Think jazz is just monotonous elevator music? You might want to think again if you enjoy any of today's popular songs.
"Jazz is the root of pop music," said freshman Wesley Morgan, recording technology major.
University of Memphis jazz students painted the town, or at least The U of M campus, Tuesday night when the Student Jazz Combos kicked off the 2005 Jazz Festival.
Pop music may be rooted in jazz, but graduate student Erica Collier took the influence one step further.
"It's the root of all music really. It's an art that's all about expression," she said.
Collier played the trumpet and Morgan played the bass Tuesday night for a portion of the Student Combos concert. Collier said the Jazz Festival, which runs through Saturday, helps students go one step further in their musical careers.
"It's all about getting to see what people in the profession do, and how they take it to another level," Collier said.
The festival showcases student performances and exposes students to world-class performances according to the head of the jazz department and conductor of U of M's Southern Comfort jazz band, Dr. Jack Cooper.
"Memphis is one of the great birth places of jazz and blues dating all the way back to W.C. Handy in the 1920s and '30s," he said. "Jazz is also America's indigenous music."
Just as Europe boasts a rich classical music background, the United States' claim to fame is this more modern art form.
"It's comparable to European Western classical music in terms of expression, artistry and technical prowess it takes to play the music," Cooper said.
Understanding the complexities of this music genre may reveal more than just a good grasp on jazz theory. It helps reflect the social fabric of the United States according to Dave Lisik, a graduate student in jazz studies.
"To understand the relationships within a jazz group means to understand the democratic nature of American society and its social struggles," he said.
And for those who are easily bored by a song, Lisik said jazz-colored tunes possess more to capture your attention.
"Jazz has a maturity and complexity that can maintain interest on many levels," he said. "You can listen to a piece many times and always find something new inside it."
The week's events include a Friday night concert featuring vocalists Joyce Cobb, The U of M Jazz Singers and the Faculty Jazz Quintet.
Saturday is an all day high school event with The U of M Jazz Band II performing at noon in Harris Concert Hall.
To top off the week's events, the world-renowned Vanguard Jazz Orchestra will bring their unique sound combining tradition with innovation to the Rose Theatre Saturday at 7:30 p.m. along with a performance by Southern Comfort.
"The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is arguably the best and most innovative large jazz ensemble in the world," Lisik said. "By employing the finest jazz instrumentalists in New York, the group is of the highest quality in every respect."
Cooper hopes the concert will expose more people to the level of what U of M jazz professors and students do and that people will come "just to hear good music." While this concert is free for students, "to hear the group just for one set on a Monday night in New York costs easily over $50," Cooper said.
