Jazz is all over Bloomington. Bear’s Place, Cafe Django, Tutto Bene and Ragazzi Arte Cafe all play host to live jazz weekly. The next time you leave your pad to check out those wild beats, be sure to know the slang to converse with those funky cats.
Bad: Good.\nBag: A person’s particular interest.\nBreak it down: To get hot.\nBurnin’: Used to describe a particularly emotional or technically excellent solo.\nCats: People who play jazz music.\nClinker: A bad note; one that is fluffed.\nCool: A restrained approach to music; a superlative that has gained wide acceptance outside of jazz.\nCrib: A house, home, apartment or bed.\nDrag: As a verb, to depress or bring down a person’s spirits. As a noun, a person or thing that depresses.\nFunky: Earthy; down-to-earth.\nGig: A paying job.\nHorn: Any instrument (not necessarily a brass or reed instrument).\nJive: A versatile word that can be used as a noun, verb or adjective. As a noun, “jive” is an odd form of speech. As a verb, to fool someone. As an adjective, phoney or fake.\nNoodlin’: To play notes that have no particular meaning to a tune or solo.\nScat: To improvise lyrics as nonsense syllables. The word is said to have originated on the Hot Five song “Heebie Jeebies” when Louis Armstrong dropped his lyrics.\nTag: Used to end the tune, repeating the last phrase three times.\nWig; wig out: To flip out. Also, to think precisely.\nWild: Astonishing or amazing.
Source: All About Jazz (www.allaboutjazz.com)
