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Kayla Clancy Existentialism and Jazz in the Post-War Era ! There is a quiet tap...tap...tap. The uniform beat is unchanging. Suddenly there is a loud

razzling of a trumpet, the righteous notes of a saxophone. A grand myriad of instruments constantly changes and liberates the beat. Each improvisational note is pure freedom and expression. In the post-war era, the air of grand conformity was like an unchanging beat, yet jazz music served as an opportunity to liberate such conformity through an existential discovery of self through improvisation in the moment. 1. Existentialism ! To begin this inquiry it is important to know a bit about the doctrine of existentialism. In

developing an understanding about existential ideals it will be easy to see how beautifully jazz ts into the existential framework. In his renowned work, Existentialism and Human Emotions, Jean Paul-Sartre shares his thoughts on the basis of the doctrine, First of all, man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and only afterwards, denes himself (Sartre 15). This exemplies the idea that existence precedes essence, and goes further to say, Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself (Ibid.). Here it is clear that the existentialist takes a very real approach to life. If there was no thought given to meaning, there never wouldnt be any, and man would just be as he is. Everything that makes up the life of man-his environment, the people in his life, the objects, and emotions he feels-are produced by him and him alone. In this way man creates his own reality, and he may maneuver as he chooses. These choices are that reective of that created life force, before you come alive, life is nothing; its up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose (Ibid., 49). It may than seem intimidating, this grand sense of responsibility for self, yet it is also liberating! In realizing this aloneness in the

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world, this power to choose freely, man must make a decision. Will he choose to act...to live...or will he choose not to? The existentialist would argue that in this life there is no one to blame for anything, except oneself, It is therefore senseless to think of complaining since nothing foreign has decided what we feel, what we live, or what we are (Ibid., 53). Man is heartily responsible for the life he leads, and in realizing such the existentialist hopes man will propel into action. He is after all not only responsible for himself, but for all of mankind, try to understand what the fact of this freedom represents for human destiny (Ibid., 52). Civilization is, of course, made up of individuals. Consequently each individual lives as a representation of mankind. Will man be a representation of action, of living his truth, or fall by the wayside? These existential thoughts are very plain and clear in nature. They wish to strip away all the confusion, and leave only a straight understanding that man, and the life he leads, are purely his actions. In every present moment, man is free to decide. ! ! Before venturing into the world of jazz, an important word on passion, and expectation. Man

often becomes lost in searching for himself, or creating something outside himself to a dreamed perfection or expectation. Yet, there is no denite painting to be made, that the artist is engaged in making of his painting, and that the painting to be made is precisely the painting he will have made (Ibid., 42). It is quite simple then to grasp the existential thought that there should be no stress or expectation in reaching a certain end point, or having such a rigid vision of what a certain outcome may be. Action alone matters, not the outcome from such action. These outcomes are exactly as they need to be so long as man is present in choosing the actions that precede them. ! Now, for passion. In reference to art, or another seeming passion, an important note from

the book of the existentialist is that such an interest does not dene a man, no, man is not going

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to help himself by nding in the world some omen by which to orient himself (Ibid.,23). How liberating! In the long quest for discovering that trade, pastime, or mode of creation to invest ones life in, it ends up that man alone is passion. It is his action, his choice to express himself through differing modes of experience from moment to moment, but they do not dene him. Further, many men, in fact, know that the goal of their pursuit is being; and to the extent that they possess this knowledge, they refrain from appropriating things for their won sake and try to realize the symbolic appropriation of their being-in-itself (Ibid.,93). Life now seems simple. Act to experience a state of being which coincides with the meaning sought. It is the action, the experience, the journey. It is natural; it is effortless. ! To sum up the existential view, the existentialist feels that existence comes before essence, or

meaning. This meaning is derived by man himself. Man is inherently free to decide whatever he like which yields such meaning, and the resulting outcomes are just as they should be so long as he actively, freely decides what takes him there. His actions alone make him who he is, and it is his existence itself and the actions that make it up which are passion, not purely any one thing. 2. The Post-War Era ! Emerging from the existential doctrine and into the postwar culture, comes the study of an

emergent Beat generation, and Jazz. During this time after World War II, the Cold War arrived. In America the air was saturated with the threat of communist ideals. In turn, the American culture seemed to follow a trend of conformity. If everyone was one certain way, and that way was American, and far from communist ideals, it seemed a safe way to be. Yet the Beat generation saw things a little differently, In the postwar era, the opposite of hip was square, or a square: a person who lived according to the status quo (Fellner 27). Following conformist ideals was seen as rigid and devoid of real action. When everything was the same, the individual

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was lost. To be cool, Hip promotes spontaneous self-expression: the id over the superego, self over society, instinctive survival over rational analysis. The notion of following ones instincts forces man into the present moment to choose a course of action, rather than losing himself in thought. Such ideals are quite existential. It was similarly felt, Jazz and improvisation [were] a promise to transform American culture by infusing it with a chaotic, if liberating, impulse-the etic of spontaneous action (Ibid., 34-35). In its very essence, Jazz was far cast from conformity. The improvisation of music in the moment meant creating something completely unique, whereas conformity sought to remain the same, to be like the pre-existing. The sense of liberation jazz brought the musician, and the audience, comes from deciding and acting purely in the moment. This is again quite existential in nature. As jazz grew existentialism too peaked interest after the second world war, This was the era of Apache (rufan) dancing, of jazz in smoke-lled Left-Bank clubs, of theater of the absurd, and of freedom in almost every sense of the word; In its French expression, it was a child of the liberation [and] its spirit remained in the depths of Western society to surface in various nonconformists movements (Flynn 6). Yes, indeed, liberation would be found. Just as Sartre said, in existentialism, as in life, man is free! To those seeking liberation from the binds of conformity, the ght against communism felt more a symbol of ghting suppression of expression. Certain members of postwar society found connection to the doctrine, Young people who had grown up in the shadow of the Bomb, they resonated with the thanatological consciousness of European existentialism, which impressed them with the importance of making their own meanings in life (Farrell 71). With the existential doctrine well developed, and the desire to break the conformist mold of the postwar, there was grand potential for a vehicle of such capabilities. In the postwar era, Jazz music served

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as a departure from this conformity that swept American culture. The war was Cold, but the jazz was hot, and liberating. ! A key group existing in opposition to such conformist ideals during the postwar era was the

Beat generation. Jazz was inherently popular in the Beat culture; they found it fascinating as it seemed to aligned with their existential quest. Beat author, Jack Kerouac, touched on this intrigue in his novel On the Road. When asked what IT meant in jazz music, character Dean speaks of the musician on stage, He starts the rst chorus, then lines up his ideas...and then he rises to his fate and has to blow equal to it. All of a sudden somewhere in the middle of a chorus he gets IT-everybody looks up and knows, as they listen; he picks up and carries. Time stops. Hes lling empty space with the substance of our lives...he has to blow across bridges and come back and do it with such innite feeling soul-exploratory for the tune of the moment that everybody knows its not the tune that counts but IT- (Kerouac 207). From the existential viewpoint jazz music is therefore like life. First, the music exists simply as a song just as man merely exists in space and time.Then, as the improvisation gives way the mighty IT, the essence so to speak, is created through action, and meaning is derived based upon that action. Consequently, the very nature of jazz, is existential. 3. Jazz ! The existential claim that existence precedes essence is further inherent in jazz. In the start,

Jazz musicians are alone, devoid of meaning and purpose, until that moment when they freely choose to play and interact with their fellow musicians...in the moment, they make music, and in turn, meaning, with their choices; clearly, this music that requires attention, presence and an ongoing dialogue is a soundtrack made for ideas of existentialism (Greene). The music acts as the essence of life, found only in the action decided upon in the moment. There is no future in the

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existential realm, only now. The jazz musician cannot think about the future, for if he is taken out of the moment the essence will be lost, and the improvisation will crumble. The moment is all the soloist has, and from the existential view, its all anybody has. ! More than just reective of existence preceding essence, jazz and existentialism also share

key qualities of freedom and choice (spontaneity), responsibility for action, and risk. ! Enumerated in the initial investigation of the existential doctrine is the notion of freedom and

choice. Reminiscent on discussion of action, Jazz asserts its identity by nding meaning within the music itself, rather than in some specic end...they very act of performing jazz is a constant, owing work of creation; it creates its purpose in each passing moment without worrying about what it is supposed to do (Sepac). Like the resulting painting of an artist, the jazz solo that comes will be just as it is-the result of actions and spontaneous choices made freely. The outcome does not have to be any one way. In existentialism, and in jazz, there is no worry, no expectation, only freedom and action. ! Existentialism and jazz hold man responsible for their action. In the heat of improvisation,

Jazz improvisers, as individuals, similarly make their own choices, are thrown into an improvisation, and are responsible for their choices (Rinzler 172). The other musicians in the jazz ensemble are relying on the jazz soloist in that way. Sartre claims similarly that mans choices affect all of mankind, and in this way he holds great responsibility, I am creating a certain image of man of my own choosing (Sartre 18). It seems a heavy thing to say, but as the jazz ensemble plays, the other musicians hold a beat or a tempo. The soloist is therefore responsible for making the music something more than just that monotonous beat. It may be a jazz ensemble, or all of mankind. The existential holds responsibility for his actions, as they reect and effect all of humanity.

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Continuing off the idea of responsibility naturally comes risk. The jazz soloist must take a

risk, a leap of faith in creation of something real in his improvisation. In existential thought, life is about risk, existentialism holds that one is responsible for ones decisions and there are no absolute, objective standards for ones decisions and there are no absolute, objective standards to help one make a decision; there is always risk that one will make a poor decision (Rinzler 177). Without risk, jazz does not exist. That mere tempo will remain, and thats all it will ever be. It may seem a struggle to delve into the unknown, but the moment is rich in opportunity. It can be scary to act in the moment in this way, especially in jazz, Without the usual foundation of a rhythm section, we can more easily imagine the soloist (a saxophonist, perhaps) as existentially pitted against the limitation of his or her technical abilities, the instrument itself, and the materials of music (the notes, scales, and rhythms from which the improviser will create a melody), as well as the limits of the musicians imagination and creativity (Rinzler 177). There may never be the perfect life circumstance or the perfect state of skill of a musician so the existentialist would say there are no excuses. Such is life that man has to work with what hes got. Yet this perspective of circumstance of gets the best of man, often the only way [man] can bear [his] wretchedness is to think, circumstances have been against me and what Ive done doesnt show my true worth (Sartre 32). The existentialist would argue that man is as is he is, and must act from that point. There is no use in waiting, in wondering, one must risk and act, or cease to be alive. When man fantasizes or over involves himself in thought of future circumstance he has lost the moment, which is the only place in space and time where he has the ability to act. Prominent jazz musician Miles Davis says the artist must play what he hears, not what he knows, With this emphasis on improvisation, jazz lacks polish and precision of other more leisurely constructed arts (Gebhart, 85). Davis pinpoints an existential claim, that of being

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in the moment, with improvisation. By listening to the other jazz musicians around him and soloing from this point the artist remains present. When he begins to think of the scales he knows, the tunes it reminds him of, he is suddenly lost in his mind, and not present in the process of creation. He does not need to think about all that he knows, for he already knows it. His skills will naturally present themselves in his performance as long as he plays (action) rather than ponders about what he could play. Thinking about music does not create music, playing music creates music. Indeed, the moment the possibilities I am considering are not rigorously involved by my action, I ought to disengage myself from them (Sartre 29). The existential Sartre reinforces the importance of action. Jazz improvisation lends the possibilities to act in every moment. The existential musician is a jazz musician. What happens when there is no action? There is no outcome at all, our opinion of the improviser would decline if the improviser did not take any risks and played it safe (Rinzler 178). How obviously existential, and nonconformist jazz music becomes! The soloist breaks from conformity when he stops playing it safe, maintaining the status quo. Everybody already knows what the status quo is, but the unknown, the jazz solo, that is something yet to be discovered! Sitting back and watching life beat at its prescribed tempo is not the life man wants to be responsible for living. He wants to rise up just as the jazz musician is forced to on stage and take action in risk. When the jazz player is performing in front of an audience he knows it is his job, his requirement, to improvise and so he will. Some nights may be better than others, but so long as he is a jazz musician on stage he must. After all, [man] is nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life (Sartre 32). The existential in this way would envision their lives as being the jazz musician. While the push may not feel as impending without a constant audience as in a jazz club, it must be remembered that life is like the stage, and your actions, your choice, are the improvisation of your life-the

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expressions of your essence, or your submission to fall into mere existence. Sartre begs man to remember, Nothing ventured, nothing gained (31). Will life be a simple tempo held constant or will it be a riveting...oh...yes...there IT is!? ! Inspiration may lead to such riveting creation. Therefore, whatever inspires man, he must act

upon. That is in its very nature, existential. For a jazz musician, inspirations often comes in the form of a muse. Pianist Keith Jarrett said, Jazz is about risking everything to your personal muse and accepting the consequences (Rinzler 177). In the way that a muse inspires action, it gives the improviser a springboard of feelings and ideas from which to pull from to create in the moment. Using emotions and thoughts as a guide in choice making returns to the existential doctrine, In the end, feeling is what counts; I ought to choose whichever pushes me in one direction (Sartre 26). All these words-feeling, emotion, thought, push-encapsulate the connotation of passion. As discussed, passion does not only exist in one thing. It may be expressed through a muse, a jazz solo, or other such omen, yet more than that, All human existence is a passion (Ibid. 92). In this way jazz music is the perfect analogy to the existential life. The improvisation of jazz allows man to exhibit this state of being of passion. The passion is the solo after all. Sartre held this genre very closely, jazz, specically, was above all, a form of release, emotional freedom and rebirth...[Sartre] had distilled his understanding of jazz into a small number of essential qualities including self-renewal and perpetual originality...he felt that jazz fostered openness and spontaneity; that it made change and renewal possible (Nettlebeck 172-4). This idea of jazz fostering catharsis (emotional release) is very intriguing. Sartre felt that such an expression of authenticity releases so much emotion it becomes cleansing, and yields the potential for the continuation of even more authentic action. While the existentialist doesnt look into the future, and focuses instead on the present moment, here Sartre seems to inspire some

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ease and hope that when man chooses live his truth, action is easier. It seems only logical that it would be easier to feel renewed when there arent a bunch of stale thoughts hanging in the mind, and easier to change when man is not so often wavering from his true self in his action. Existentialism is an honest philosophy, it encourages facing the world straight on, as it is given to us, unblinkingly, similarly, and with much of the avor of existentialism, improvisation in its highest form can bring out a truer, more honest reection of the deepest parts of an improvisers musical personality (Rinzler 176). A further observation comes now. Not only does improvisational action i.e. spontaneity in jazz, or existential life, summon ease and truth naturally, but it also provides the opportunity to reach even greater depths of self. Sartres text on existentialism begs that man rigorously act, and investigates what happens when he fails to involve himself. The rewards of such action are not so closely spoken of. Lost on the surface, when man is learning to act and realize his freedom he may not even know himself all the way, nor his grand capabilities. When the jazz musician on stage is able to break through the surface, improvise, and tap into that it-that essence-he may nally see that in action he surprises himself, and is capable of more than he imagined. His imagination in a way limited him. Though it enables grandiose thoughts and dream production, it took him out of reality, out of the solo. To an existentialist life in action is a never-ending jazz solo, always pushes the edges, surpassing limitation. ! In jazz music the beat never failed to be liberated. The existential nature of jazz broke the

barriers of conformity, In the following cultural Cold War, the Soviet Union lacked any sonic weapon to counter jazz, and neither the Western wall of the Nazis nor the Iron Curtain could stop the music; the jive of jazz transformed the Cold War into a Cool War..(Fellner 63). Indeed, in the post-war era, jazz music served as an opportunity to liberate such conformity. Like

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existentialism, jazz called for a discovery of self through improvisation in the moment, and an even grander realization that man-the musician-is responsible for his action. He alone is free to nd essence, to nd IT. There is nothing holding him back, except himself, and the moment man realizes he is free to choose, to bring into creation exactly what he wants, well then begins the greatest solo yet.

Works Cited Farrell, James J. The Spirit of the Sixties: Making Postwar Radicalism. New York: Routledge, ! 1997. Print.

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Fellner, Astrid. Is It 'cause It's Cool?: Affective Encounters with American Culture. S.l.: Lit ! Verlag, 2013. Print. Flynn, Thomas R. Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print. Greene, Maxine. "Sounds like Freedom: Jazz, Maxine Greene and Existentialist Theory." (n.d.): ! n. pag. Web. Haselstein, Ulla, Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit, Catrin Gersdorf, and Elena Giannoulis. The ! Cultural Career of Coolness: Discourses and Practices of Affect Control in European ! Antiquity, the United States, and Japan. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York: Viking, 1997. Print. Rinzler, Paul E. The Contradictions of Jazz. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2008. Print. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Existentialism and Human Emotions. New York: Philosophical Library, 1967. ! Print. Sepac, Jason. "Inuence of the Communist Party and Existentialism." N.p., 18 Apr. 2005. Web. Smith, Chana. "JACK KEROUACS BEATITUDE AS ROMANTIC PRIMITIVISM." Mount ! St. Marys College, 25 June 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. Ted Gioia, Jazz and the Primitivist Myth, The Musical Quarterly Vol. 73, No. 1 (1989): 37. ! Web.