From visiting New Orleans and researching the cultural aesthetics within the music, to exploring Postmodernism through jazz.  John has written and researched many areas of music focusing predominantly around jazz.

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Essays

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Postmodernism, a range of ways in which it shows itself, in thinking about music and its practice 

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This essay explores the term postmodernism and explains ways in which the concept is found within areas of music, with a focus on the genre of jazz. 

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The individual voice of Free Jazz, reflected through its aesthetics, ideologies, and reflections on society

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This essay investigates the definition of the genre, its musical aesthetics, and the musical concepts within it.  It then reflects the term through cultural ideologies in cultural identity and politics, finishing with the understanding of the shift in musical thought of the musician.

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The Individual Voice of Simon Spillett

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This essay was written in 2008 as is an exploration into a leading jazz musician on the British jazz scene Simon Spillett, from a larger research project conducted.  The essay investigates his musical history, starting from his childhood through to his second album Sienna Red.  It then delves into his melodic improvisational style, his influences and techniques and how these are found within his albums.  The essay finishes with a short comparison to British saxophonist Tubby Hayes, looking at similarities and differences in stage presence and musical style.

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Research

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The Devising of a Jazz Workshop

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This research was undertaken to understand key fundamental parts of the areas of producing a workshop.  It looks into aspects on the construction of a workshop, including structure, space and content.  The research was accumulated by recording and analysis of a number of workshops, and books.  The final outcome was a workshop produced by myself and an observation of my findings.

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New Orleans

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In the final year of university I travelled to New Orleans to perform a contextual enquiry project.  The aim of this project was to research the music and context of New Orleans, and explore the transition that has occurred since the 1900s.  This included interviewing musicians, recording performances, and visiting research centres and museums.  The final presentation of all my findings of the work was placed in a portfolio, and a performance was devised reflecting pieces that had been heard.

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For further details please e-mail info@johnseeleyjazz.co.uk

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