Introducing Jazz To The Worship Service

When I first approached my church about planning a jazz worship series I was fortunate to have a very willing and open minded Pastor.  Our Pastor had a degree in music and performed jazz years ago both while in college and for a number of years while residing in Boston.  More on that some other time.  Of course having a Pastor with a love of jazz made my job much easier in approaching the church council.  On the first meeting with the church council Pastor and I needed to gain their trust and understanding on a number of points and establish a budget and a schedule for the jazz services.

What is the expression of jazz and why would this musical expression be fitting for the worship service? Since everyone's understanding of jazz is different whether you are a casual listener, serious listener or a musician, how could I gain the trust and understanding that this form of music would be appropriate, respectful, engaging and most importantly true to the spirit of the church?  These are tough questions to bring to a church council meeting composed of church members of various ages, upbringing and backgrounds but who had at least two things in common.  They are all long standing members of the church with a great love of God and their church; and none of the had ever heard jazz performed in a church setting.  They had all been brought up on the old congregational hymns accompanied for the most part on the pipe organ.  This would be a huge jump and a leap.

Jazz is a pure expression of music and emotion, expressed by one or more musicians simultaneously in concert.  It is a musical conversation, direct from the Holy Spirit though the  jazz musician to the listener.   Yes, there is musical form, tonality, rhythm, melody, harmony, dissonance and improvisation, but all of these elements are subject to change and can be adapted and modified at the will and whim of the musicians.  These musical elements are so spontaneous and no jazz piece will ever be performed the same way twice.

This was the approach.  Music as a conversation between musicians as a celebration of life and creativity.  Church music has undergone many changes throughout the centuries, from chant to hymns, to cantatas.  Many hymns have been set to American, English and folk tunes of different nations. More recently many churches have adopted the folk mass or worship service and the Praise Band, so why not jazz.  Is jazz such an inherently different form of music that it is not suitable for the worship service?  I guess that depends on how the music is performed and on your personal outlook and willingness to accept change in the church.  Jazz is just a different art form, and properly performed with good musicians with a love of God can be a joyous and uplifting spiritual awakening in the worship service. Louis Armstrong once said "There are only two kinds of music, good and bad;  I play the good kind."

Great music, regardless of style transcends people of all backgrounds, age, upbringing and outlook.  For those of you who want to bring jazz to the worship I urge you to do so but maintain a reverence and respect in both your musical selections and your performance and improvisations and hopefully you will experience the great joy and satisfaction as you bring new life and meaning to the congregation.