Make It New: Reshaping Jazz in the 21st Century

by Bill Beuttler

As jazz enters its second century it is reasserting itself as dynamic and relevant. Boston Globe jazz writer and Emerson College professor Bill Beuttler reveals new ways in which jazz is engaging with society through the vivid biographies and music of Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, The Bad Plus, Miguel Zenón, Anat Cohen, Robert Glasper, and Esperanza Spalding. These musicians are freely incorporating other genres of music into jazz—from classical (both western and Indian) to popular (hip-hop, R&B, rock, bluegrass, klezmer, Brazilian choro)—and other art forms as well (literature, film, photography, and other visual arts). This new generation of jazz is increasingly more international and is becoming more open to women as instrumentalists and bandleaders. Contemporary jazz is reasserting itself as a force for social change, prompted by developments such as the Black Lives Matter, #MeToo movements, and the election of Donald Trump.

Genres: Jazz

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jazz, and the idea and identity of jazz, run through the music like an endless exploration of joy and sorrow. Full of heart but no true boundaries. Full of maps that never last, arguments that only lead to unity and independence. Jazz may stem from the most ancient of human encounters with sound, finding its way through the most inhuman treatment of the species. And it never stands still, nor alone, nor intimidated.
This theory, but well-noted in practice, is the basis for what may be one of the most revealing and thoughtful books about jazz, and certainly that belongs in the reading list of jazz patrons and musicians everywhere. The title announces its mission: Make It New: Reshaping Jazz in the 21st Century. The author, Bill Beuttler, a professor at Emerson College and longtime journalist, critic, and reviewer of jazz for DownBeat, Esquire, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and many others, presents his thesis via deep interviews with eight of the most admired current jazz musicians. Their backgrounds and choices of instrument vary considerably, but all are on point in what Beuttler finds to be a “reshaping”—through just about any musical angle and mix—classic, be-bop, cool, blues, straight-ahead, digital, hip hop, even bluegrass and country. And from any country and culture.
Although the book was released in 2019, it holds fast today, and, though already praised in jazz ranks, strongly deserves, and may be getting, a second round of attention. With any luck. That would be especially good for people who, like me, find jazz (and blues) to be my favorites, but couldn’t tell you top-shelf names much past Coltrane, Armstrong, Miles, Marsalis, or even the Jazz Vipers in the Quarter. But although Beuttler stakes a place in deep jazz history and analysis, he also helps fans of all levels understand.
His study makes a sound, detailed case for the ongoing evolution of jazz, and especially in this era. The book is indispensable in that sense. Especially the core, emergent in all the interviews and comments with the musicians. It is both simple and profound. Jazz is most of all the voice of each player, looking backward and forward from their own paths—personal, artistic, social justice, and especially race. Jazz is, indeed, multitudes. And a gift of the same dimensions.
The book isn’t for speed-reading, and shouldn’t be. But it is always on point. Here are portions of interviews with several of the musicians in Make It New as they look into their own motives, struggles, genius, and craft:
Rudresh Mahanthappa: ”If I say jazz to someone who doesn’t know the music, what do they think about? They think about their grandfather’s music, they think about this little trio in the corner while they were eating dinner—you know, lots of things I don’t identify with…. I’d say, do you have ten minutes for me to explain it to you? Or I could just say jazz and hope that they’ll be open to something, that maybe I can come up with a sentence that separates it from those things I don’t want to have anything to do with.”
Miguel Zenón: “It’s really about being honest with yourself and saying, ‘This is what I am,’ and trying to represent yourself…Hopefully after a while you’ll be able to connect all the dots together in a logical way so that people will be able to see you through the music.”
Anat Cohen: “Not everybody who plays jazz is a jazz musician…Some people only play what’s safe, and that’s not for me what jazz musicians are. Jazz musicians are the people who can readily do anything, can play all the other kinds of music and play jazz.”
Esperanza Spalding: “I sing the blues, I sing folk, I sing jazz, classical. I’m a poet, an actress, I know how to make really good cornbread…I do think honoring our elders and our predecessors is critical, but I also think you can’t try to become them. You have to be your own thing, and know that’s not where the source flows—it flows from your life. That [what came before] can be evidence of what’s possible.”
Robert Glasper: “Jazz is literally a mutt…Jazz is made from blues, jazz is made from classical music. It was made from religious music. And so it always was a music that was mixed together to make something . People say, ‘Oh, well if you mix this, is it still jazz?’ Yeah! Because it was mixed to begin with. That’s how they made it.”

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look for my review at All About Jazz.