laufey, white-washing, & is jazz gatekept? 

Absolutely love this, especially the discussion re: woman and jam sessions/the male-dominated jazz spaces! It was a discussion sorely lacking in my own video, so thank you. One of the reasons why I highlighted Emmet's Place in particular is that he's good about being inclusive in ways that traditionally aren't super jazz (episode 60 pride episode, ex). There is still a lot of work to be done to create new spaces and expand existing spaces to accept more gender diversity, but there is progress. That said, I realize the ambivalence towards me at the end of my Laufey video inviting her to jazz jams. I know how absurd that might feel and seem when the jazz community can be so toxic, and honestly, I don't blame her and others for saying "fuck jazz, stop the gatekeeping, I hate this culture." I get it. Complicated. Do you mind if I share/signal boost this video?

As a black person who thoroughly enjoys jazz since birth, I actually thank Laufey. I believe that when they mean reviving jazz they mean in this generation which I'm strongly apart of. despite the race, I'm sure anyone of any culture is allowed to be made by anyone.. as long as people remember and keep in mind where it originates.

Laufey is clearly a throwback to the golden age of pop singers mingling with jazz but I don't hear any of the consistent elements of jazz in her music. Perhaps the fact that she sings songs that are slightly more harmonically complex makes her music sound "Jazzy", but her songs align far more with the showtunes of Broadway that also happen to overlap with much of jazz music. I think she is analogous to what Amy Winehouse did with classic soul music. She provided a kind of nostalgic recreation, which was very genuine and well crafted but was a very clear and intentional act.

My only issue with the criticism of Laufey is that maybe she just doesn't want to do straight jazz. Everyone telling her to immerse herself with other jazz musicians doesn't take any account about what she wants. She is making the type of music she wants. Yes, it has jazz elements, but it's her own thing. And maybe, just maybe that's all she wants to do is continue combining her love of musical theater and jazz into one.

I love this ‘mid-century pop’ term for Laufey… she is an incredible talent, writing beautiful songs - and is hugely popular… A jazzy musician - not a jazz musician! And if through her, young people discover the jazz greats, then she may well be saving jazz!

i think this video is very well put! i am both an avid laufey and jazz fan, and i think it is clear how some of her music takes inspiration from jazz (i think of Dreamer for example), but i totally agree that it’s extremely misleading to say she ONLY draws inspo from jazz, therefore solely making her a jazz musician. there’s absolutely elements of classical, pop, showtune, etc in her music. i think laufey is a beautiful mix of all of these, and there’s great overlap between them all. the issue is that people see glimpses of jazz in laufey’s music, and instead of exploring more of the genre, they just stop at laufey and claim her as jazz, and this is simply due to ignorance, but that’s dangerous! i hope some of these people pushing laufey as some new standard for jazz realize that not only are they discrediting the rich black roots and themes of jazz, but they’re actually totally disregarding laufey’s unique and personal sound.

It feels wrong to call Laufey the savior of Jazz especially with artist like Samara Joy. Samara Joy who has won awards for her music and gives you that classic Jazz feeling while still being modern. I like both Samara and Laufey but Samara was the first on stage with a jazz performance at the Grammys so she would seem to be the "reviver" of Jazz, at least closer to mainstream and for younger people. It is clear thought why people would ignore Samara but love Laufey. It's not the first time but I hope it's the last. (Samara is also one of two Jazz singers to win best new artist in all of history at the Grammys which is hard considering Jazz isn't even considered popular right now. If that doesn't say modern Jazz pioneer, I don't know what will)

she's categorized as jazz singer to make it easier to recognize for larger audiences but i don't think she's just jazz but she had more pop sound in her album Typical of Me and has deep understanding of classical music. she's jazz/classic/pop all combined and making completely new genre for pop audiences. that's why people are discussing her i guess.

This whole “she can’t be the savior because she’s white” thing is a bit tired in my opinion. She isn’t jazz’s savior but that has nothing to do with the fact that she’s white. I think that’s just too much focus on optics for optics sake.

I think also an interesting thing to note is that for a long time women in jazz were mostly vocalist and handful of pianists. Although now things are changing for the better especially in NYC from what I've seen, but even in the New York scene it's not very common to see a women drummers. There's such a weird toxic masculinity around what instruments women are allowed to play, and a lot of the standard jazz instruments are gendered to be masculine.

Your thoughts on jazz not being a space for women are something I've been trying to put into words for a while. I've been so interested in jazz (my school has a super amazing jazz program) but I feel like it's near impossible for me to participate in it, when there are boys already involved who can play just as well as me. Also, what you said about women being "an accessory" to men in jazz is so true, to the point that there was a teacher at my school who told the "jazz boys" to not bring their girlfriends into the band room because the girls make them seem "less professional." Thank you for saying it like it is on a topic I know so many girls and women (myself included) are wary to speak out on.

Her music is a jazz tangent, like Jobim and so many other commercially produced artists. And, like Jobim, she's one collaboration away from entering the community. The most important take away is that this debate is an uninteresting one. The big picture is that she's sparked conversation and interest in "jazz" for a new generation. How insecure is our community that we have to fight over what outsiders label our music, to the point of ostracizing listeners ready to embrace it

I think by "saving jazz" a lot of these commenters mean "making jazz mainstream and 'accessible' (to white people and those outside the jazz community) again, like it used to be". Unfortunately, for many of us, that time period is not considered quite so golden. It's Lala Land all over again. Save jazz from the black people and the music heads who don't use it right

I agree with your conclusion but your "evidence" is weak at best. Someone not being black isn't a way to validate your argument that they aren't jazz or the savior of jazz. I watched Adam Neely's video and his evidence is a bit better presented but falls on the same assertion. Nonblack = not able to hold the title. Laufey isn't jazz by my definition because her music is pop. it is made for the sake of being as popular as possible within its own genre. It's jazz-pop to me, because it still has jazz elements. What "jazz elements" are is blurry and subjective. No solid argument can be made for the line of what is jazz and what isn't without excluding a lot of jazz musicians and including a lot of non-jazz musicians. Either accept that music like this can't be put in a neat little box, or face the fact that this discussion is pointless, entirely subjective, and demeaning to a ton of people. I understand that your video was more about her being called the savior of jazz and why she shouldn't be, but you still didn't really give any good arguments apart from "shes not black, therefore it would be whitewashing to say she is lifting jazz out of a 5 foot grave." which in a way is true but why? because jazz originated in black american culture? Rock also originated in black american and european culture yet the biggest figures of it are all white guys and no one has an issue with it. I do not wish to be rude or anything while saying this, but this video (and Adam's) are pretty weak, even as a regular viewer of his content and a second-time viewer of yours. you both have done great work on other videos, but these aren't really built on any foundation, regardless of who agrees with the conclusion or not.

Thanks. Great insights presented very articulately (articulatetly? :) ). I do wonder how comfortable Laufey is with being "the saviour of jazz"? I'm guessing this was not her goal when she set out and she was just making music in a style she liked and meant something to her.

Thank you for this video. Maybe I can provide some old fart perspective 😃. As a child in the 70s I saw the older people feel the brunt of their creativity being appropriated with whites making millions and the black’s being poorer for it. From swing to early jazz to blues to rock and roll which has its basis in the blues and so forth. That can generate a lot of resentment in a community where a group’s creativity is constantly marginalized. I’m happy to see that the zoomers are much more open and accepting so in this light I think we can discuss jazz from my point of view (as an old fart). For me, I keep things simple. Does it make my head bob, and does the artist improvise. Laufey does the first but not the second. I like her music as it makes my head bob, but she’s not improvising within the verses. For a good example of what I mean, listen to some Carmen McRae. Improvising within the verse comes from the old style black gospel tradition. Which is why singers like Aretha sound like they do. This isn’t some awful thing as there are excellent jazz singers out there, Samara Joy as one of the excellent young singers for example. Anyway music is music. Enjoy it and celebrate the artist creating it.

When laufey sits down to write a song, is she really asking the question, is it jazz, am I saving jazz, what genre of music should it fit neatly into? For anyone to do that would be stifle their own creativity. Given the wealth of musical knowledge we now have, an artist can incorporate anything they want and be inspired from whatever genre, whether classical, jazz, Latin, to accomplish the feelings and emotions they want to achieve. And that's the difference, Laufey's songs do touch a lot of people, while a lot of jazz, jazz clubs, jazz jams, make people, me included, feel nothing at all, except to admire the skills at playing the instruments but nothing beyond that. There is no need to over analyse, just ask, am I enjoying this?

just out of curiosity, was there ever a discussion like this when Norah Jones was very popular around the time she won the best album grammy? whether she is the “saviour of jazz” etc? was jazz dying back then as well?

I think almost all forms of gatekeeping are dumb, especially when utilizing immutable characteristics like race/ethnicity as a weapon to gatekeep. Jazz (and every other form of music) grows through inspiration and sharing. When culture/music is so ardently gatekept, the gatekeepers are only doing damage to their traditions by pushing away those who might learn to appreciate and grow/propagate said traditions. People should not need to belong to X race, Y Class, or Z ethnicity to enjoy and build upon tradition that inspires them. Sharing culture should be celebrated! In regards to Laufey, I think nit-picking what historical genre her music belongs to is kind of silly. In the end, all of these musical categories are man-made and only exist because we get some utility out of them. The more time one spends dissecting her music to argue over what genre it should belong to, the more it feels like gatekeeping. I reckon people should not worry so much what mainstream articles say about the categorization of Laufey's music, and just enjoy her music for what it is.

Laufey’s music isn’t jazz. Its more in line with American modern romantic. It’s not her fault people describe her genre is jazz. This piece of navel gazing has more in common with pseudo academic scholarship.

I wonder why Jon batiste, thundercat were never called “savior of jazz” when they’re nearer to the genre. Also there’s something weird about saying jazz is unapproachable but laufey is.. jazz has always been very full and complex why water it down?

I'm convinced that Laufey will change the music industry in the future, but I don't know if her career will move to other genres. In terms of her mid-century pop, I'm sure she want to do something different. In the Zach podcast, she really inspired her career like Taylor Swift did by changing her career from country pop star to pop star in my opinion.

Great video, also props to Adam Neely for recognising that there was something missing from his recent video and adding your content to his channel. Initially I was hesitant to even watch this content because most likely, this discussion of “is Laufey jazz” only exists because she was placed in this category by an algorithm. The unfortunate thing is that I cannot easily come up with an alternate genre definition for her work. When I hear her songs I think that she’s perfectly reflecting an old timey romanticism of the same vibe as I dunno, a love song written by Cole Porter or the like. Then there’s also a bit of a bossa nova component. Both referenced in a way that point back to periods in time where white American musicians were very successful with this specific type of whitewashing of both black American and South American music. So: I’m hearing a type of mid 1900s mainstream pop. Which is only tied to jazz in the most marginal way. Ima say: Laufey is great at embodying old timey kitsch, and I assume she’s also very aware of the cultural histories of these styles. Would she even want to get into more “jazz” based musical circles at this point in her life? Probably not, or not yet. Adam Neely pointing the finger at Laufey and telling her to go to a jam session seems completely besides the point. The main question is not about Laufey, but about jazz as a whole - why do people not understand jazz for what it is. And then drag a young female musician into the discourse who really doesn’t need to be involved. Why is jazz invisible to the algorithms that now govern our culture, and what can we learn from this question. The answer has something to do with capitalism and colonialism of course but who cares I need to stop ranting now. Thanks bye! ❤️

"It's not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz." - Herbie Hancock

Heya just came across your video, really well made! I was thinking about a lot of things you mentioned in this vid after I watched the Neely video as well. You should do more of this style of content vid essay stuff about music - the format suits you!

you know this video is real because there's a focusrite audio interface just sitting there

You are very correct about jam spaces. I have tried to go to a local one, but it's almost always just guys.

Everyone I knew who ended up being obsessed with Laufey had shocked me by weeks before saying they couldn’t stand jazz

I saw her live...she is great❤❤❤...she herself does not label as a jazz musician...she said, she loves classical music, jazz and pop...and loves to combine all three...I heard many different influences in her music

Honestly, with jam sessions I think in general it's a very uninviting space. Not to discount certain prejudices women can exclusively face in that environment, but every jam session I've been to has been a terrible experience. As a Jazz musician in Toronto in 4th year of humber, the city is full of Jazz musicians, between York, U of T and Humber as well as the professors and alumni. However, being in such an educational space invites so much competition. The last time I went to a jam session, I went up to play and so did this other alto player I had never seen before. We played and all solo'd but when it came to his solo, he clearly struggled. He was clearly new and trying to figure things out, but instead of encouraging, the tenor saxophonist (Who is very big in the Jazz scene known throughout the world), started playing over him during his solo. The tenor player then passed the solo on to the drummer to basically shut him up. After the tune finished, the female bass player loudly recommended towards the bassist we play something simple like a blues. So, we ended up playing a Bb blues, and I noticed everyone in the band ignored this player and didn't allow him to solo. I find the idea that you should just practice to backing tracks for 4000 hours before ever going to a jam, a very gatekeeping viewpoint. Which is another reason many people find it too daunting of a music to start playing. As well as the media that has come out that has either directly or indirectly supported emotional (and sometimes physical) abuse to the people who can't play jazz very well in order to "encourage" them. I.e. Whiplash, and general stories told through the community about the jazz greats being abused before "getting good," At the end of the night I was told I was good and even received a random follow on instagram from the tenor player and a DM saying that I played really well. But I would still not go back. Sure, I ended up getting positive feedback because I'm a professional player, which is great, but what happens when I have an off night and can't play as well? or a tune I don't know that I then have to ear? Most importantly, what happens to the inexperienced kid who just wanted to have fun? Will he ever pursue the music? Will he ever pursue a musical education? So, to laufey's credit, I understand her not wanting to go to a Jazz jam. What happens when she goes, and has to scat over giant steps and can't do it well. Will the Jazz community actually be inviting when she gets there? I think they would be, but only because she could call them for a gig. Someone else with the same level of talent might be ridiculed.

First video like this but hopefully not the last.

Your commentary is awesome and your video is really well made. I really would love to hear your takes on other music related discussions, kind of like Adam Neely.

Really interesting video! There's a complicated history but you managed to summarise it quite succinctly and explain where the gatekeeping originates from. I often wondered if it was just my own insecurities feeling left out of the loop but the gatekeeping is a real thing and thank you for addressing the issue of male dominated spaces. I've often been told to just attend Jam sessions and it's not that easy as a female.

The fact that she’s not a progressive jazz singer but is so popular is and indication that not as many people are looking for jazz. There are more progressive singers in r and b etc, and more complex instrumental expression to be explored with electronic effects etc. that are allowed in other genres, so the traditional tools of jazz are limiting now.

This video was super informative. I think that the history and information can be greatly used at a broader level compared to just Laufey. As someone who loves listening to Laufey, I felt like this video and Adam Neelys video are both painting Laufey as someone who "doesn't understand the culture" or what jazz is about. But in reality, she greatly understands jazz and its culture (as shown in many interviews). Correct me if I have misinterpreted parts of this video

This is such a great counterpoint/response to Adam’s video. Thanks for making this.

Isn’t Laufey mixed though? It’s hard to say she’s fully reaping the benefits of white privilege when she’s not fully white, nor does she look white.

why do i feel glad that i'm not laufey right now

idk what's going on, but I just enjoy the music.

I love her, you can hear where she got her inspo from, its beautiful how she made this type of music special again

Jimi Hendrix did rock and roll. Norah Jones did Jazz. Eminem did Rap. Look at how many Asians become elite classical musicians. You dont need to be a certain skin color to have others label you a great. Everyone has their opinions.

Jazz is a musical language. With the option of adding 9, 11 and 13 to the chords a very interesting one. It is there to be spoken by who ever likes to do so, anywhere, in whatever context and with or without company. Oh, try & guess - in what category is Laufey a Grammy Nominee ? - : "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album"

I can't wait to see Samara Joy next month😉 thanks for your service.. defending jazz is a duty. I'm always explaining this to the people who don't know what it is and claim that they don't like it. Diana Krall had to go commercial to be heard as a jazz pianist. It's sad. ❤

Thank you for making this video, this discussion of the history and culture of the jazz music we love so much is very needed

Thank you for you lucid, thoughtful and awesome video. And unlike most of the complainers about Adam’s video, you took the time to communicate deep truths in a clear and inclusive manner.

The only point that I would slightly disagree with you on in the video is about the whole black American art form. I am thoroughly against all skin colour identity politics being placed on music and art. People would identify me as a black person, but I do not use skin colour as an identity. That's just me. And that's my personal view. However, I do not think that it is healthy for us as musicians and music lovers to follow down that narrative of skin colour origin and ownership, so to speak, of a musical genre. If anything, it serves to divide music lovers more than it unites us. Yes, it is good for us to know what circumstances created the culture for a particular musical genre to be created, but apart from that no further value should be placed on skin colour.

I love how you clearly convey your message and arguments without attacking the artist. espetially at the end part of the video where you say there is space to grow, this is how every discussion video should be.

I am South American, from Peru, born in 1971. My 12 year old daughter, half Peruvian and British, has fell in love with Laufey, because of her talent. Perhaps, she has listened to my constant playing of Ella Fitzgerald when all my girls were in my tummy and afterwards. Regardless, I will teach my girls to appreciate all music.

I like Laufey, me and my daughter covered falling behind on my RU-vid…. But Samara Joy won awards and no one mentions her in this space at all, and she sings traditional Jazz… but not call her a savior. I hope Laufey fans listen to and support other artists in the space. I love Jazz. And Laufey’s music is Jazz to me, even if it’s more popular.

From what I've heard from Laufey, she actually seems to have real chops and talent. Her ennunciation is the thing which seems most at odds with traditional jazz vocals and denuded of blues influence . That said, I think someone who doesn't have a feel for the blues singing blues inflected jazz probably feels much more appropriative than Laufey's approach. Maybe some folks migrate from listening to her to other folks more at home in the tradition. I don't think there is anything wrong with folks liking her as a one off so long as her approach doesn't set the standard for what is expected for new jazz artists (and in particular recording artists).

I’m more of a pop fan who is somewhat curious about jazz and enjoys music that sounds “jazzy”. I feel like Laufey is in the singer/songwriter tradition in that she has a well defined, singular vision for her music but makes it with a sophistication and knowledge of music theory that isn’t present in most modern pop. Her songwriting and lyricism is incredibly sharp and she has a magnetic personality. That’s probably what makes her so famous. I say the music is “pop” defining pop as melody based music instead of rhythm based and also because it also “pops” in that it is very sharp, sweet, and controlled. Jazz might be more experimental and improvised but as I said before I’m more a visitor to jazz who doesn’t completely understand it yet.

I like how its degrading that Laufey is being called the savior of Jazz in some circles, but the post hipsters who want to try and label it a black folk music and want to defend it do not seem to be black either lol

Thanks for your insights. I have been creating music literally since before I can remember (my mother said I vocalized melodies from the radio before I started talking). The older I get, the more I realize that my music is about so much more than my own creativity and at least equally about what I have absorbed from those before me. My fascination upon discovering a Cannonball Adderly/Nancy Wilson Lp was among many treats I was lucky and open enough to enjoy as a poor white boy going through the records box at my village library. I can appreciate jazz today (I played jazz Tbone until I was 18), but I found it a bit too toxic when I was figuring out my musical path in the late 70s and early 80s. Thanks again.

sooo good! im a fellow jazz vocalist and a lot of your points resonated 💖

I disagree with Jazz being gatekept, in fact, I feel it is one of the most openly welcoming communities. The problem is people seem to be turned off or scared with the idea of it and stay away from it.

You are taking the delulu trend to a whole new level. Never in the past 5 years of my existence have I heard a more conceited delusional monologue like the one in this video. I'm amazed by how touched I am on an emotional level. Perhaps because I value transparency, genuinity and truth so much.

Really appreciate the history and insight, thank you!

Is jazz gate kept? How would one gatekeep MUSIC ?

Just found your channel from watching you sing Shiki No Uta, and now I'm loving these topics! I love jazz, but have never talked about it with anyone since it's mostly absent in my culture (Brazilian).

the differences is cultural/generational differences, Imo. older gens obviously arent consuming their content thru social medias the way gen z are. So a lot of older gens are getting mad that tiktok style content and quick to consume media is being coined as jazz. Anyways that aside, Mitamu, i think your last point raises so much more points and has a lot more nuance than Adam neelys original video. I love Laufeys music and im even going to her concert, but for her to join jam sessions, the way Adam neely pointed it out to her just sounded passive aggressive. Im glad u brought up the points like how a lot of jam sessions are very male dominated. I personally coin Laufey as jazz-pop or i guess the "mid century pop" terminology. But for the ppl who truly want to see Laufey interact with jazz spaces and its culture, we definitely need to fix these spaces and make it more inclusive for women and other marginalized groups

I guess you don't know the old trope that White English Rock & Roll bands saved 'The Blues", another Black American music genre. The Blues is also part of Rhythm & Blues, but the Blues as done by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Delta Blues Memphis Blues, Chicago Blues is separate. Hundreds of Blues artists began to receive attention in the 60s and 70s that would have otherwise remained faceless, unknown and ignored. Of course the cries about another group of White musicians like Elvis, stealing Black music. No credit given, ignoring the culture. This is tiresome. Elvis respected the Blues and Black gospel music. That's no question. I never would have known about Robert Johnson without Led Zeppelin. I never would have known about Bessie Smith and Big Mama Thornton without Janis Joplin. All artists who respected and praised Blues players and singers. Growing up in Japan in the 70s, Electric Blues bands were some of the most popular bands around. One of my personal favorites was Carmen Maki and OZ band, before that she had an album with Blues Creation. She was very much influenced by Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. I was 15-16 years old and I loved that hard rock Blues sound. I also got into Jazz at that time due to playing it in Stage Band. Was it 'The Blues?' It was far removed from Robert Johnson playing 12 bar blues on a beat up guitar into a microphone in a studio, onto wax for a few dollars in the 30s. He made probably $300 total for those sessions. What would have happened if Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones had never heard about Robert Johnson? And you really need to stop talking about Jazz as if there is just one form of Jazz. Please introduce genres of Jazz such as BIg Band, Ragtime, Modal, Be-Bop, Dixieland, Free Jazz, Jazz-Rock Fusion, cool Jazz or Miles Davis Bitches Brew to some of your Gen-Z friends and sit them down to listen to it and see how long before they start looking at their iPhones and looking for an excuse to get the F out of there. Smooth Jazz came on the radio in the 80s and single handedly revived the careers of many jazz & R&B artists, new young artists, were able to become successful ina genre that was pretty much a dead end if you were a horn or woodwind player in high school or college, especially if you liked Jazz. Hard core Jazz purists hated Smooth Jazz. Laufey is perfect for Smooth Jazz with her vocals and mid-century pop, light Jazz arrangements. The audience for Smooth Jazz was at one time over 70% white, 28% Black. so what demographic is keeping Jazz alive? Gate keepers who say it ain't jazz unless it is a Black/artist/musician is self defeating. I went to see Dave Koz for his Smooth Jazz Summer Concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Full house and the audience was probably 50% Black. The audience for the most part was older, I'm 66, came to listen to a White Saxophone player, who plays pop Jazz. My 36 year old daughter wouldn't be caught dead at a Smooth Jazz concert, let alone the Playboy Jazz Festival. Jazz radio is dead, Smooth Jazz is a shadow of it's past popularity, blame mismanagement and tiresome playlists. Younger listeners are not attracted to the genre. You think that giving Grammys to Esperanza Spalding and Samara Joy is going to have Gen-Z flocking to their concerts? Both are great but not my cup of tea. They are not going to 'save' Jazz anymore than Laufey. I liked the Tabakin/Akiyoshi big band, Sadao Watanabe, Ryo Kawasaki. I loved Chick Corea, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, Joe Pass, Benny Goodman Orchestra, Duke Ellington. So my love for Jazz goes back decades. Throwing shade at Laufey is the last thing Jazz needs. To be honest, her music lulls me to sleep, but otherwise it's listenable. Her voice is pleasant and her song choices and arrangements, even solo with guitar are pretty good. How is she different from Norah Jones singing 'I don't Know Why?' Is it Jazz? Yes, a form of Jazz. Wasn't she supposed to be the new face of Jazz? Just as there are multiple forms and types of Jazz that don't sound anything alike, Laufey is singing and playing a soft pop lyrical style that incorporates a taste of influences, even Jazz, here and there. You and others think she needs to jump all in and slap Gen-Z in the face with Miles Davis or Art Blakey or some other 'real' Jazz. Wynton Marsalis was another Grammy winner who was supposed to save Jazz as well, except he trashed talked non-traditional Jazz artists. The perception of Jazz is the problem. The perception of old school Jazz to a Gen-Z audience is the problem. Trying to force Jazz onto them(You don't know what real Jazz is!!!) is a problem.

i play in community bands . i bring jazz to the rehearsals for concert band players who haven't heard it , i take the big songs that are like Mingus miles all stuff that we can bring to a new audience . we have been traveling this road for 10 years laufey will give us a kick along and we will take some clues from her . good discussion

Leave Laufey alone! 😂

i like how the anpanman song comes up randomly in this jazz video

I really enjoy her music and I also listen to a lot of jazz, however I don’t feel like her music fits alongside count Basie and such, more so I feel like she’s writing standards in their most derivative form, I’m really into music preservation and there have been projects to reconstruct these jazz standards with the original orchestrations heard on broadway, her music fits right along with it. It’s up to musicians to take those lead sheets and make them into jazz

Music is music. Maybe it originates from a culture or race, but a couple steps before that, it's music. Anybody gatekeeping music on a racial pretense is probably alittle racist. The artist and the listener are THE continuum.

I really appreciate you going through the history in all of this!! Really educational and solid as heck!

The savior can only be black?? Sure she’s more pop but what kind of arguments are those?

This was an incredible video, Mitamu! Loved the way you tell this stories and your point of view, fantastic editing as well. I'd love to see more of this

Well this has been a hot topic. Even thought I don’t like the term, the real gatekeepers were those who didn’t allow the music in mainstream settings (TV) and the post-2000 musician who is only interested in his peers music while ignoring everything else. As for whether Laufey is jazz, there’s other issues that are more important.

so glad I finally had time to watch this video. i did not know who tf laufey was before you started posting this. you touched on such crucial points far beyond the issues with influencer artists and how often the greater music industry needs to be more mindful and respectful in regards to history, legacy and how to move forward more mindfully. so many great insights and i love the edit

I appreciate your input on this, I haven't ever listened to Laufey but after I watched your video I did so and, I think she is a crooner, which is a cool thing in its own right also wanted to add a thought on jazz spaces and why they are so unwelcoming, growing up I read a lot of jazz biographies and jazz autobiographies and one thing that I understood through reading those books was that the jam sessions were really born for competition, they initially were called cutting sessions where one person would walk away as the best player of that night, it was a space to go head to head with your contemporaries with a jury of your contemporaries. So of course when you have a space that is highly competitive and has an unspoken and unarticulated and undecipherable hierarchy , trying to come into that with a mindset of " I'm gonna learn and just network" really just wasn't the vibe of the space and wouldn't be respected. As for jam sessions today, idk but that is their origin so I would imagine that in some circles that energy and intention still persists.

Amazing video! Loved it and your perspective

I think in order to have a proper discussion of whether it's jazz or not, there is an important distinction to be made between playing jazz as in - a bunch of musicians get up on stage and say "let's play Cherokee" or whatever, and the concept of having a repertoire of jazz standards, the kinds of harmony we associate with this type of music (pre-bebop at least) and so on. Now, we can argue about the term "jazz standard" and is an Irving Berlin song or a Cole Porter song in itself jazz. But is Laufey, as a young singer songwriter following more in their steps or the steps of John Coltrane or Charlie Parker? The answer seems quite obvious to me, so why is everybody focusing on people like Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie? That's just not what she does. It's a completely different kind of music. It's like, if you compare Sinatra to Miles Davis. Not much in common even in the same time period. As for Laufey, there's obviously nothing wrong with writing songs in that style, that's very clearly what she likes, the Gershwin or Jobim type of tune, the problem arrives when that gets automatically classified as jazz. And both Laufey, and the media get it wrong because of the confusing terminology and lack of consensus on these topics. Is it really a big deal though, is the public going to forget what jazz is about because of her? Probably not. (Although the Tiktok community might be hopeless).

i hope people will stop saying "jazz needs saving or jazz is dying" ...Jazz is actually the reason why we have Laufey and so many artists like Amy, Lady Gaga, Samara and also Cody Fry.. Jacob Collier, Sara Bareilles!.... Jazz just continues to evolve from the beloved standards, contemporaries and indies and i hope our generation continues to flourish in this love for music😍

Her work,, as has been said, is not jazz but Mid-Century Modern. A kind of homogenized melding of jazz and pop. Easy to listen to because it’s highly predictable but it sounds sort of jazzlike As well, several renown jazz artists applied themselves Mid-Century Modern performances because, for example, they liked Cole Porter songs too!

adore this video, please keep making more!!

The very first statement is questionable, since jazz stylings were employed by both Black and Jewish musicians--and others in the Big Band tradition.

While I absolutely adore Laufeys music ,personally I don't think her music is Jazz, its pop (soft pop) with many Jazz influences and inspirations.

incredible that neither this video or adam neelys video say anything about the generally inaccessible cost of elite music conservatories. If anything is gatekeeping people from jazz it’s $50,000 yearly tuitions

The jam sessions being a “man’s” space is weird to me. The only jam session I’ve ever seen was at a bar in Texas and it was about half and half women and men. Now, it never had singing. And it included a ton of students in the local school jazz program, so I guess it’s just different. Maybe a bar in Texas is just less sexist than a jazz session in a northern big city.

Look Laufey is no fake; she has a nice voice, she knows how to use it, she plays several instruments very well and she deserves her success. Is she a jazz player? Most emphatically not. Is she a jazz singer? Mh, not really. She is a pop singer who can compose and sing a nice bossa nova and sing some easy standards, not unlikey many female pop singers before her. As a matter of fact I can quote at least ten pop singers of variuos ages and nationality who absorbed the jazz language way more than Laufey. But I'll quote only one who is islandic as Laufey: Bjork. Bjork actually started as a jazz singer when she was very young and even recorded an LP...

I feel bad for Laufey she just wants to make music and she's being ostracized by this community. I think she'll be chased away from ever going near jazz, plus she also has to be of a specific color so I'm sure she'll sure as heck stay away from it.

Jazz music was the pop music of the1920's - 1950's - all you naval gazers need to chill out - music and art evolve - Laufey is 'Jazz' in that mid-century pop definition and she is bringing her version of 'Jazz' to the masses - stop being so hyper critical - Laufey is a fantastic musician and singer-songwriter - you all need to get over yourselves! She can do her own thing for goodness sake!

also mary lou williams and dorothy denegan are SO killin. mary lou taught all these guys, monk, parker bud powell. she was amazing !

I appreciate your explanations of A. how gatekeeping generally comes from a place of preservation of culture to whatever degree, and B. we can still make moves to change things as long as we understand the identities and histories of the cultures and make sure we do it tastefully. While I hate gatekeeping conversations, it is super reductive to assume it's because the kid in the sandbox doesn't want to share. There needs to be respect to the culture before someone decides to borrow or be revisionist about it.

Thank you for this, came for Adam and stayed for you. When i heard you say Jazz is for the boyz early on i knew this was going to be amazing. I think another part of this conversation is her upbringing in Iceland a beautiful but incredibly small, homogeneous and remote society. Anyway thabk you again

I couldn't thank you enough for making this video contextualizing the history of jazz, the forms of gatekeeping from protecting identity & artistry to the "jazz is for the boiiiis". This summarized much of my thoughts around this and more. I have since bought an out of print "to be or not to bop" book and am looking forward to my collection of music history books!

Women aren’t welcome in jam sessions is such bull. Maybe back when Melba Winston was alive it was like this but idk if you’ve ever been to a jazz jam session but women are very much appreciated and respected

Music doesn’t belong to any racial or ethnic group. This whole mindset of “white people stealing bad” IS gate keeping and it’s how culture (read pure untainted black oppression protest Jazz) dies. Regarding the sexism in jazz - perhaps it’s also a part of the conservative nature of “true” jazz that has its culture 100 years ago. That’s the nature of conservative movements and why it’s contradictory to gate-keep jazz based on skin color but not gender.

Personally, I think music is for everyone to share or express how they feel! We can share and add onto or evolve (I like how she worded it) into some beautiful. How I like to think about it in this situation: Jazz is the hotdog. As we grow as a generation, we can add toppings like that modern sauce to it to make some super awesome combo! Haha, uhhh idk if that makes sense. But to summarize, I think it’s an incredible thing to be able to enjoy music and add onto each other no matter race, gender, or all that jazz (😉😉). Personally I think that by labeling people by their race and saying it’s “odd” for another race to make a certain genre popular is a bit separating. We should be looking at each other as amazing humans with a passion to jazz! I also heard from another video that Laufey got so popular because she was relatable and funny(totally agree)! Like who can’t relate to being so “lovesick” P.S. I thought Laufeys most popular song: From the Start, was a bossa nova (or at least sounded like it)

I wouldn’t say that laufey is “reviving jazz” essentially but I love how she incorporates jazz inspiration into her music, I would definitely classify her as a jazz and orchestral pop musician than full on jazz since her pieces still have a modern like style to them. Laufey is more introducing a style of jazz and bossa nova to a new generation which will encourage younger listeners to research and appreciate jazz for what it really is, since jazz for so many years has been seen as un-accessible to younger listeners because of how white people have influenced and interpreted jazz, a music originally from black artists

"Jazz" has never died - it's evolved beyond the mid-century sound the mainstream mistakenly equates to Jazz. Modern artists like Flying Lotus and Thundercat are examples of jazz-influenced artists pushing the envelope. Laufey, on the other hand, is a fine 60s pop-jazz influenced singer, but a pioneer she is not. Expand your mind and look harder for quality music.

oh, I didn't know that bebop was the "gatekeeper" style. It was the style that made me fall in love with jazz and change my high gain amplifier for a clean one. Also, it seems to me, as a fairly new jazz follower, that the comunal culture you describe is not that different from the metal community I come from.

Good earnest and interesting post. It made me think and ponder questions that I had hitherto dismissed in the past, so thanks for raising important questions. Laufey is trying her best and I feel that sometimes her critics can be a little dogmatic in some respects. Her music evokes a jazz mood and in some regards, that should be enough. Jazz has always been about challenging expectations.

Laufey is making music, and you guys complain about media and artists. This is why Laufey is so successful because she focus on music not other things. It's totally distasteful and unclassy to backstab other artists.

6:07 "nonconformity" I'm dying. That was hilarious. Great video. I subscribed.

havent watched the video yet but where did white-washing come from what does that have to do with anything

I completely understand your perspective relating to the roots of jazz. Conservatism (or, yes, gatekeeping) is to be expected here. However, you must realize that on this internet and globalization era, tradition is a niche. And so, gatekeeping authentic African American jazz will inevitably turn it into traditional music. Jazz will turn into the local/traditional music of the USA just like the local/traditional Japanese music to the lay Japanese people. Take a look at kabuki. Do "ordinary" Japanese watch kabuki and understand kabuki lingos? Nope. Take a look at sumo. Many "ordinary" Japanese regularly follow sumo tournaments. But, most Japanese certainly don't. Also, for so many people outside the US & outside the jazz community, jazz means different things. To some, jazz is Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny or even Frank Sinatra. Just like how classical music is only Beethoven and Mozart to some people. In reality, we certainly have Russians and Italians like Rachmaninoff & Scarlatti. (Yes, I intentionally didn't mention any African American jazz musician. I literally just listened to Art Farmer, Modern Jazz Quartet & Red Garland a few hours ago) I don't mean any harm and I do understand that this is a sensitive issue. It's certainly political. Everything's political since humans are political animals. Each one of us has our own beliefs, desires & principles. Hence, we're regularly practicing politics with one another. In conclusion, most people, especially outside the US, certainly don't understand the nuanced problems relating to Laufey. Obviously we always try to understand what's really going on in the US and what really is the problem. Trust me, with how vocal you guys in the US are on RU-vid and social media, it's hard for us not to pay attention. I'm just here to broaden the perspective and enrich the discourses. Jazz certainly have roots in African American people. The question is do all jazz belong to African American? Globalization still is a complex sociocultural problem.

i swear to god the reading comprehension in so many of the comments here is just tragic