dglsplsblg:

First off, I’m not going to speak to Payton’s assertion that the word/term “Jazz” is racist until I hear (or read it) from the man directly. My gut reaction is that it’s rubbish but until I get the lowdown, I can’t back my gut or go against it. So, that will come later.

However I don’t think the problem Jazz faces is something that it can truly control. I most certainly don’t think the problem with Jazz is the label “Jazz,” because I grew up understanding that Jazz was and is this genre with true depth. My youth was spent listening to Jazz by Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims, Sarah Vaughn and etc but not only them. I was also exposed to Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Grover Washington Jr, David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Spyro Gyra, Herbie Hancock and more. The problem isn’t Jazz, it’s the music labels and execs who keep pushing this ONE style of Jazz on the general public. Whenever I introduce my friends to Jazz, they are often shocked by it because they thought that “When The Saints Come Marching In,” was and is all that Jazz is about. That’s the problem. We don’t need to redefine Jazz. We, who actually know and love the depth and breath of Jazz, need to arrest that definition from those who want to keep us in the dark ages. That’s what’s killing us.