Why Jazz Isn’t Defined By Your Personal Taste

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In recent years I’ve noticed what I feel is a troubling trend among some – but, to be fair, not all – jazz musicians and enthusiasts. Sometimes, when someone hears a style, sub-genre, or offshoot (or whatever you want to call it) of jazz that they don’t particularly like, they’ll write it off and say “that’s not jazz” or “that’s not real jazz” (or “that’s not true/pure/authentic” jazz).

I understand where these types of statements are coming from, and I’ve made them (or similar ones) myself in the past. If you’re reading this, it’s probably because, like me, you’re passionate about jazz, and if so it’s a big part of how we define ourselves (more on that below). As jazz fans, we feel a strong and understandable instinct to patrol and enforce the boundaries around our favorite style and to express our likes and dislikes in firm language.

And yet I think statements which excessively restrict jazz as a style – and the attitudes behind them – are problematic for a few reasons, and I want to address this topic briefly in this post.

This is a potentially huge topic with a lot of different viewpoints, various terms to define, and potential tangents to get lost on, so bear with me and I’ll try to make my arguments clear and concise. But I won’t skimp on key areas of discussion because I think this topic is important.

And I feel that in general, we can improve as a jazz community in how we talk about genre boundaries and how we handle our conversations about our musical likes, dislikes, and value judgments, especially when interacting with “outsiders” who aren’t necessarily jazz fans (yet!).

In order to make my case, I’m going to do three things here:

  1. Explain why I think the “that’s not real jazz” attitude is bad for jazz culture and musicians.
  2. Explain how and why I define jazz, and why defining it even matters.
  3. Offer a potential solution so that the spirit behind the “that’s not (real) jazz” attitude can be expressed in a more constructive way.

Ok, here we go:

Why is the “that’s not (real) jazz” attitude a problem?

The problem here is a confusion of two or maybe three realms:

(1) the definitions and boundaries of musical styles/genres vs. (2) expressions of musical preference based on personal taste vs. (3) value judgments about the quality of music and/or its historical or cultural significance/influence.

In my experience, oftentimes when people say this or that music isn’t “jazz” (or “real jazz”), they’re not trying to make a judgment about genre delimitations as much as they’re actually just trying to express their dislike or lack of interest in certain types of music. Perhaps sometimes people also say “that’s not real jazz” when they mean that something isn’t good or valuable music in their view.

I’ve noticed this trend becomes a problem because it leads to confused and sometimes hostile conversations about music. When we use terms that refer to quality or genre to actually express our likes and dislikes, people can potentially get confused.

And of course, whatever terms we use, discussing musical preferences can be a very personal thing for some people, so people can become understandably defensive if they feel they need to justify their musical tastes.

Additionally, in my experience, overly forceful claims that this or that music is or isn’t “real” jazz have a tendency to split the jazz community into little warring factions, which in turn can discourage new potential fans and performers from more fully embracing and exploring jazz music.

The fact is that, whether we like it or not, the word “jazz” is used in academia and in everyday conversations around the world as an umbrella term which includes a vast array of widely contrasting styles of music from different time periods spanning more than 100 years.

I believe it’ll create a healthier environment and future for jazz music if we maintain open minds and a more relaxed attitude toward how we police the borders of our favorite genre.

Let me try to illustrate my point with a hypothetical scenario to further my argument here:

Let’s say someone doesn’t know much about jazz, but they’ve heard and enjoyed the music of Kenny G. They’ve heard Kenny G’s music called “smooth jazz,” so from their perspective it’s jazz.

One day, they decide they want to find some new music, and so they go shopping online or in stores to buy a new album. They know they like Kenny G, and Kenny G’s music is a type of jazz, so which genre is their first stop as they start browsing new artists to check out? The jazz section.

Through internet searches and browsing in stores, they stumble upon David Sanborn, who influenced Kenny G and whose music shares some common characteristics with Kenny G’s.

Then they discover Michael Brecker, who worked with Sanborn. Next, they stumble upon John Coltrane’s music (Coltrane who was one of Brecker’s idols). Tracing jazz’s lineage back from Coltrane, they then encounter Charlie Parker’s music, and so on and so forth. Suddenly we have an avid new jazz fan who will support the music in a variety of ways and have their life enriched by this great art form.

If you suspect this hypothetical story is unlikely or far-fetched, I can tell you from personal experience, you’re wrong. This scenario I’ve just described is more or less exactly my journey as a jazz fan. I grew up primarily listening to smooth jazz and fusion with my parents and followed a similar path that brought me to where I am now. Today I am a proud scholar of jazz who listens to, studies and enjoys everything from Jelly Roll Morton to Bill Evans to Kirk Whalum.

But I was lucky that I never got turned off from checking out other jazz music by people who write off smooth jazz as “not jazz” or “not real jazz.” It could’ve all turned out another way. Imagine if, right at the beginning of the scenario I sketched out above, someone had told the potential jazz lover (in person or via an online forum, or wherever) that Kenny G isn’t really jazz.

Even further, imagine that the person who likes Kenny G feels embarrassed or talked down to because there is a strong undercurrent of an attitude or vibe I call the “snooty jazz purity posture” that sometimes comes across in discussions with “real” jazz fans (often unintentionally). The Kenny G fan might now never be motivated to explore other musicians labeled as “jazz” artists. And why would they? Apparently, the music they enjoy isn’t really jazz after all. And jazz fans/musicians sometimes (again, often unintentionally) come across as condescending to uninitiated music fans and make it seem like you have to be “in the know” to really “get” jazz and a be a “true” jazz fan.

My argument here is that if we truly care about jazz and the music’s future, we want to encourage more people to enjoy the music and support it financially and culturally. We don’t want to turn potential fans away. And in my experience, the “that’s not real jazz” declaration and the attitude behind it does more harm than good in this regard.

How and why I define jazz, and why it even matters.

So how does the concept of musical genres fit into this issue then? The topic of musical genres is large and difficult, but it’s an issue I want to address because I feel we could improve as jazz musicians in how we understand and talk about genres.

There are varying ideas about genre boundaries, but it is clear that boundaries between different styles of music are fluid, complex, and highly contested among musicians, music scholars, and music fans.

Just consider an artist such as Ray Charles. His music arguably blends elements of jazz, country, soul, Motown, pop, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. So under which category do we file his CDs in a record store or on iTunes? Or even within the umbrella of jazz, consider Miles Davis. He played bebop with Charlie Parker, and explored modal jazz, hard bop, avant-garde jazz, and jazz fusion as a bandleader. If you have a Miles Davis compilation with songs from throughout the various phases of his career, how do we classify that album in relation to jazz’s sub-styles?

In an ideal world, there’s just music – no boundaries, no genres, no specialized terminology. Just “good music and the other kind” as Duke Ellington famously said. But the reality of our world today is that it’s impossible and impractical to go without genre labels.

We need genre and style designations because they serve a few very important purposes. They function practically to help us organize and sort the vast amounts of music that are available now in music stores, libraries, and on the internet. And more abstractly, genres designations are useful for how we define and construct our identities.

How and why we come to like the particular types of music we enjoy is a complex and somewhat mysterious question with many variables involved. But it definitely means something to be a jazz fan as opposed to a country music fan, for example. And there are definitely social and cultural forces at play that ultimately have to do with our sense of our personal and group identities.

The styles of music you like carry, in a way, inherent social and cultural implications, at least to a certain degree. In other words, the music you say you like generally says something about who you think you are, where you come from, your education level, your socio-cultural orientation, etc.

Our favorite musical styles – like types of cuisine, clothing styles, and where we choose to live – are important parts of our identities and reflect our attitudes, values, and beliefs to a certain degree. In this way, since musical genre preferences are linked to social and cultural identities, music can serve to bring people together or to push them apart and sharpen dividing lines between people with different personalities, values, and backgrounds.

Therefore, genre or style designations and how we define them are important, because they are practically useful and they help us express our sense of identity.

And all of this explains why it’s so easy to slip into the way of speaking where we use the policing of genre boundaries to really just express our likes and dislikes or to express what we feel is good or bad music. But, as I mentioned above, I’m arguing here that we should stop doing that because it’s bad for the music and it leads to unproductive conversations.

Ok, so if genres are important, and defining them is important, how do I define jazz?

I defer to the experts in the field – especially jazz historians – and I combine many of their views to come up with the broadest definition of jazz that, in my view, is the most inclusive while still remaining functional and practical. With a more inclusive definition, we can more easily see and acknowledge jazz music’s actual breadth and impact. And a more inclusive definition can improve our ability to invite non-jazz fans or people who like fringe jazz styles into the greater jazz community.

When defining jazz, firstly I’d like to say that the most logical attitude from my perspective is to view the definition of genres as an elastic spectrum as opposed to a black or white thing. In other words, music can be more or less “jazzy” based on a set of criteria that outline the most essential characteristics of jazz music. A binary construction that sets up a hard and fast “jazz vs. not jazz” paradigm creates a false dichotomy in my opinion, and it doesn’t capture the true nature of the music with all its complexities, diversity, and gray areas.

Additionally, I believe it’s most useful to define jazz by referring to both abstract criteria and specific musical examples (artists and/or musical pieces) that can be viewed as models or archetypes. We can then compare new music to our jazz archetypes to help us judge the music in question as more or less jazzy.

From my perspective, a style of music can generally qualify as jazz if it includes roughly at least two or three the following features as important or defining characteristics of the music (note that not possessing one or more of these qualities does not automatically disqualify a music from justifiably being labeled “jazz”):

  • Improvisation, including:
    • Free improvisation or improvisation based on parameters or a specific musical form
    • Collective and/or individualistic improvisation
  • A swing feel rhythmically (especially with literal or implied polyrhythms derived from African-American musical traditions)
  • Syncopation (especially if derived from African-American musical traditions)
  • Tonal/timbral alterations (such as blue notes/bent pitches)
  • Call and response
  • Repetition, including:
    • Small scale repetition of rhythmic patterns, such as ride cymbal patterns
    • Large scale repetitions such as repeated musical themes/motifs and cyclical forms
  • Specific types of instrumentation, including:
    • Rhythm section instruments strongly associated with jazz – especially in this particular combination: acoustic or electric piano, drum set, acoustic upright or electric bass, and guitar or banjo
    • Other instruments such as the human voice, saxophones, trumpet, cornet, trombone, and, slightly less common: vibraphones, flutes, clarinets, French horns, tubas, and violins/other stringed instruments
  • Certain characteristic harmonic qualities, including:
    • The prevalence of II-V-Is
    • The prevalence of dominant 7th chords, and especially dominant 7th chords that don’t resolve V-I
    • The presence and admixture of tonal harmonic vocabulary with modal harmonic vocabulary
  • Certain general melodic characteristics, including:
    • The use and admixture of diatonic modes, symmetric scales (such as the diminished and whole-tone scales), and non-diatonic scales (such as the blues scale)
    • Freely varying melodies while interpreting standard songs and improvising
    • Highly expressive melodies with personal touches added in terms of phrasing
    • Melodic phrasing which often utilizes inflections such as scoops, grace notes, bent notes, slides, glissandos, growls, specialty articulations, etc.
  • Reliance on a set of established and shared common repertoire when selecting performance material
    • Such as jazz standards written by jazz musicians and “Great American Songbook” songs, including music from Broadway musicals, Tin Pan Alley, and movies and television shows
  • Highly individualistic expression of personal musical style
  • More or less collective negotiation of ensemble sound/aesthetic, especially through the incorporation of improvisation

Archetypal jazz performers from different style periods in jazz history

I’ve tried to pick artists who played different instruments for each category (if it’s a saxophone-heavy list, it’s probably because I’m a saxophonist!), and the fact that some names are listed twice hints at how difficult this project is (also please note: this is absolutely not meant to be a comprehensive list of artists or sub-styles/genres by any means – it’s merely meant to offer an example of a conversational starting point which can enable and stimulate a healthy debate about jazz’s boundaries):

  • Early jazz/New Orleans style/traditional jazz/early Chicago jazz/early jazz-blues:
    • Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Kid Ory, Sidney Bechet, King Oliver, Paul “Stump” Evans, Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Bessie Smith, W.C. Handy
  • Swing/big band era:
    • Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Benny Carter, John Kirby
  • Bebop:
    • Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford, Dexter Gordon
  • Hard bop/post bop/modal jazz:
    • Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt, Paul Chambers, Wes Montgomery, McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal
  • Cool jazz/west coast jazz:
    • Lennie Tristano, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Gil Evans, Shelly Manne, Warne Marsh, Stan Getz, Bill Evans
  • “Latin” jazz (including Brazilian jazz):
    • Antonio Carlos Jobm, Joao Gilberto, Flora Purim, Eliane Elias, Chano Pozo, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez, Mongo Santamaria, Chucho Valdes
  • Avant-garde/free jazz/improvised music/experimental jazz:
    • Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Pharoah Sanders
  • Fusion/jazz-rock/soul-jazz/funky jazz/funk with jazz elements:
    • Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul/Wayne Shorter and Weather Report, Herbie Hancock (and the Headhunters), Chick Corea (and Return to Forever), Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Adderley Brothers, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Tower of Power, The Crusaders, James Brown, Kool and the Gang, Michael Brecker and the Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Victor Wooten, Bob James, Yellowjackets
  • Smooth jazz:
    • Grover Washington Jr., Kenny G, David Sanborn, Kirk Whalum, Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, George Benson, Eric Darius, The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra
  • Other jazz artists active today who blend and/or work in many styles:
    • Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, Chris Potter, Roy Hargrove, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, Wayne Krantz, Jan Garbarek, Tony Malaby, Craig Taborn, Miguel Zenon, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Maria Schneider, Dave Douglas, Dave Liebman, Kneebody, Snarky Puppy, The Bad Plus, The Claudia Quintet

If you disagree with this definition of jazz, or if you don’t agree that some of the musical styles that would fit these criteria are truly jazzy enough, then that’s fine. As a jazz community we can debate these criteria and choices of jazz archetypes.

For example, someone might have a really good case for separating out all the sub-styles that fit under this umbrella definition of jazz into two large categories: e.g. “mainstream jazz” and “jazz offshoots” or “jazz” and “closely related jazz relatives” or something like that, and I and most scholars would be open to considering alternative models for defining jazz.

But the point I’m claiming here is that we’ll have better and more productive conversations if we separate out, to the best of our ability, our personal biases, preferences, and value judgments from a more detached analysis of musical characteristics when discussing genre boundaries.

In other words, feel free to disagree with this definition and these archetypes, but be prepared to offer alternative definitions and archetypes that you can back up with historical and musical evidence and reasoned argument that is as free from a mere expression of personal preference and aesthetic judgment as possible.

So what’s the solution?

I believe the solution is to be more clear and careful with how we express our ideas as jazz musicians and fans. I think we can do a better job of not mixing up words that express personal preference with terms that express a judgment about genre boundaries or musical quality.

In other words, what you like, what “is jazz,” and what makes worthwhile jazz are three completely separate topics for discussion and debate, and they require different criteria and different vocabularies if we’re to have unmuddied and productive conversations.

You don’t really need to use evidence and reasoned arguments to justify what you simply like. For example, I like chocolate ice cream. Why? Because I like it, because it tastes good to me. I don’t even think I can articulate why I like it, but I do. And that’s fine.

But if I then say “chocolate ice cream is the only ice cream” or it’s the only “real” ice cream, or “it’s generally the highest quality type of ice cream,” or “it’s the most historically valuable and influential type of ice cream,” now I’ve switched from the realm of expressing personal taste to the realm of quality judgments, historical value judgments, and judgments which attempt to define the boundaries of what is and isn’t ice cream.

Statements other than expressions of personal taste are not necessary if I’m merely trying to share my likes and dislikes. And by slipping into other kinds of statements, I’ve now put myself in the position where I’d better be prepared with evidence and reasoned arguments to defend claims about quality, history, and genre boundaries.

We shouldn’t make these same mistakes when talking about jazz.

Put another way, I think it’s okay to acknowledge that some music legitimately qualifies as jazz music but is not your favorite type or style sub-genre of jazz. It’s even okay to admit that something is jazz but it’s not particularly good or historically/culturally valuable jazz in your opinion – and just be prepared to offer a reasonable argument explaining why you feel that way.

And that takes us to a third type of statement which is different from both stating personal preferences and defining genre boundaries: the idea of making a musical value judgment.

Just like with personal preference vs. genre boundaries, what you like and what qualifies as “good” jazz are two different issues. Likewise, what you deem to be musically or historically valuable is a different issue from the definition of musical genres.

Debating about what is “good jazz” in the sense of what’s the most historically significant, technically accomplished or impressive, worthy of more study, etc. represents a slightly more objective conversation with different terms, criteria, and rules than merely talking about what we like or dislike.

And I’d like to note here that, just like with genre boundaries, “objective” and “subjective” are terms that refer to a spectrum, not a black and white distinction, in my view. Hence discussing “good” jazz in the sense of jazz that has historical/cultural value in some ways represents a more objective conversation than aesthetic preferences – though of course not a completely objective conversation – because you can claim that an artist is historically significant, for example, and then support it with historical evidence.

And the conversation about what is justifiably viewed as valuable or important jazz is, of course, distinct from a discussion of what is or is not jazz in the first place.

All of this may seem painfully obvious to some readers, but I still hear these sorts of unproductive missteps being made in conversations about jazz.

So let’s go forth and support the music we love with passion while striving to be more mindful of whether we’re expressing a genre definition, a value judgment as to quality or historical/cultural significance, or a personal preference. And let’s not conflate any of these projects – because they’re all different and require different terms and different standards of evidence to support.

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Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of the United States of America. Any unauthorized use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offense.

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Return Policy for Products

Refund Policy

For play-alongs and eBooks:

Because these are digital downloads, and not returnable, we have a strict no refund policy. All purchases are final and cannot be reversed. Please be sure that you fully understand the product you are purchasing and what is and what is not included. Of course, if you ever have any questions about a product feel free to contact usor visit our FAQ page.

For 30 Days to Better Jazz Playing eCourse

Please make sure you completely understand the product you are buying before purchasing.

14 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee

  • This guarantee lasts 14 days, which completely covers almost half of the course, enough for you to observe its’ effectiveness.
  • We can’t guarantee you will be Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane in 2 weeks. We’d be suspicious of anyone who could promise that. Becoming a better jazz musician is a process and it requires work.
  • If you’re not happy with the quality of this program…send us an email and showing you did the work. We’ll refund 100% of your money (We’ll even eat the credit-card processing fees) and we’ll part as friends. We believe in the power of this course and so we’ll take responsibility for it.

Rights of use

All digital products are for the use of the individual customer only. Redistribution or reselling of our digital products is strictly prohibited and a violation of United States and New York State law.

Learn Jazz Standards Messaging Terms & Conditions

Effective Date:

This SMS message program is a service of Learn Jazz Standards. By providing your cell phone number, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing text messages (e.g., SMS/MMS cart reminders, sale notices, etc) from Learn Jazz Standards. These messages include text messages that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system, to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up or any other number that you designate. You give Learn Jazz Standards permission to send text messages to the enrolled cell phone number through your wireless phone carrier, unless and until you end permission per these Terms & Conditions. Consent to receive automated marketing text messages is not a condition of any purchase. Message & data rates may apply.

Message frequency may vary. Learn Jazz Standards reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time, so as to increase or decrease the total number of sent messages. Learn Jazz Standards also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number from which messages are sent and we will notify you if we do so.

Not all mobile devices or handsets may be supported and our messages may not be deliverable in all areas. Learn Jazz Standards, its service providers and the mobile carriers supported by the program are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

By enrolling in the Learn Jazz Standards messaging program, you also agree to these messaging terms & conditions (“Messaging Terms”), our Learn Jazz Standards Terms of Use and Learn Jazz Standards Privacy Policy.

Cancellation

Text the keyword STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to cancel. After texting STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message you will receive one additional message confirming that your request has been processed. If you change your preferences, it may take up to 48 hours for it to take effect. You acknowledge that our text message platform may not recognize and respond to unsubscribe requests that do not include the STOP, STOPALL, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE or QUIT keyword commands and agree that Learn Jazz Standards and its service providers will have no liability for failing to honor such requests. If you unsubscribe from one of our text message programs, you may continue to receive text messages from Learn Jazz Standards through any other programs you have joined until you separately unsubscribe from those programs.

Help or Support

Text the keyword HELP to the telephone number, long code, or short code that sends you our initial confirmation message to receive a text with information on how to unsubscribe.

No Warranty

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE MESSAGING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AGREE THAT IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER OF Learn Jazz Standards OR ANY PARTY ACTING ON BEHALF OF Learn Jazz Standards BE LIABLE FOR: (A) ANY CLAIMS, PROCEEDINGS, LIABILITIES, OBLIGATIONS, DAMAGES, LOSSES OR COSTS IN AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO Learn Jazz Standards HEREUNDER OR $100.00; OR (B) ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES. YOU AGREE EVEN IF Learn Jazz Standards HAS BEEN TOLD OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE OR LOSS ARISING OR RESULTING FROM OR IN ANY WAY RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE Learn Jazz Standards MESSAGING PROGRAM. Learn Jazz Standards AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DELAYS OR NON-DELIVERY IN THE TRANSMISSION OF MESSAGES.

Indemnity

To the maximum extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Learn Jazz Standards, its directors, officers, employees, servants, agents, representatives, independent contractors and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, actions, causes of action, costs, expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, judgments or penalties of any kind or nature arising from or in relation to the these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers.

Dispute Resolution

  1. General. Any dispute or claim arising out of or in any way related to these Messaging Terms or your receipt of text messages from Learn Jazz Standards or its service providers whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, and regardless of when a dispute or claim arises will be resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, BY AGREEING TO THESE MESSAGING TERMS, YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION AND THAT THESE MESSAGING TERMS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO AND GOVERNED BY ARBITRATION.
  2. Exceptions. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, nothing in these Messaging Terms will be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit the right of you or Learn Jazz Standards to: (i) bring an individual action in small claims court; (ii) pursue an enforcement action through the applicable federal, state, or local agency if that action is available; (iii) seek injunctive relief in aid of arbitration from a court of competent jurisdiction; or (iv) file suit in a court of law to address an intellectual property infringement claim.
  3. Arbitrator. Any arbitration between you and Learn Jazz Standards will be governed by the JAMS, under the Optional Expedited Arbitration Procedures then in effect for JAMS, except as provided herein. JAMS may be contacted at www.jamsadr.com. The arbitrator has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement.
  4. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. You agree that, by agreeing to these Messaging Terms, you and Learn Jazz Standards are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action, collective action, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding of any kind.
  5. No Class Actions. YOU AND Learn Jazz Standards AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Learn Jazz Standards agree otherwise in a signed writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
  6. Modifications to this Arbitration Provision. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Messaging Terms, if Learn Jazz Standards makes any future change to this arbitration provision, you may reject the change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to Learn Jazz Standards’s contact information provided in the “Contact Us” section below, in which case this arbitration provision, as in effect immediately prior to the changes you rejected, will continue to govern any disputes between you and Learn Jazz Standards.
  7. Enforceability. If any provision of these Messaging Terms is found to be unenforceable, the applicable provision shall be deemed stricken and the remainder of these Messaging Terms shall remain in full force and effect.

Changes to the Messaging Terms

We reserve the right to change these Messaging Terms or cancel the messaging program at any time. By using and accepting messages from Learn Jazz Standards after we make changes to the Messaging Terms, you are accepting the Messaging Terms with those changes. Please check these Messaging Terms regularly.

Entire Agreement/Severability

These Messaging Terms, together with any amendments and any additional agreements you may enter into with us in connection herewith, will constitute the entire agreement between you and Learn Jazz Standards concerning the Messaging Program.

Contact

Please contact us with any inquiries or concerns at [email protected]

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ STANDARDS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE eGuide “Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way” and follow the 5 simple steps for crushing it with jazz standards.

Learn Jazz Standards The Smart Way Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR LEARNING JAZZ THEORY LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE “Jazz Theory Made Easy Fast Track Guide” and follow the 4 simple steps that make learning jazz theory easy.

Jazz Theory Made Easy Fast Track Guide Ebook Cover

OUR PROVEN PROCESS FOR IMPROVISING JAZZ SOLOS LIKE A PRO

Get our FREE “Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide” and follow the 3 simple steps for improvising amazing jazz solos.

Jazz Improv Made Easy Fast Track Guide Ebook Cover

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Why Jazz Isn’t Defined By Your Personal Taste" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Why Jazz Isn’t Defined By Your Personal Taste" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart

DOWNLOAD THIS CHORD CHART

Get our FREE "Why Jazz Isn’t Defined By Your Personal Taste" chord chart and our entire library of 200+ jazz standards!

Chord Chart