Shamanic Jazz

We call the music that we play, Shamanic Jazz because the source of the music is shamanic practice.  And well, the music probably sounds more like jazz than anything else.   As I have been creating music and going through my shamanic studies, this term kept coming to me.  I brushed it off at first, and then one day I googled it, and found out it’s been used for a little while, by various musicians and writers to compare how shamanic practice is comparable to jazz music, the during the past 70 or so, years.  Below are links to some of the articles, then below the links are definitions of relevant terms.

• Shamanism and Jazz 1
• Shamanism and Jazz 2
• Shamanism and Jazz 3

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism is an ancient healing tradition and moreover, a way of life. It is a way to connect with nature and all of creation. Some believe it can be practiced by anyone willing, because it is part of our birthright of being a part of our universe.  The word shaman originates from the Tungus tribe in Siberia. Anthropologists coined this term and have used it to refer to the spiritual and ceremonial leaders among indigenous cultures worldwide. The word shamanism can be used to describe the ancient spiritual practices of these indigenous cultures. Clearly the countless similarities between various ancient traditions played a role in the continual generalization of the word.

Over the past few decades the term “shamanism” has been popularized throughout the western world, especially in new-age circles. Today, it can be difficult to distinguish between traditional forms of shamanism and modernized, often esoteric practices that utilize the term.

One could view shamanism as the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all indigenous tribes. As all ancient spiritual practices are rooted in nature, shamanism is the method by which we as human beings can strengthen that natural connection.

This definition is the best all around description that embodies the experiences that we’ve had in the Blue Bass Drum practice.  It was borrowed from Shamanism.com

A Shamanic Practitioner

There are quite a few different words to describe a shamanic practitioner.  Seems most indigenous people from around the world each had there own word, and in some cases, meanings for the person in the tribe occupying the same or similar roles as what has been generalized as a shaman. Along with the actual word, there may be different definitions for Shamanism.

According to Wikipedia, a shamanic practitioner is a person regarded as having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits. The practitioner typically enters into an altered state of consciousness during a ritual, and channels these transcendental energies into this world for the good of humanity. This is done through practices of divination and healing.

Jazz

A type of music of black American origin that began in New Orleans, Louisiana.  It is characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm, emerging at the beginning of the 20th century. Brass and woodwind instruments and piano are particularly associated with jazz, although guitar and occasionally violin are also used;  This definition is courtesy of Oxford Dictionaries