Mark Tanner

Jazz Hands 1

The title of this series, 'Jazz Hands', derives from the familiar exuberant gesturing seen in music theatre. The term 'jazz' has been adopted and adapted in a multiplicity of ways (not unlike 'classical', indeed), so that it no longer tells us very much about the music itself. Thankfully, nonetheless there are 'givens' aplenty in jazz - 'syncopations', 'back-beats', 'stabs', 'licks' and 'riffs'. In practice, compromises need to be made, so a certain amount of reading between the lines becomes inevitable. Ultimately, the music will only come to life when both composer and performer see eye to eye.