Love for Jazz is one of my greatest loves....

(Picture of me captured by the great @supernova)

Hi my dear Steemers,
This post of mine is dedicated to all of you guys who really find peace and, why not, sometimes even salvation, in some jazz music notes that can bring back balance and harmony to our inner world; whenever and wherever.

I am back to posting after quite a busy period for me (not sure if anybody missed me here but if so, it would be great :D ). For the last 2 months I have gone from being super loaded with work, to finally having some days of recuperation which I am still enjoying while adoring these gorgeous autumn days and evenings with my glass of wine and jazz music in the background.

-Cheers!!

"Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music." - Nina Simone

Born between late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, Jazz became the melted version of traditional and popular music as well as blues and ragtime, however all sharing the bonds of African-American music style. Oh well, how else could it possibly happen? :-)

Later on, Jazz became more and more known and explored. It also gained different tones to it making it special to each country that was creating jazz music, thus giving birth to new jazz styles.

Starting from Louis Armstrong, to all the others where we mention Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone etc etc, these giants have made it possible for us to swing in time through their timeless music.

(Source of picture: http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/11/01/242155743/holding-music-history-in-your-hands-why-archives-matter)

Many critics in time have tried to define Jazz, each of them always struggling to put into words all of what this magic music comprises. Critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt argues that jazz is "a form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of the Negro with European music" and that it differs from European music in that jazz has a "special relationship to time defined as 'swing'", involving "a spontaneity and vitality of musical production in which improvisation plays a role".

Travis Jackson says that "Jazz is music that includes qualities such as swing, improvising, group interaction, developing an 'individual voice', and being open to different musical possibilities".

As regards my kind of definition of Jazz, I can only say I consider Jazz to be the kind of music that brings the same therapeutic effect on me as a garden full of wonderful-smelling-roses would, making me feel so good that all I do is get up and dance with myself until I am feeling nothing but the very excitement of being alive!

(This picture was captured in the 1940s by Albanian photographer Gjon Mili who lived and worked in the United States. Please read more here: http://time.com/3689431/giants-at-play-life-with-jazz-legends/)

...here are some more of these beautiful old Jazz pictures which bring back the nostalgia...

(Source of picture: https://www.pinterest.com/mkatiecopeland/jazz/)

(Source of picture: http://wrti.org/term/big-band-jazz)

(Source of picture: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/king-oliver-was-the-cornet-player-and-band-leader-who-news-photo/514884850#king-oliver-was-the-cornet-player-and-band-leader-who-brought-louis-picture-id514884850)

(Source of picture: http://thequietus.com/articles/15748-simon-frith-interview-dance-hall-100-club)

On another note, I am very happy that here in Albania it's been a couple of years that we have a jazz festival which actually takes place on an old train that departs in the capital of the country and brings the participants to the north while enjoying a slow lovely train ride where there is gorgeous live music played and some top quality rum for everybody fancying it ;-).

All of this is organized by Hemingway Bar located in Tirana which comprises a group of lovely art-loving people. Here is a picture of me from such event ;-):

I guess this is it for this time my dear Steemers.

For all of you loving Jazz the way I do, please oh please feel free to share your thoughts and share your experiences. Would be very happy to hear from you.

Until next time,
Keep steeming :-)

@thesteemamateur