Jazz, an Expression of Democracy
- Mike Shaw
- Apr 10
- 1 min read
On April 3, 2025, internationally renowned pianist and educator Kevin Bales and I passed the two-year mark of our podcast series, Music Life and Times. In 57 episodes over those two years, we have interviewed accomplished jazz musicians, told stories about historic figures in jazz, and shared experiences from our lives as performing musicians. One of my favorite episodes is our first, a discussion of jazz as an expression of democracy, including how authoritarian regimes have outlawed jazz due to its reliance on improvisation, the ultimate display of freedom in music. Listen to that podcast here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
