Jazz Jottings January 2019

For the past 20 years, Dave Robinson has been the leading advocate in promoting the concept that traditional jazz should be a vital part of jazz studies curricula in middle schools through college. Explaining his purpose, he said, “I’ve studied traditional jazz in great depth and felt I could do something about it because of my background as a musician, teacher, and lecturer. Traditional jazz is not merely a historical footnote. It is a living breathing art form that has a history of over 100 years, yet has slipped off the radar screens of many jazz educators.” According to Robinson, “While scholastic jazz education programs are widespread, there has not been a formalized curriculum for the teaching of New Orleans-derived styles. The Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit we have developed acquaints students nationwide with the music of Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, Bunk Johnson, George Lewis, Lu Waters, Turk Murphy, Eddie Condon, and later exponents of traditional styles, including the top traditional jazz artists of today.” - TJEN, JEN, and JENTJS - Dave formed the Traditional Jazz Educators Network (TJEN) in 1997, a loose network of 125 jazz educators whose purpose was to collectively promote the teaching and performance of traditional jazz. The Traditional Jazz Curriculum was formalized in 2015 and was