If you already have a piece of music ingrained in your body, why would you not play it?
Keith JarrettRead
... The 'cleverness' syndrome has taken the place of melody. It's like everyone has come down with this terrible disease in jazz....you are always expected to do your own material, which is a strange thing to do if you're a poor composer but a great player.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the expectation in jazz for musicians to create original compositions rather than focus on performance skill.
Keith Jarrett's quote reflects on a trend in jazz music where the emphasis has shifted from melody and emotive play to cleverness in composition. He laments that musicians, particularly those who are excellent performers but may struggle with composition, feel pressured to produce original material instead of simply showcasing their virtuosity. This highlights a tension in the art form, where the artistry of playing is sometimes overshadowed by the demand for originality.
Themes
JazzCompositionPerformanceMusicCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the current state of jazz music at a concert.
More from Keith Jarrett
All quotes →Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple.
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Music always turns into music. As soon as I play a key, push a key down, there's no theory any more. When I go and I hear a sound on the keyboard, all theories go out the window.
Keith JarrettRead
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