Jazz Still Strikes Chord for Range of Ages

Recently, I found an Ella Fitzgerald audiotape on the floor of my car. It was sticky and crusty and under the seat, where it clearly had been lost for some time. I assumed it was the property of my husband, who could have misplaced it on that day he took the car for a smog check. Or maybe it belonged to my dad, a major Ella fan, who could have dropped it during a recent visit.

A call from my daughter later in the day revealed that the tape belonged to her. She had dropped it in the car during summer vacation, while home from college. Besides solving the mystery of the tape ownership, the phone call turned into a lively debate about who should be considered the greatest female jazz vocalist of all time, Ella or Sarah. (She insisted on Fitzgerald, I on Vaughn.)

That we could have such an intelligent discussion, given our age difference, was remarkable in itself. Common wisdom holds that profound generational differences exist, but there certainly are ideas, values and life’s pleasures that bridge age gaps. Pizza does. And puppies and passionate discourse. So too, it seems, does jazz.

For evidence of the intergenerational jazz phenomenon, there is the Santa Barbara Jazz Festival, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. Along with traditional, big band, Latin and straight-ahead jazz, the festival also will cater to those twentysomethings who are into a 1940-something look and sound.

“The festival has quite wisely programmed Friday as neo-swing day,” said Josef Woodard, who wrote today’s festival story on page 46. “The place should be awash in people of all ages, but particularly young people, who are into swing.”

For another example of the all-ages inclusiveness of the event, there is headliner Dave Brubeck, still going strong at 77.

“Here we have a legend who is more creatively energetic than he has been in years, playing mostly new music,” said Woodard. “And he plays with his sons.”

I wonder if they argue about Ella and Sarah?