The Pianobabbler's Jazzman-ifesto
January 17 2010

When the Pianobabbler's turns off the babble, he turns on the piano.

When he turns on the piano, he makes music.

When he makes music, he makes music. Not this music, not that music. Not jazz music, not as-good-as music. Just music.

Others call the music I make "jazz". The label fits well enough. Much of what I do lies in jazz's tradition. Many, though not all, of my influences played jazz. The jazz label helps orient the neophyte's expectations and impressions of what they'll hear from me.

So the Pianobabbler calls the music he makes jazz. Happily. Proudly. Consistently.

With great labels, however, come great responsibilities. The Pianobabbler has to help jazz thrive and survive, while defending it from its foes. This too he does, happily, proudly consistently.

Yet something nags. One hears outside voices declaring the death of jazz. Nothing new, except the volume has risen these past years. Too many voices to dismiss dismissively, too many mosquitoes for the mere reflexive waving of hands to dispel them.

I need not dwell on the maladies that exercise our proleptic jazz obituarists. The Pianobabbler pronounces jazz well and living, happily, proudly, consistently. Yet, he has surveyed jazz, and found it wanting. Too much fatigue in jazz. Too much prescription. Too much hermeticism. Too much narcissistic detachment. Too much detached narcissism. Not enough joy. Not enough too much. Not enough living. Not enough life.

The Pianobabbler is not painting jazz today as bad, repellent, toxic or uncomely. On the contrary. The Pianobabbler comes to praise jazz, not to bury it (with no Antonian irony.)

I thought I could best achieve this, and oxygenate my music, by offering my own manifesto. The manifesto of a jazzman. A Jazzmanifesto.

In point form only, and subject to elaboration, modification, abdication and amelioration, I give you, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, The Pianobabbler's Jazzmanifesto:

1. It is acceptable, even desirable, that jazz be entertaining.

2. Be complex when necessary, but not necessarily complex.

3. There is much great two-chord music yet to be written.

4. Love jazz standards, but Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga have written great songs too.

5. Why not make music danceable?

6. Do not confuse novelty for creativity. Do not confuse different for novelty.

7. Be open, not closed.

8. Honour jazz' history, but do not be its prisoner.

9. Enjoy the music you make. Enjoy making the music.

10. The artist looks inside and pours forth, hoping it connects on the outside. Look inside and connect. Do not look outside and disconnect.


The Pianobabbler has babbled.

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