensemble "A unit of complementary parts that contribute to a single effect. From the French meaning ‘together.’ From the Latin, meaning ‘at the same time.’" (dictionary.com) In jazz one needs an ensemble. What about theology?

Essential reading for the Jazz Theolgian. This book is for anyone who wants to see a master Jazz Theologian at work. Carl Ellis is the President of Project Joseph (www.projectjoseph.org) and seeks to bring reformation and renewal to the church. It is his book that has influenced my life more than any other book, save…

Here’s a sample of "So What," the first track off of Miles Davis’ landmark jazz album, Kind Of Blue. What differences do you hear between Ellington & Davis?

Here’s an example of jazz, pre-Kind Of Blue… Duke Ellington–I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good. What do you think?

"Kenny G is an acoustic musician who plays the soprano saxophone, the instrument identified with Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane, two of the icons of jazz history." (Jazz 101, John Szwed, p21) I don’t think that Kenny G is a jazz musician for many of the reasons cited by all of you in the previous…

Kenny G. He’s played with Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Aretha and Grover Washington Jr. He holds the world record for the longest note ever played on a saxaphone…over 45 minutes! But is Kenny G jazz, classical or something else? Why or why not? Make your case.
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