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Summary

The journey of the research on the softening of borders between comics and jazz is explored, starting with considerations and anecdotes from the past. Billie Holiday’s connection to comic books, the transformation of jazz and comics into accredited forms of art, and the evolving relationship between jazz and comics are key points of exploration in the research. The impact of recognition on these art forms and the representations of jazz in comics are also critical topics for discussion.

In 2017, I presented a paper at a communication conference in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, entitled On Comics and Jazz and, since then, I have been dedicating myself to the subject from both an academic and artistic point of view. In fact, one of the issues raised concerns precisely the softening of borders.

I would like to share with you the journey of this research, starting with some considerations that served as starting points. Enjoy!

In the Spring of 1948, the promoter Ernie Anderson met legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in midtown Manhattan. They discussed details of her much waited come-back to show-business in the Carnegie Hall stage the following night. After leaving the Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderston, Virginia, where she served 10 months for ‘receiving and concealing a narcotic drug’, Billie depended on that act to re-establish her career.

As Anderson prepared to leave, ‘Lady Day’ asked him for some comic books. In that crucial evening, comic books made company to the great artist.

Forty-five years later Billie herself would become a much praised graphic novel by the hands of Argentinean authors José Muñoz and Carlos Sampayo (1993) and much before, in 1927, the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian had published “Jazz and the Neo-Plasticism”, claiming that jazz and the new movement he helped to put up were nothing less than expressions of a new life and considered them revolutionary movements capable of dealing with the new time and space impositions of the metropolis.

In 2015 jazz performer Kamasi Washington released his debut album called The Epic, a three hour piece, comparable to an opera and deliberately inspired in comic art both musically and also in the art of the album. Washington revealed he was actually working on a graphic novel and album final structure was directly influenced by it.

Both considered during long time marginal forms of expression, comics and jazz proudly arrived in the twenty first century as accredited forms of art and a regular subject for thesis and dissertations. But does this recognition also have a price? Did it implicate in some sort of compromising?

How (far) did it change jazz and comics features? Since the links between both jazz and comics continue to develop, how are these two languages interacting, that is, what are the representations in comics about jazz?

These are some of the questions we will develop throughout this topic.

Be seeing you!

G. F.  

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When I set out to write this blog, a rule I created for myself was:no rules concerning topics, as long as I could see it through the lens of independent music production and, if you have been following me, you must agree that I have kept my promise. Mostly.

Sometimes, however, I feel an overwhelming need to return to a previously mentioned topic. This is the case today. And the topic I am going to address once more, firstly came out about a year ago, and it has to do with the podcast on Comic Art research I produce and host. What is the problem about the podcast?

Nothing, the podcat is fine. My critic has to do more specifically, to a frequent behaviour by the guests speakers. I return to the topic without embarrassment, and not because I want to attribute some kind of “original sin” to my university colleagues. Quite the opposite: it is due to the number of people, from different nationalities who exhibit the same behavior, that I started to think this is not a problem restricted to the academic community, but it represents a much more common type of attitude than one might imagine.

My doubt refers to the fact that although the invitation to participate includes precise guidelines, which include the length of the audio (around fifteen minutes), many people choose to send audios twice, sometimes three times shorter than that.

What is the reason, in an era marked by overexposure, often completely banal everyday situations, why people fail to take advantage of free time given to them to talk about their professional career and research interests? I understand, of course, not having the time or even the desire to participate in the program, but once the invitation is accepted, why not make the best use of it?

I don not have the answer, of course, but my theory is that of the various elements present there is a bit of an impostor complex and also a bit of self-sabotage. The invitation to freely express topics that move you is like a gift offered and I realize that many of my guests still do not know very well how to deal with it.

As I said, it is not my goal here to judge anyone, just to point out a problem, but if you have come this far, I feel like I owe you at least a suggestion. Well, here it goes: my suggestion is that you should not waste any opportunity to talk about topics that are close to your heart.

What you have to say is certainly very important, perhaps even decisive, in the life of someone.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Since 2017 (with the exception of the years 2020 and 2021) I have been a partner of the International Jazz Day, which means that I create local events around the jazz theme on April 30th and they are included on the official page of IJD. Local events are not necessarily music events. Last year, for example, the event was a masterclass on the links between jazz and comics, interspersed with live performed songs.

This year the concept is similar. I will talk about Jazz & Literature. The lecture format (well, I might sing some parts of mentioned tunes a cappella, to better illustrate a passage, but nothing more than that) made me think that, compared to the hybrid version of words and music, the event this year would be less attractive to the general public. And I was totally wrong.

In fact, the event this year has gained much more attention and momentum, so to speak, and I not only talking about “likes” and “shares” in socials. This time, for the first time, the official social media profiles is co-hosting my event on Facebook! Okay, I know that a year ago people were a lot less open to face-to-face events than they are now. Even so, something tells me that the fundamental difference is in the exchange of the word “comics” for “literature”.

I have been researching graphic art (including comics, editorial cartoons and graphic novels) since 2012 and, from my point of view, this field of knowledge had already overcome the prejudice of being considered a “minor art”, “children’s thing” (in the bad sense of the expression) and other absurdities. When, however, I mentioned my suspicions to a researcher friend, he was adamant: “Comics are still considered a sub-form of literature, while jazz is supposed to be a appreciated by the elite”.

Funny, because prejudice and snobism are actually on the opposite side of what jazz represents. If you listen to jazz because you think it makes you look sophisticated and intellectual, then you have probably not aquired the most basic information about the genre. Jazz has nothing to do with being part of “a select few”, whatever that publicity line may be able to sell. Jazz is not about pretending. It is about being and feeling.

And you know what is even funnier? Record covers are among the first representations of jazz and guess who were the pioneering creators of covers for jazz records? Illustrators, posters, graphic artists. Which means that jazz is, in a way, as far as chronology is concerned, more connected to the despised comics than its rich cousin, literature.

Perhaps this information will surprise the audience and help them form a more enlightened opinion of the greatness of jazz. If that is the case, I will consider my mission accomplished and my event a resounding success.

Anyway, I just wanted to invite you who might be in Rio by the 30th, or who migh know people around to my event. You can check out the poster here, as well as my past events. Celebrate the date!

Be seeing you!

G. F.

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Everybody’s got a thing
But some don’t know how to handle it.

– Stevie Wonder

Last week I have mentioned a new podcast project I was work on, and today I would like to talk a bit about it, but be prepared, because you mught be surprised with my bombastic revelation! Drum roll, please: it is not about music, but about comics. Research on comic art, as a matter of fact.

How come? Although I have always been involved with music, my academic background is not in the field of music. I have a degree in History, a Masters in Communication and Culture and a PhD in Communication Sciences. The reason why I changed areas was precisely my object of research: comic books. Now you are probably thinking about superheroes or graphic novels. Of course these are also on my radar, but my area of expertise is caricatures and cartoons, especially those with political and satirical content.


Among the many comic-related activities that I have already carried out, perhaps the one that most impacted my life was my term as chair of a research group on the Ninth Art called Comic Art Working Group, created by Prof. John A. Lent, who is also responsible for the International Journal of Comic Art an essential publication for any researcher in the field. The Comic Art Working Group is part of the IAMCR International Association for media and Communication Research.

I shalll say no more for my story in the group is precisely the subject of the second episode of the podcast Comments on the Top, created to celebrate the 35 years of the group celebrated in 2019. You can listen to all ten episodes on your preferred streaming platform or just click here.

For a long time I insisted on keeping music activities completely separate from research activities, and I came to think that they would never meet, but my friend S. was right when he said that, with time (and a lot of commitment, too) the loose ends in our lives end up coming together.

And now that you know all about the other me, how about you telling me about the other you?

Be seeing you!

G. F.