Perspective 250: What about jazz?

As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, Americans have every reason to celebrate the people, places and traditions that tell our story. But one omission during the Freedom 250 celebrations stood out to me: Where was jazz? 

We heard plenty of patriotic songs, country, rock, pop and some approximation of hip-hop. Yet the music most often described as America's original art form was absent from the celebration. 

Jazz earned that distinction because it was born here. In the streets, churches, dance halls and neighborhoods of New Orleans, African musical traditions met European harmony, Caribbean rhythms, the blues, ragtime and brass band music to create something entirely new. No other nation can claim its birth. It is uniquely American. 

More than that, jazz embodies the ideals we associate with our nation. Individual voices improvise freely while listening and responding to one another. Every musician has a chance to lead, but no one succeeds without the ensemble. It's freedom balanced by responsibility, innovation grounded in tradition and structure, and diversity transformed into something greater than the sum of its parts. 

However, jazz also reminds us that America's greatest cultural gift emerged from a people who were too often denied the very freedoms the music celebrates. That tension — between our highest ideals and our imperfect history — is part of the American story too.  

Celebrating our nation should showcase what makes America distinctive. There is country music, rock 'n' roll, Broadway, hip-hop, and more. But if there is one musical tradition that belongs unmistakably to the U.S. and reflects our core values, it is jazz. It deserves to be heard and appreciated.  

I'm Joseph Flynn and that is my perspective. 
 
Joe's recommended discography, in order of release date.  

Copy Edited by Eryn Lent