Jazz music creates some type of special connection and understanding between people. It’s that type of music that symbolizes freedom and breaks every kind of barrier between people and cultures
The magic tunes that are created through improvisation are a tool for communication that brings the community together.
On April 30 people around the world gather to celebrate International Jazz Day. They gather in Jazz cafes or workshops to share their experiences and knowledge regarding this genre of music.
Yet, if you’re a jazz music fan, you can celebrate it the whole year with these five creative ways!
Visit the Jazz Cafe Rokujigen
If you’re a literature and jazz music lover, visiting this cafe should be on your to-do list. This cafe is based in Ogikubo, Tokyo, in the same area where once Haruki Murakami used to own his jazz cafe called Peter Cat. People from around the world go there to read and listen to the finest jazz music playlists chosen carefully by the owner.
Even the atmosphere that’s created by the visitors and locals has that rustic jazzy vibe. What makes this cafe even more interesting, they play a jazz playlist created specifically by Haruki Murakami. This playlist includes Chet Baker, Miles Davids, Stan Getz, and Charlie Parker.
Attend the Play Jazz Weekend Workshop
If you’re a musician and want to chase creativity in this realm, you can attend the workshop that is organized by Jazz Factory in the UK.
This workshop is held on May 28 and May 29 by amazing artists such as Simon Purcell, Craig Crofton, Martin Kolarides, and Andy Hague.
There is a chance for you to celebrate it by attending this workshop, learning, and earning yourself a scholarship.
Read Books About Jazz Music
One way that you can have fun while celebrating this day is by starting to read books about jazz.
You can find tons of books that are fiction or nonfiction that provide you with any type of information about jazz music.
- Miles by Miles Davis
What makes this book outstanding is the way Miles talks about the experience with other artists. He talks about his experience with music legends such as Bird, Dizzy, Monk, Trane, Mingus, and many others.
To make his jazz and blues journey even more visual, this autobiography includes thirty-two pages of photographs.
- Visions of Jazz by Gary Giddins
This one is a compilation of major figures in jazz history and how each of them had a different impact on this type of music. Starting from the special style of Louis Armstrong, then continuing to the elegance of Duke Ellington, to Sarah Vaughan’s special type of operatic signing.
What makes this book different from the other ones, is that the critic Giddins gives space to Sinatra, Irving Berlin, and Rosemary Clooney. He tries to prove the importance of these once pop artists that weren’t praised so much by the fans and other critics for their impact on jazz music. Also, he gives space to new artists that are creating new waves in jazz.
- Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tales of the Jazz Age is a fictional book that shows the importance of this new period. Despite the problems that society had around the 1920s, one of the elements that brought the community together was jazz music.
The author tries to connect jazz music with high society. While reading this book or even The Great Gatsby you can notice the huge impact that the jazz era and music had on the author’s writing style and themes.
- Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker
A novel based on the life of jazz cornet player Leon Bix Beiderbecke. The story dwells on the abilities of white and black people to play jazz music.
The story is centered around the main character Leon and how the audience received them as artists.
Throw a Jazz Music Party
When you choose to celebrate this day by hosting a jazz music-themed party, you should choose the period. If you want the early years of the jazz era you can choose your costumes, food, and music from that specific period.
The three main colors that you can use for your costumes or decoration are gold, black, and white. The retro vibe is always present. If you want to combine the old jazz with the modern one, you can choose a combination of playlists for your guests.
You can either choose a good disc jockey or even better if you could find a band that can play live music.
Collect Jazz Music Vinyls
If your passion is collecting things and you love jazz music, it’s time to build your collection.
You can start with Milestones by Miles Davis then continue with Blue Train by John Coltrane and finish for the first round with Kenny Burrells Midnight Blue.
It’s quite amazing how music can make everyone think out of the box. If you’re engaged in any way with this genre of music, you’ll learn to be original and outstanding.
Photo: Master1305/Shutterstock
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