Jazz in Worship and Worship in Jazz

Uwe Steinmetz

Jazz in Worship and Worship in Jazz The musical language of Liturgical, Sacred, and Spiritual Jazz in a postsecular Age. Abstract The aim of this dissertation is to identify musical elements that contribute to the generation of religious meaning in jazz performance and to explore how religious experience can inspire jazz composition. In this study, the history of jazz, specifically tailored to the aspects of my inquiry is imbricated with relevant theories and musical interventions from my own artistic practice in composition and performance. In addition to artistic research through my own practice as a performer and composer, the transdisciplinary fields of musicology, music theory, neurology, history of religion, and theology provides further critical tiles in the knowledge-mosaic constructed by this study. Using my own artistic practice as my primary research method, my thesis investigates distinct intrinsic and extra-musical elements that help to create a typology of religiously inspired jazz, grounded in historical reference works. Twenty-five of my own compositions following this typology are submitted with this thesis and are analyzed in the three main chapters. The final chapter (Imagine) summarizes conclusions of the main chapters and includes a brief evaluation of the research process. Conclusions from the thesis include (i) defining six distinct ways of expressing religious belief in jazz, (ii) demonstrating that the extrinsic meaning of religiously inspired jazz changes when placed within a liturgical dramaturgy, and (iii) generating new postsecular perspectives on jazz. Another concrete result of this thesis involves revisiting George Russell´s Lydian Chromatic Concept as a basis for my own compositions. The practice-based adaption and exploration of Russell´s theory opens new ways of understanding how his musical philosophy builds a bridge between Western classical sacred music and jazz. Finally, this thesis also raises new areas for further research such as microtonal and twelve-tone tonality in jazz, temporal concepts in jazz composition and improvisation, and the embodiment of Christian faith through music as an extension of the institutional church in society. Keywords: jazz and religion, jazz liturgies, George Russell, Spiritual Jazz, Sacred Jazz, Liturgical Jazz, postsecularity in the arts, twelve-tone tonality in jazz

Artistic Collaborations

Over the years of this research project I have collaborated with many inspiring artists -
the chance to perform together and to work together on my music has deepened and enriched my reseach project immeasurable.

For each of the four artists I collaborated with, it was important to contribute to religious life in their respective local churches through their music while maintaining a performance schedule outside the church walls in jazz clubs and festivals. Therefore, the artistic collaborations in the field of Spiritual jazz brought also insights in Liturgical and Sacred Jazz and an exploration of four Lutheran jazz ministries:

Chanda Rule          Saint Peter´s Church, NYC, USA
Janne Mark            Brorsons Kirken, Copenhagen, DK
Tord Gustavsen     Tanum Church, Oslo, NO
Daniel Stickan        Nikolaikirche Lüneburg, GER

Here are four representations of artistic collaborations which I was able to document and display a spectrum of the three subgenres identified in my research, Liturgical, Sacred and Spiritual Jazz.

I. LITURGICAL JAZZ / VIDEO 1

Video 1 shows excerpts from a Jazz Worship Service at the German "Kirchentag", the largest gathering of German protestant Christians were the BlueChurch network was able to host a jazz church. The video starts with the opening song Praise to you by Ike Sturm, it demonstrates the improvisatory treatment of a biblical reading and, finally, a communion hymn by Janne Mark, premiered in its German translation at this event.
Additionally, there are some photos taken during the last musical piece from the annual Blues Mass at St. Katharinen Church where the congregation gathering around the altar for a candle prayer, blessing and a jam session.
Musicians: Chanda Rule, vocals, Daniel Stickan - piano, Gernot Bernroider - drums, Marcel Krömker - bass, Esben Eyermann - bass and Lauren Steinmetz (with Janne Mark). The Liturgists are Kathrin Oxen and Maike Wächter. All rights: ©Uwesteinmetz.net

III. SPIRITUAL JAZZ / VIDEO 5

The first part of the video from Swiss public Television documents a duo performance with Daniel Stickan in the Kunsthalle Zürich on 17th December 2017 where the BlueChurch network set up a series of performances and public jazz vespers within Rob Pruitt´s installation "The Church".
The second part of the video documents part of a duo concert with Daniel at the Karviná Organ Festival in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic on September 24th, 2017. The concert consists of Spiritual Jazz from our CDs Waves and Where Roots Grow. All rights: ©Uwesteinmetz.net

VIDEO 6 shows a live version of my arrangement of Spirits in the Material World performed with Simin Tander, vocals and Tord Gustavsen, piano. We have performed my arrangement in different concert settings, this video is from a concert at the Kirchentag in 2019. All rights: ©Uwesteinmetz.net

Video 2 documents the first night of the Jazz Evensong Series ALONE TOGETHER - ON FREEDOM at the American Church Berlin on 10th July 2020. Guest musician is Eric Schaefer on drums and modualr synth, the "house band" consists of Albrecht Guendel-vom Hofe (organ) and Marcel Krömker (bass). Liturgists are Pastor Mari Thorkelson and Bishop Christian Stäblein. All rights: ©Uwesteinmetz.net

VIDEO 3 is from an online worship service. I play a free improvisation on the hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel as a prelude in the chapel of the Memorial Church Berlin on December 5th 2020.

II. SACRED JAZZ / VIDEO 4

The first part of the video documents rehearsals for the performance of Tord Gustavsen´s Mass at the ENJOY JAZZ FESTIVAL in Heidelberg with a project choir from the school of church music in Heidelberg conducted by Tine Wiechmann on November 15th, 2019.
The second part of the video is a recording of the concert performance of the Mass as part of the BLUE CHURCH FESTIVAL 2017 at Dreikönigskirche Dresden on March 5th, 2017 with a project choir from the Music Conservatory of Dresden "Karl Maria von Weber", conducted by Keno Hankel. All rights: ©Uwesteinmetz.net

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Artistic Collaborations