International Jazz Day: Celebrating Black British Jazz

To celebrate International Jazz Day, one of our educators writes about the movement of jazz throughout history, her experience of jazz growing up, and the power of creative expression. 

Moving in the Moment

Lights are low, candle flames flickering – there’s a buzz in the air and the dulcet soothing tones of the saxophone flutter in the air, accompanied by the dancing rhythm and blues of the drum and bass and the glue that unites it all is the trickle of the keys. In the words of jazzer, composer and bandleader (and personal icon) Cassie Kinoshi, “jazz means community, communication and honesty”. And to celebrate International Jazz Day, we nod our heads to those who paved this beautiful path of storytelling from the first inklings of jazzery to the magnificent fusions we experience today.

The movement of jazz throughout history

To embark on our first journey of community within jazz, we backtrack to America, where jazz (or jass as it was originally named) was conceived. It was a combination of African-American work songs, melodies, spirituals and rhythms alongside European music and instruments. By the 1900s, ragtime and blues was published as sheet music for dance and theatre orchestras in the USA. It became such a force in American and British popular culture and in the development of jazz itself. So when did Britain get involved?

The arrival of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (who was invited to play for King George V) and the Southern Syncopated Orchestra in London 1919 inspired a community of musicians and fans to launch Britain’s own exploration and ‘jazz age’. By the mid 1920’s, jazz became a thriving scene, building on visiting artists, through to American soldiers during and after World War 2. It moved further into a movement of free improvisation and avant-garde in the 1960s, this sub-genre being freedom to play without being restricted to a key or structure. From the 1970s we essentially begin to see various sides of jazz from scholarly performance to fusions of jazz being sampled and used in funk and hip-hop. And today? Well, it’s everywhere once you notice the links. 

Experiencing jazz in my early teens

So now we know the brief history of jazz and jazz as a community. But as Cassie said, jazz is a language of honesty and I’ll explain why: My experience of jazz came through a spontaneous jazz workshop my mum signed me up to. I was 13, maybe 14 years old at the time and I played violin. I thought, there’s no way I can play jazz, the violin is not even a jazz instrument! I begged my mum to take me off the workshop out of dread, anxiety and fear for sticking out like a sore thumb, a classical trained musician in a sea of cool cucumbers that played bass and saxophones and trumpets and trombones. Low and behold we arrived and I shyly slunk in the corner hoping never to be noticed, watching these kids with saxophones tooting away. We were beckoned into a circle and we took turns to learn a head of a new tune before being invited to improvise. Improvise? Without sheet music? How could I? I was mortified – I was so used to hiding behind a stand that this concept seemed bizarre and terrifying. How could I make up a melody on the spot with no music in front of me? All from my head?

And yet I walked away ecstatic and elated. I had been praised highly by the workshop coordinator for mixing my folk, classical influences into jazz and embracing my violin status. By being different and bringing myself to the floor. And that’s what honesty was. It was singing without opening my mouth. Before I knew it, by 16 I was in my first summer school composing my first jazz tune and I was falling more and more in love with this genre, realising that in fact, it was living all around me and I had never let it in. And now, my music as a composer and as a bassist is inspired by jazz. I live in rhythm and bass lines, I let the dance take me forward.

At The Black Curriculum, we promote the use of arts based practices in learning. Music is a particular art form which we use in our work to empower young people through teaching Black British History. Do you know a young person who would enjoy this? Check out our Springboard Programme, a scheme that involves free out of school workshops for young people aged 11-16, across London, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. Attendees will learn Black British history through the lens of music, including afro beats, reggae and much more. Click here for more information.

Jazz as a form of expression

I spoke to Cassie Kinoshi about her love and appreciation of jazz as an instrumentalist and composer and her words melodically sung the praises of the newly appreciated genre. She described jazz as “a safe and honest space to express yourself”, explaining that each performance is a new story – whether you’re sad or happy, you cannot hide your emotions from what you’re playing as you are part of the music. You have to connect with the players around you, the audience in front of you and the moment that you’re in. “When cultivated correctly” she explained, “you begin to develop your own voice and interpretation” – which really explains the communication of jazz. Whilst people only note the complexity of avant-garde jazz, we forget the simplicities of it all – it represents each time in history and each person that partakes. And currently we are in a renaissance era of fusion, a new love of the scene that seeps into RnB, Hip-Hop, Afro-beats, dance music. We hear the influences of jazz everywhere, especially in black communities – it is the heart and soul of our narratives and lives, it is our dance and our sorrow combined. 

Unfortunately, jazz in the UK has taken an elitist and inaccessible approach, especially now learning jazz through conservatoire and expensive music lessons, which is different from the US. The Black Curriculum explores this in our workshops however, and seeks to break down this barrier – it is our duty to celebrate voices and the souls of people in our community. 

To give confidence to those to share their story and inspire others. Like The Black Curriculum, jazz isn’t just for the insanely quick pianists or the finger acrobats. It’s for those who have a story to tell with a vibe. Who want to learn and strive for more and new experiences. If you want to dance, dance. If you want to tell a story, sing it from the mountains. If you need to cry, wail through a song. Move in the moment.

Here is a curated playlist of jazzers I recommend looking out for, music inspired by jazz and where it all began:

Mirrors - SEED Ensemble (Cassie's own band!)

24-7 - Nubiyan Twist, Ego Ella May

Quest For Coin - Ezra Collective, JME, Swindle

Hi There - Blue Lab Beats

Door - Alfa Mist,  Jordan Rakei

Pace - Nubya Garcia

New Day - Abstract Orchestra, Illa J

Plain Gold Ring - Zara McFarlane

Baba Ayoola - KOKOROKO

Helio - Charlotte Dos Santos

Lovestained - Hope Tala

Borderline - Jordan Rakei

Mm Mm - Hackney Colliery Band, Angelique Kidjo

All The Pieces Wonky Logic Remix - Nubiyan Twist, Wonky Logic

Written by Lavender Rodriguez, Educator at The Black Curriculum.

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For more of our learning resources on genres of black music, the British Empire, and more, click here.