Exploring Emotion In The Music Of The Past

Music can be a mirror, a way to see into a problem in our lives and find an answer, it can be the shoulder we need to cry on, it can lift us up out of current mood and turn our day around when we most need it. Throughout history there have been musicians with the ability to tap into and evoke some of the most profound emotions you may have ever felt. A range of emotions is presented to us at a young age: we’ll cry, scream with terror or frustration, joy will overflow from our laughs and giggles and a sense of calm can wash over us all in the span of an afternoon. As adults, we’ll be lucky to experience this much emotion in a week or a month even. Music, however, can take you through the emotional ringer at a moment’s notice.

Walking With The Giants
Lyrics are powerful; words resonate with us because they’re more direct than an instrument. Without any prior musical knowledge, a listener can understand song lyrics and identify with what the singer/writer is saying. The classic jazz artists made a living trying to connect with audiences in this way through just the sounds produced from their instruments. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach—to name a few classic jazz artists—are some of the most prominent names in jazz not just because of their influential style on the medium but because they could make their instruments sing. The ability to convey emotion, to make an instrument sing, talk or weep, is a fading art form. It’s not that it’s not still revered; it’s just that popular music is moving away from unplugged music. Luckily, theses giants of jazz are going anywhere soon.

Digital Slices Of Heaven
The masters of jazz have been re-mastered and no one will argue with their ability. The classic jazz artists of the 20th century will live on and be studied and imitated by future generations because what they accomplished was incredible. While the above artists were able to speak to us through their instruments, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention one of the most influential jazz performers of all time, Billie Holiday. As a singer, Holiday’s approach was so intimate and personal that it was clear she was pushing herself and her voice as hard if not harder as the musicians of her day pushed their instruments to produce a sound that resonated with the audience to produce an emotional reaction. It was this kind of dedication to her craft and the dedication of other jazz greats that helped produce some of the greatest music to come from the 20th century and why the music and its history has been so well preserved to inspire many generations to come.

Sb Resource Box: For more information about classic jazz artists, contact Sylvia Brooks or visit at http://www.sylviabrooks.net/ .

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