Faith and Jazz music

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SeekingHisMercy

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Hey all,
I’ve been a jazz music fan for a long time and have been fortunate enough to see and meet a lot of great players throughout my years. Jazz music is really powerful (for that matter, music is really powerful) and I’m wondering if folks have any opinions on jazz and listening to it from a Catholic perspective. Thoughts and comments are much appreciated. Thanks!
 
Hm, I believe there was another jazz thread up here not too long ago and it was rather active… so hopefully you get some comments soon.
 
Hello! I don’t see a connection between jazz and Catholicism. First of all, am unaware of the religious affiliations of the jazz greats other than Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter being Buddhists and Chick Corea being a Scientologist. My favorite, John Coltrane, was highly spiritual if the liner notes on “A Love Supreme” are any indication. What his religious leanings were are unknown to me.
 
Depends on the jazz and what it does for you. If it just stirs up your passions and makes you think about impure things (like 99% of music on the radio), probably not a good idea.

Other than that, there is great genius in the genre, both classical and contemporary. (One of my personal favorites among great jazz musicians is the late Benny Goodman.)
 
I guess I would say that all music has some relation to faith and that God has certainly used music, jazz and other genres alike, to touch my life.

As far as whether it leads to impurity in and of itself, I’d say some of that has to be what I would do with impure images were they to arise while I were listening. The question would be, could I pray through it, ask God to take it away, and keep enjoying the music or would I have to put the music away. Both scenarios have occurred. I’m a bit careful about throwing the baby out with the bathwater, particularly since musical talent is a gift from God (and some of those people can really play…). I was hoping for perspectives from other people and to just hear what other Catholic jazz fans might listen to.
 
Check out the following interview with Fr. John Moulder, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and also a highly regarded jazz guitarist. I took a couple of lessons from him once upon a time - in the rectory of a parish he was stationed at on the north side of the city. One of his “ministries” so to speak is to foster interaction between the Church and artists & musicians.

chicagojazz.com/magazine/in-his-own-words-with-john-moulder-972.html
 
Cordelil said:
Hello! I don’t see a connection between jazz and Catholicism. First of all, am unaware of the religious affiliations of the jazz greats other than Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter being Buddhists and Chick Corea being a Scientologist. My favorite, John Coltrane, was highly spiritual if the liner notes on “A Love Supreme” are any indication. What his religious leanings were are unknown to me.
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The jazz pianist and composer Marylou Williams was a Catholic convert who seems to have taken religion very seriously. Thelonious Monk used to accompany her to mass.

But other than that, I see no obvious connection either.
 
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