Just a few of my thoughts, from the position of a freelance jazz musician.
As a musician playing within various genres I often think of authenticity in what I play, and cultural appropriation.
I play music that developed out of cultures and societies quite different from my own. It is generally recognised that jazz evolved from the melting pot of musical cultures that mixed together in New Orleans in the early 1900’s. Many of the icons of early jazz were black, many struggled with addictions, many came from underprivileged backgrounds… all quite different from my life growing up in London with the many opportunities offered to me. Does that mean I don’t have a right to play this music? Or that I don’t have the understanding or feel to play jazz properly. Certainly the image of a struggling old black musician singing about hardships in life through the blues adds a level of seeming authenticity I couldn’t hope to attain.
I hope that through respect for the music I play, and for those that have played it before me, coupled with an understanding of what the musicians were trying to convey when they performed should give my performances some authenticity.
That shouldn’t prevent me exploring other styles and cultures of music I am less familiar with, hoping to absorb some of the knowledge and understanding from the other musicians I am playing with. In time exploring further through listening and reading I might get more of an understanding, and through this expand my musical language.
My personal beef is with musicians who take a gig for the money, and subsequently mock the music they are playing through a lack of respect. This isn’t uncommon in the world of ‘trad jazz’/ ‘New Orleans jazz’/ dixieland / 20’s jazz (names used interchangeably and ambiguously to cover a relatively broad range of styles) due to the evolution of ‘modern jazz’ being seen as the artistic superior.
And as for cultural appropriation, one could argue that it was exactly this that created the seeds of jazz music over 100 years ago – different cultures experimenting with each other’s styles, mixing them up with other styles and creating a whole new thing. That has continued ever since, creating whole new popular styles of music. Meanwhile musicians may look back to re-visit eras and styles that have been forgotten by many. We are privileged nowadays to have such easy access to all the resources of recordings. This has allowed young musicians to get a broader picture of the history of jazz and come to their own conclusions about the artistic validity of the various styles.