Why Jazz Still Matters Today 爵士樂為何今天依舊重要

文/戴維·西爾弗伯格 譯/肖穎

By David Silverberg

In a manufacturedcarbon-copy1 carbon-copy 相似的事物。pop landscape, only one true American art form is more important than ever to preserve.Jazz deserves our attention and it has the potential to bring much-needed spontaneity back to live music.當今的流行樂壇，千篇一律的音樂四處泛濫，唯有一種真正的美國藝術形式比以往更值得維護。爵士樂應當得到大家的關注，它能讓現場演出迫切需要的即興發揮回歸舞臺。

Last week, I was sitting with some friends at a barbecue and we were talking music.I told them I enjoy hard rock, hip-hop, lounge beats and jazz.They were nodding in agreement the whole way through until I dropped the j-bomb.

上周，我和一些朋友戶外燒烤時談到了音樂。我對他們說，我很喜歡硬搖滾、嘻哈、沙發音樂以及爵士樂。他們一開始還連連點頭，表示贊同，直到我扔出了爵士樂這個“重磅炸彈”。

[2]“Jazz?”one friend asked.“Dave,are you 45 or something? No one listens to jazz anymore.”

[2]“爵士樂？”一位朋友問道，“戴夫，你有這么老嗎，過了45了？現在哪兒還有人聽爵士樂。”

[3]I blinked twice, couldn’t believe what I heard and replied,“Oh really?Then why are Oscar Peterson shows sold out.Why does theLincoln Centre2 位于紐約，全世界最大的藝術會場。sell tickets at $100 a pop andget awaywith3 get away with 做了讓人接受不了的事情，而未受到干預。此處意譯。it? Why are jazz festivals cramming audiences inside outdoor tents to catch a glimpse at a seemingly unknownquartet4 quartet 四人樂隊。?”

[3]聽到這話，我簡直不敢相信自己的耳朵。我眨了眨眼回應道：“噢，是嗎？那為什么奧斯卡·彼得森演出的門票總被搶購一空？為什么林肯藝術中心的演出票賣到每張100美元，購票者依然絡繹不絕？為什么爵士音樂節上，戶外帳篷里總是擠滿觀眾，只為一睹看似籍籍無名的四人樂隊？”

[4]My friend didn’t hesitate when he said,“Jazz islame5 lame 沒落。.It’s all Kenny G and lounge singers.”

[4]朋友毫不猶豫地說：“爵士樂已經沒落了。叫得上名的只有肯尼·基和一些沙發音樂歌手。”

[5]And that’s the problem right there.Jazz has beenmarginalized6 marginalize 邊緣化。in today’s cultural landscape because it isn’t understood.Although jazz was born in the U.S., few Americans canrattle off7 rattle off 快速說出。the founders of the jazzscene8 scene 活動領域，……界。from the 1940s.In fact, I doubt many people could name the city where jazz was born (New Orleans).What amazes me to this day is how this vibrant musical formleaves an ugly taste in the mouths of9 源自leave a bad/nasty taste in the mouth 留下不好的印象。many music fans today.What shocks me even deeper is how thetalent pool10 talent pool 人才儲備。in jazz music is still strong,but misconceptions about its meaning remain prevalent.

[5]這就是問題的關鍵所在。在當今文化圈，爵士樂已經被邊緣化，因為它不為人所了解。盡管爵士樂誕生于美國，卻沒有幾個美國人能不假思索地說出20世紀40年代爵士樂界的元老們。我甚至懷疑許多人是否知道爵士樂誕生于哪座城市（新奧爾良）。我至今驚訝不已的是，這種充滿活力的音樂形式怎么會讓今天的許多樂迷嗤之以鼻。更令我震驚的是，現在爵士樂壇依舊人才輩出，可大眾對爵士樂的誤解卻大行其道。

[6]I’m reminded of an essay printed in theDetroit Free Pressin April.Music critic Mark Stryker wrote how jazz musicians can barely make a living today.It surprised me when he wrote:

[6]這讓我想起《底特律自由報》4月刊登的一篇文章。該文作者是樂評人馬克·斯特賴克，文中寫到爵士音樂人如今如何艱難度日，僅能勉強糊口。他的一段評述讓我頗感意外：

The fabric that once supported jazz musicians, fans, the club scene and recording industry has been torn apart.The challenge facing jazz today is to repair the cloth, to create a new infrastructure, to weave a new fabric.

曾經支持爵士音樂人、爵士樂迷、爵士現場樂隊和爵士唱片業的組織構架已經分崩離析。爵士樂現今所面臨的挑戰是要修補系統，奠定新基礎，創建新構架。

[7]He cites an obvious reason for the decline: jazz music sales account for 3 per cent of all music sales.It might not be a true shocker, in light of record companies hoping tolure11 lure 吸引，引誘。youth to their pop princes and princesses.

[7]對于爵士樂的衰落，他引述了一個顯而易見的原因：爵士樂的銷量在所有音樂銷售中僅占百分之三。考慮到唱片公司都一心想吸引年輕人去追逐流行小天王和小天后，這一點也就不足為奇了。

[8]Pianist Ramsey Lewis points the finger squarely in the faces of the artists themselves.He told theSan Diego Tribune:

[8]鋼琴家拉姆齊·劉易斯則將矛頭直指爵士音樂人自身。他對《圣地亞哥聯合論壇報》說：

Jazz people are passive people.They don’t spread the word.We don’t go to non-jazz people, and say ‘Have you heard this?’ We need to help ourselves,becauseMadison Avenue12 麥迪遜大街，指美國廣告業。sees us, they watch us… And then they watch us go back into the world and just talk to each other.So we have to ask: What can we do to further the music? We musicians talk the talk, but how many of us walk the walk?

爵士樂圈的人都不主動，不會四處做宣傳。我們不會走到不愛爵士樂的人面前，問他們：“這個你聽過嗎？”我們得自己幫自己，因為麥迪遜大街在看著我們，密切關注著我們……隨后，在他們的注視下，我們又退回了自己的圈子，只是彼此惺惺相惜。所以，我們必須要問：為促進爵士樂發展，我們能做些什么？我們音樂人說起來都頭頭是道，可有多少人說到做到？

[9]Great questions, but they won’t be answered anytime soon.All I know is how the jazz scene is trying tolook out-side the box13 源自think outside the box 創造性地思考。.Take my localTD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival14 多倫多爵士音樂節，由加拿大道明信托銀行（TD Canada Trust）贊助。, going down in various venues from June 22 to July 1.More than 60 musicians will grace Toronto stages to offer a variety of the music, from traditional jazz to avantgarde experimental jazz to acid jazz to a blues-jazz hybrid.The fest will welcome artists like Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, Mavis Staples, Roy Hargrove and Freddy Cole (brother of Nat Cole).But the lineup just doesn’t stop at thestalwarts15 stalwart忠實擁護者。; unusual inclusions like Sean Lennon, Antibalas, DJ Kid Koala and Nikki Yanovsky.It’s a genius move.

[9]問題問得好，可我們不會馬上得到答案。我知道的只是現在爵士樂界正在想辦法跳出束縛，創造性地思考問題。就拿我們當地的多倫多爵士音樂節來說，從6月22日一直持續到7月1日，在不同的場地舉行活動。60余名音樂人將登臺獻藝，演出曲目種類繁多，有傳統爵士樂、先鋒爵士樂、迷幻爵士樂以及藍調爵士樂，將為多倫多的舞臺增光添彩。音樂節將邀請眾多藝術家，比如戴夫·布魯貝克、赫比·漢考克、梅維絲·斯特普爾斯、羅伊·哈格羅夫以及弗雷迪·科爾（耐特·科爾的弟弟）等。但表演陣容不僅限于這些老資歷的爵士樂嘉賓，還會有一些特別來賓，包括西恩·列儂、防彈樂隊、DJ樹袋熊男孩，還有妮基·揚諾夫斯基。這真是一大創舉。

[10]If a jazz fest is going to attract youth andold-schoolers16 源自old-school，傳統的、老派的。alike, it needs to look beyond the traditional programming ideas.By inviting DJs and rock artists, Toronto’s jazzfest17is hoping to get people in the door so they can enjoy what jazz has to offer.It’s not justhighhats18 high-hat架子鼓中的帶踏板的踩镲。andstand-up bass19 即double bass低音提琴，也稱原聲貝斯。lines; jazz is about emotion and sweat and pouring originality into every guitarlick20 lick 吉他演奏的小過門。, every swingingoutro21 outro 樂曲的結尾部分。.

[10]如果一場爵士音樂節想要同時吸引年輕人和守舊派，就需要突破傳統的節目編排。通過邀請一些DJ和搖滾音樂人，多倫多爵士音樂節旨在將人們引入爵士樂的世界，享受其呈現的一切。爵士樂不僅僅只有踩镲和低音提琴的曲調，它是一種激情的迸發，是汗水的飛灑，它將創意融入吉他的每一個過門和每一段悠揚起伏的尾曲之中。

[11]And it’s about spontaneity.Watching a live jazz show is unlike attending a rock or hip-hop gig.Jazz musicians live and die by improv, so they’re constantlythrowing curveballs22 源自throw a curveball，指出其不意、捉摸不定的事物。at our earholes.You won’t find Herbie Hancockbanging23 bang 敲擊。out the same piano sole night after night because hisvibe24 vibe 情緒，氛圍。is constantly change from one show to the next.But I’ve been to lame rock shows where the band did the same set as two weeks ago,simply growing through routine because it was safe and easy.

[11]爵士樂還是一種內在沖動的自然生發。觀看一場現場爵士表演不像聽一場搖滾或者嘻哈演唱會。爵士樂手的成敗取決于即興表演，所以他們演繹的曲調總是出人意料。你會發現赫比·漢考克每晚的鋼琴獨奏都不一樣，因為每一場表演他的心境都會有變化。我也去過幾場無趣的搖滾音樂會，樂隊演的還是兩周前的幾首曲子，整個現場只是按部就班地走過場，因為這樣演出既保險又不費力。

[12]Anyone out there who doubt my theory that jazz music is an intellectual and emotional music (a strange combo,indeed), give a listen some artists who’ve inspired me to dive further into jazzcatalogues25 catalogue 一系列事物的列舉。.Spend an afternoon with Miles Davis.Get acquainted with Oscar Peterson.Lounge on your deck with Django Reinhardt.Go on a road trip with Medeski Martin & Wood.Fall asleep to the soothing vocals of Count Basie.

[12]我以為爵士樂是一種兼具理性和感性的音樂（的確是種奇怪的結合），誰要是質疑我這一觀點，只需聽聽那些爵士樂藝術家們的音樂，正是他們激發我一步步深入探尋爵士樂的奇妙世界。花一個下午的時間聽聽邁爾斯·戴維斯。用耳朵去結識奧斯卡·彼得森。在露臺上愜意地聆聽強哥·萊恩哈特。駕車旅行中與MMW爵士樂隊相伴。在貝西伯爵的舒緩歌聲中入眠。

[13]And most importantly, if you live in a major city, there’s likely a jazz festival in your neighbourhood, sometime in the summer.Why not give jazz a chance one evening? Maybe you don’t want to check out the elevator-musiclike“smooth jazz”so realize there’s more on the musical menu than just the clichéd forms.Take a risk and see some acid jazz, or put on your dancing shoes for a night of Latin jazz.

[13]最重要的是，如果你身處一個大城市，夏季的某個時候，你家附近可能會舉辦爵士音樂節。為什么不在某個夜晚試著去現場看看？或許你不想聽到單調的背景音樂式的“柔和爵士樂”，請記住，曲目單上有很多選擇，不僅僅是一些老調子。嘗試一下迷幻爵士樂，或者換上舞鞋跳上一整晚的拉丁爵士吧。

[14]It’s the kind of music for spontaneous music lovers.And it will only survive if people turn off the radio drivel that all sounds the same and return to an art form that tells the story of America’s growth.

[14]爵士樂只屬于自發音樂愛好者。只有當人們關上收音機，屏蔽里面大同小異的喋喋不休，重拾講述美國成長故事的藝術形式，這種音樂才能得以延續。