The Living Space Of Lost Jazz By Jason Moran

Jason Moran is not only a jazz musician, but also a visual artist, bringing to life frames of lost jazz artists by considering more than just the music. The space in which jazz music is created is just as monumental as the piece itself being played. Jason Moran has worked to create a museum of jazz frames showcasing what it was like to be in that moment. He discusses three stages he created as art objects and performance spaces within the gallery. Jason Moran describes listening to jazz music as never being enough to satisfy his urge to feel what it was like to sit inside it, so that is why he created this living space of lost jazz. It is important to jazz history to look at the music and feel every aspect of what it was like to be in that

Max Roach, one of the greatest drummers ever, was also one of the most outspoken political drummers. In this club Jason Maron wanted to showcase that Max Roach was in a corner that was padded, seeing the space in real life brings the feeling that Max Roach was trapped. In the second stage, Jason Maron wanted to bring to life a picture of the Savoy Ballroom that has hosted many popular Big Bands including Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Chick Web. Something different about this place was the curved wall behind the artists while they played. Jason Moran wanted to showcase the rotation of sound, the sound going out and the sound coming back in. He showcases the sound that the music had in the space in which it was originally played. Jason Moran's research also included Slugs Saloon in New York City. Slugs hosted innovative jazz musicians in the 1960s and 70s including Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra. This place also got a reputation because trumpeter Lee Morgan was shot and killed by his wife in this space. In this third frame, Jason Moran wanted personal histories and personal relationships to be felt. He wanted to set the club up in a way that it is now a thing of the past. Jason Moran challenges us to look at the frame and feel

At age six, he started playing the piano, he eventually wanted to quit the instrument until he was introduced to the sounds of Thelonious Monk in the record "Round Midnight". This experience established an early role model in his creative development and reopened his love for music. As he learned more about Thelonious monk, he dived deeper into jazz and particularly jazz piano. Jason Moran became an active member of the jazz program while attending Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. This is where he played in the big band and led a jazz quartet. He later studied with the pianist Jaki Byard as he continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music. Jaki Byard was a jazz leftist who became Moran's teacher for four years and a role model. During this time Jason Moran also took lessons from other forward-thinking creative pianists Andrew Hill and Muhal Richard Abrams, who left a profound influence on Jason Moran and encouraged him to find his distinct