REPOST: Watch Noah Galloway perform 1970s jazz routine with Sharna Burgess on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Did you watch ABC Dancing With The Stars tonight's episode? Noah Galloway and his professional dancer Sharna Burgess danced a 70s Jazz routine. Watch their performance here:

Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess rehearse a jazz routine for Week Seven of "Dancing with the Stars." | Image Source: al.com/entertainment

Alabama's Noah Galloway and his partner, Sharna Burgess, performed a jazz routine tonight on "Dancing with the Stars." 

The episode, themed as "Eras Night," asked the remaining teams to use time periods as their inspirations, from the 1920s to the future. Galloway and Burgess, known as #TeamShway, chose the 1970s as their decade, along with costumes that evoked "American Hustle" and "Scarface."

Judges for the ABC reality series -- Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Julianne Hough -- gave Galloway and Burgess a combined score of 36 out of 40 points.

On last week's episode, #TeamShway earned 29 out of 40 points, placing near the bottom of the pack. Seven duos remain on "Dancing" during Week Seven, as the celebs and dance pros move into the last few weeks of the competition.

Galloway and Burgess also participated in a head-to-head dance-off with another couple, trying to to earn points. They won the dance-off, vying against Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson, and added two points to their score. Final total for #TeamShway: 38/40.

Galloway, 33, an Army vet from Alabaster, lost part of his two left limbs in 2005 after a bomb blast in Iraq. But that didn't stop him from moving on with his life, rallying to become a personal trainer, long-distance runner, motivational speaker and cover guy for Men's Heath magazine.

Performing on "Dancing with the Stars" is his latest challenge, and one that Galloway has tackled with grit, grace and gumption.

We'll follow with a full recap of #TeamShway's latest appearance on the show. For now, watch their jazz performance in the video clip below.

Video Source: al.com

These are just a few of the most notable jazz styles around as the music is constantly changing. For more information on jazz and its evolution, subscribe to Lou S. Habash's blog.

REPOST: Why Isn’t Jazz More Popular?

Jazz music is beautiful and many fans of the genre wonder why not more people share this opinion.  This Slate article features a reason for jazz' declining popularity based off an answer posted in Quora.

 

Jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove performs in 2012 in Prague. | Image Source: slate.com

This question originally appeared on Quora, the best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Answer by Mills Baker, studied and played music:

Many of these answers are excellent; I think they largely suffice to explain why jazz isn't more popular. But I think one controversial dynamic has gone unmentioned: race. Because this question is not really about the absolute popularity of jazz—after all, why isn't classical music more popular? or polka?—but about its declining popularity.

So why is jazz not as popular as it once was? I think it's mostly due to hip-hop's rise as the preferred authenticity-signaling genre for many white listeners.

Jazz has always fared well among musicians and people who like to attend closely to creative expression, formal innovation, complex musical structures, improvisational heroics, and the like. But for a significant part of the 20^th century, jazz was also a popular way for whites to express enthusiasm and support for blacks and black culture, and to distinguish themselves from other whites. Someone commented: I know I should like jazz because it's cool and important …

I believe he is implicitly referring to this era of American (and European and even Japanese) history: when cool audiences partially appreciated jazz because of its signifying power, because it indicated that they were "hip," "authentic," and enamored with a genre that put black creative expression on par with that of any tradition in art history. There are both good and bad sides to this, but the point is that loving jazz was (and sometimes is) shorthand for a certain kind of political-cultural position.

The political context cannot be overlooked. From the Harlem Renaissance to the time of the Beats, jazz meant more than music for many audiences, and literature and movies from the era are hagiographical toward jazz artists not solely because they were geniuses—although that of course helped!—but because many people liked associating themselves with the aura of the scene: cool cats, counter-culture, Miles Davis walking off the stage as a real artist, etc. In the 1950s, liking jazz made you part of an elect group with appealingly progressive tastes and interests.

To reduce this to a simple series of steps:

1. Jazz is an awesome, original genre of highly sophisticated music developed in the United States.
2. Critics and influencers in culture centers like New York City, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, and so on recognize its import and love it both as art and—through the 1940s and much of the '50s—as entertainment. There is also a political element to this, in some cases.
3. Larger crowds love the entertainment but also love doing what critics and culture leaders love doing; they perceive "going to the jazz club" as a cool, sophisticated thing to do, and love the experience on many levels. For many in the crowd, the political angle is even more important than it was for critics.
4. Jazz evolves, remains an artist's art, continually seeks to challenge audiences, problematizing the happy enjoyment of the many even as it pleases some number of the few. Jazz becomes decreasingly accessible; danceable jazz vanishes (for leading artists, anyway) and discordant, atonal, arhythmic, or otherwise experimental sounds become more common.
5. Jazz reaches a pinnacle of intellectualism, scandal and tragedy (including widespread drug abuse), deconstructed sounds and experimental albums—perhaps in the 1970s—just before hip-hop arrives in the 1980s.

By the time hip-hop arrives, jazz is fatally old: It's something one's parents listened to. And now there is a new means by which youth can indicate that they are different from their mothers and fathers and white culture in general, a controversial genre that provides them with some of the racial and class exoticism many seem to seek. Moreover, it has lyrics, and lyrics are always preferable to instrumental music for the masses for perfectly sensible reasons (they understand words, know how to form and use them; they do not have this facility with saxophones or pianos).

Through the '80s, '90s, and today, hip-hop evolves too, but not like jazz: Rather than growing more introverted and challenging it goes pop (not all of it, of course; challenging and/or deep hip-hop abounds). Now it's possible for suburban whites to broadcast their multiculturalism and to feel connected to a vital, authentic, countercultural scene just by listening to well-produced, four-minute tracks with perfectly intelligible lyrics and familiar references.

So while as many answers have noted jazz remains popular with its core fans, the "cool" of listening to it is now more easily had listening to hip-hop. At least that's my speculative sense. Jazz simply no longer signals cool sophistication.

* * *

A final note: New instrumental music is now overwhelmingly electronic, and electronic music is much easier to begin to make than jazz is; among other things, one can make it alone, with a computer, whereas jazz requires years of practice and training and then assembling a group, a space to play, and then trying to play live. As such, some of the musicianship-oriented listener base has fragmented for noncultural reasons and satisfies itself elsewhere.

Related to this is that jazz was once musically contiguous with the music behind pop. For example: If you loved Frank Sinatra, you were accustomed to the sounds and production methods used by some jazz. Again, that role today is played by electronic music: If you love Kanye West, you are accustomed to the sounds and production methods of electronic music. As such, if you start making music or get into instrumental music, it will probably be electronic. It's easier, more familiar, and is part of the popular music of the day.

I think jazz has been mostly displaced by hip-hop and electronic music. Of course, many jazz musicians and hip-hop and electronic artists defy this observation and make use of one another's genres. But jazz struggles a bit with this, as many jazz audiences do not want to listen to Squarepusher, while many Squarepusher listeners find John Coltrane quite palatable. The reasons why some genres develop formal sclerosis are hard to pin down, but have a lot to do with how repertorial they are.

Learn more about jazz music by following Lou S. Habash on Google+.

REPOST: A List of Common Jazz Instruments

 For those who aren't familiar with jazz but are interested in making music, there are a few instruments you should know how to play. Summer Jazz spotlights the most common jazz instruments in this article below:

Image Source: summerjazz.net

 
If you’re thinking of assembling your own jazz band then here is a list of jazz instruments that you and your future band mates should be able to master in order to create the unique and tantalizing blend of sounds that only jazz music can create.

Piano

It’s definitely the most commonly known and used instrument in jazz, but it’s also the most expensive. It would be nice if you can find a musician who already has his own keyboard or actual baby or grand piano for that matter. But if not, it’s possible that you’ll find a lot of venues with pianos available on site and which you can use during your set.

Saxophone

The saxophone is also one of the most popular jazz instruments because of the unique sound it’s able to produce. Saxophones have a great resemblance to clarinets, which is why most people end up mistaking one for the other. Charlie Parker is one of the best known saxophonists in the world of jazz and if your band’s saxophonist is still in the experimental stage, he’s sure to find inspiration by listening to Parker’s albums.

Clarinet

The clarinet’s body can either be made of metal, wood, ivory, or even plastic. Like other brass instruments, it has a reed connected to its mouthpiece and through which the player blows air and creates music. Benny Goodman is one of jazz’s most popular clarinet players and it would do your band well if you’re to listen to his many famous collaborations and learn from it.

Trumpet

The trumpet is also another popular jazz instrument that belongs to the brass family. In fact, most jazz bands tend to consist of a mix of purely keyboard and brass instruments. Some, however, may feature percussion instruments as well, but this is not as common.

While you may have a hard time finding someone who plays the clarinet or sax, you’ll be happy to know that finding a trumpeter is almost as easy as finding a pianist. After all, trumpets are often part of the lineup of most school marching bands.

Once you have all these instruments ticked off in your to-do list, you just have two more tasks to complete. First, look for a vocalist – jazz instrumentals are all well and good, but there are times when songs sound fairly incomplete without vocal and lyrical accompaniment. And finally, don’t forget to choose a name for your band – one that can hopefully stay with you from the start and all the way to the top!

Lou S. Habash is a jazz dance instructor. Like this Facebook page for more information on all things jazz.

REPOST: Dirty Dancing, review: 'a hard-eyed fairy tale'

What makes Dirty Dancing a good film? Sarah Crompton reviews this classic film on the article below: 

Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing | Image Source: telegraph.co.uk

There was a time when I watched Dirty Dancing at least once a month and I am sure it did me a lot of good, because what seems an enjoyable piece of fluff about a summer camp romance is, in its own quiet way, a powerful morality tale.

It is set, as Baby (Jennifer Grey) says in her famous opening line, in "the summer of 1963 when everybody called me Baby, and it didn't occur to me to mind. That was before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came."

Baby is an idealistic type who wants to change the world, while her sister "just wants to decorate it". She doesn't quite fit in and from the start she is attracted to bad-boy entertainer Johnny (Patrick Swayze) and the world of the camp staff, whose dancing is dirty, sexy, and a million miles away from the silly competitions taking place in the camp proper.

It's the dancing that everybody remembers; that and Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes's (I've Had) the Time of My Life, which won the Best Song Oscar and provides the rousing finale. And it's true that Grey's sheer joy and good humour as she practises her steps on bridges and in lakes is absolutely infectious, while Swayze transcends one of the worst haircuts in recent film history to convince as a terrific dancer and an attractive man.

But what makes Dirty Dancing such a good film is that it is about more than sex, love and the liberating power of dance. It's a girl's need for an abortion that enables Baby and Johnny to dance together and allows Baby to express her altruism and her belief that "everyone is alike and deserves a fair break". It is thus a hard-eyed fairy tale, albeit one with a very warm and witty heart.

When Johnny returns to put his holiday love centre stage ("nobody puts Baby in a corner") there's no suggestion of a happy ever after; the point is that they have shown each other and us how to live. I defy you not to cry and cheer at the same time.


Lou S. Habash is a jazz dance teacher who has taught both children and adult alike. Visit this Facebook page for more jazz related updates.

The musical cure: Why jazz is good for the brain

Image Source: freep.com

Studies have been conducted investigating the effectiveness of music therapy in aiding the recovery of patients with mental disability or those who suffered from stroke. These studies concluded that listening to jazz has potential benefits to their physical and mental health.

Jazz has the power to influence the types of brainwaves we produce. Songs with distinctive syncopation or fast beats can bring out Theta brainwaves, which are creative brainwaves that can induce "Eureka!" moments. Jazz trains the mind to think creatively and critically, improves its focus, maintains motivation, and reduces fatigue during a workout.

Image Source: jazzjournal.co.uk

Relaxing music also has the power to reduce anxiety and stress and is as good as any massage. These kinds of music can bring about Alpha brainwaves or Delta brainwaves. The difference between the two is that alpha brainwaves are produced when the brain synchronizes with the beat of the music (of up to 60 beats per minute). They can relax you but keep you conscious. Delta brainwaves have the opposite effect;they can induce better sleep especially if you're listening to soft and slow music in a relaxed position.

The other health benefits of jazz include:

● 25% less depression than non-listeners
● Improved memory and focus
● Aid in recovery for stroke victims
● Lowers and maintains blood pressure

Image Source: goalistics.com

I am Lou S. Habash, a jazz dance instructor. Learn more about why you should get into jazz by following me on Twitter.

REPOST: Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga team up to celebrate jazz

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett deliver surprising chemistry on a new album of jazz standards called  'Cheek to Cheek'. This article from the Daily Herald reviews this interesting collaboration.




  Video Source: dailyherald.com

Kids, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga have homework for you: Listen to their new jazz album.

The Grammy winners say they hope "Cheek to Cheek," featuring selections from the Great American Songbook, will turn younger people on to jazz music.

"The point of this album is not only to bring Tony and I together to collaborate, but to bring jazz to an entirely new audience," Gaga said in a recent interview. "This is really about us giving jazz what it deserves, which is the upmost respect and upmost praise."

"Cheek to Cheek" features covers of songs from Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" to Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" to Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life." Gaga and Bennett have worked on the album, which was released Tuesday, for two years.

"Besides having the whole world enjoying her right now, she has a vast group of young people who love her, and they've never heard popular jazz music, classical American music," Bennett said in a separate interview this week. "And my ambition was to do this album so they would get acquainted with that music."

Gaga, who grew up in New York like Bennett, said she has been singing jazz music since she was 13. She broke onto the music scene in 2008 with multiple No. 1 hits flavored with dance and electronic beats.

"It's truer to my nature," she said of recording jazz. "Because so much of what I've done has been heavily Auto-Tuned or made very electronic to fit on the radio, but this is so much easier because I'm a rebel and this is really rebellious for me to say goodbye to pop for a moment and just sing some pure jazz."

"The truth is that this is the original pop music of America," she added. "And I've been trying to explain to my fans in the best way that I can that these songs are truly timeless."

Gaga, 28, and Bennett, 88, first collaborated in 2011 on "The Lady is a Tramp." The song appeared on Bennett's album "Duets II," which sold more than 1 million copies and won two Grammy Awards. Bennett, who had his first No. 1 song in 1951, said the key to his longevity is maintaining high standards.

"I joined the American Theatre Wing (after fighting in World War II) and it was the best choice I ever made because the first thing they taught everybody, whether it was music or dancing or singing, they taught everybody 'Never compromise, only do quality,'" Bennett said. "And now it's all paid off."

To learn more about all kinds of great jazz moves and music, visit this Lou S. Habash Facebook page.

New Orleans: The place for anything ‘jazz’

New Orleans sounds like no other place in the world. And one of the most amazing things about the city is its native music—jazz.

Image Source: theguardian.com

Also known as “Dixieland music,” New Orleans jazz is markedly one of the major elements that define the “Old South.” New Orleans is considered to be the birthplace of the genre, where jazz developed at the beginning of the 20th century, which soon branched out to other cities, including New York and Chicago in the 1920s.

Image Source: wikipedia.org

Contributing to the genre’s evolution, the Creole people of New Orleans and Buddy Bolden are credited for jazz’s development, along with icons such as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton.

Image Source: worldfestivaldirectory.com

Today, the gift of jazz music lives on in the region. New Orleans holds the largest traditional jazz festival in the United States, celebrated annually on Memorial Day weekend. The event is attended by approximately 100,000 visitors annually, with more or less than 150 bands from different parts of the globe.

In other smaller venues and locations, the Old South is known for having the greatest jazz clubs in the country. An example of this is the historic Preservation Hall, located in the French Quarter, and Fritzel's, which is renowned for its neighborhood pub atmosphere and local musicians.

Lou S. Habash is a dance teacher who is passionately in love with anything jazz. For links of her other blog articles about the genre, follow her on Twitter.