Jazz: Multipurpose art form meets multipurpose space

Abstract

The contemporary multipurpose performance space is not one that can exist without its evolution from Ancient Greek Amphitheaters to Elizabethan theaters to roaring twenties Movie Palaces. Its accelerating trajectory and relevance are directly correlated to the evolution of the art forms taking place and unfolding from within them. One such art form is Jazz. This session will explore episodic moments throughout the history of the Jazz art form that draw parallels to pivotal moments in the evolution of multipurpose performance spaces as we know them. The session is organized around five specific case studies: (1) Dixieland and The Rise of Armstrong; (2) Ellington, The Jazz Orchestra, and The Music Halls; (3) Miles: Birth of the Cool, Bitches Brew and Jazz Reinvention; (4) Gillespie and the melting-pot of Afro-Cuban Jazz; and (5) Jazz Fusion and found space. In each case study, a moment in Jazz history will be used as an analogy to introduce the architectural and acoustic concepts specific to a particular ty...