Jazz, Racial Injustice, and What This Music Really Means (feat. Kyle Younger)

Welcome to episode 222 of the LJS Podcast where today we have on special guest Kyle Younger on the show to discuss the history of jazz and its ties to the racial oppression of the African American community.

Jazz is African American music, and we cannot understand or play this music without recognizing the oppression of those who created this music.

When we play jazz music and when we practice jazz music, it's important that we remember that it is African American music and it was born out of slavery. It was born out of racism, injustice, oppression, and it developed under injustice and oppression. And music is always a reflection of the times. It's always the reflection of the people who are playing the music. And we can never untie jazz and playing jazz, or not connect the two together. They are so intertwined. And so it's important that when we play this music, we have a reverence, we have an understanding of what this music really means, just even outside of the notes and the theory and how to play it. Now, I am not the right person to deliver this message, obviously.

So I've got a very special guest on the show today, multi-instrumentalist, educator, and jazz aficionado, Kyle Younger, to share what jazz music means. Not only what it means to the African American community, but what it should mean to us, and what we should think about when we play this music.

In this episode:
1. Jazz is a music born out of slavery, injustice, and oppression.
2. When we play this music we need to understand the context of which the music was created.
3. Jazz is music created by African Americans but shared with all. Jazz is love.

Important Links:
1. Kyle's Book Suggestions: Beneath the Underdog
2. Music is My Mistress
3. The Jazz Life
4. LJS Inner Circle Membership
5. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!