What is Jazz?

Glen Miller did play Jazz.

Mapman

Thanks for your comments. I did watch the Video you sent and also one by the same group entitled 'meet me halfway. My impressions are:

Very nice video images, pleasant enough music, the vocals expressed nice seniments. A little too political correct for my taste. As I have said before, try listening to the music without looking at the video. Does it changed your opinion of the music? It does for me.
I think my main problem with music like this is that I do not preceive it as 'serious' music from 'serious' people. Why the weird hair and wardrobe? Can you picture John Coltrane or Marvin Gaye in a mohawk hair cut? Why the special sound effects? Motown managed to make the best pop music ever, wearing coats, ties and gowns. Same applys to the Jazz greats. They were SERIOUS people playing SERIOUS music. They dressed accordingly. MJQ even took it to a higher level. Even dirt poor blues players most often managed to dress with coat and tie. It's called, respecting yourself and the music you play. If the video you sent is the wave of the future, I won't argue that point. I got off the train back at the motown, blue note, and chess stop. I use these labels as metaphors for an era. I am still on the classical train. Its has never been better.

Overall it reminded me of european pop from the 70s / 80s. Boney M comes to mind. BTW, I typed this response while 'reviewing' a cd called 'The Best of Brazilian Jazz' I could have been in an elevator or Doctor's waiting room. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. :)
Peace.

Now that we have discussed, debated, disected, ad naseum
lets discover:

Today's playlist

El Jazz Cubano:
various artists including heavyweights like Irakere, Chucho Valdes and Rubalcaba. Very enjoyable straight-ahead jazz. Great piano work.
1993

Jive at Five
Clark Terry & Red Mitchell
Mitchell is a very underrated bass player
1990

Plays Ellington
McCoy Tyner
Includes latin percussionist. 'Caravan' is a standout
1964

The Best of Brailian Jazz
Various Artist (most of whom should desire anonymity)
YAWN. sets world jazz back a few centuries. Only good as a soundtrack for a TV travel show.

as always IMO. :)
Peace

"We don't need no stinkin Wikipedia", they're going all the way back to slaves dancing in Congo square in New Orleans; our jazz doesn't go back that far.

The only reason "our" jazz doesn't go back that far is because there was nothing to record it on back then. If there had been, someone would still be listening to it and calling it jazz.

Charles1dad, of course you are correct. But, I would bet you my Manley mono's (and I'll throw in my Columbia Six-Eye "Kind Of Blue") that if you were to poll 100 jazz musicians and ask them who they would pick (if they had to) as THE greatest jazz musician, and the one who best embodied the essence of jazz as they understand it, that the overwhelming majority would pick Louis Armstrong. Regards.