What is a Jazz Mass?
A Jazz Mass" is the liturgy of the worship service framed in a jazz setting with vocal interpretation of the traditional text and improvisational expression of the reverent mood. The text was adapted by Dr. William E. Smith

13 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, GOSPEL: Contemporary Gospel



Details:
Jazz is an American creation that is rooted in the soul-stirring tradition of the spirituals and congregational singing of the Black Church. Jazz grew up in the secular world of bars and taverns and lived its adolescence in concert halls and on stages. The adult years of jazz saw its return to the church and spiritual traditions with Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Duke Ellington's sacred concerts were a re-integration of jazz music back into the church. Coltrane's explorations were a global expression of spiritual yearning and mysticism.

Jazz, as performance and ritual, is unique. It can delicately blend the sacred & the secular in ways that speak to the hearts of all people, because jazz comes from the soul yet is rooted in everyday life. The W.E.S Group embodies this notion of jazz as a spiritual expression. Under the direction of Dr. William E. Smith, an assistant professor at American University in the Department of Performing Arts, they perform "A Jazz Mass," an original composition based on the liturgy of the Episcopal and Catholic worship services.