Blue Giant is a very popular jazz manga serialized in Big Comic, and the story has now come to an end, with Blue Giant SUPREME being serialized as a sequel. However, it is rare for music to be featured in a manga, and jazz is also a rare subject. This time, I would like to follow the main story while looking at the charm and basic knowledge of jazz!
Question! What is jazz anyway?
Jazz is a genre of music that originated in the southern United States, and is characterized by its unique rhythm and improvisational dialogue. You can tell it's jazz once you hear it, but it's a bit difficult to define, and it has a vague image of having a "unique rhythm that is unique to jazz." It's a bit vague, but maybe that's because jazz is characterized by ad-libs and improvisation.
Miyamoto Dai, the protagonist, becomes obsessed with jazz
Miyamoto Dai, the protagonist of Blue Giant, was also fascinated by the charm of jazz after being taken to listen to it by a friend, and practiced playing it every day on the tenor saxophone that his brother bought for him. The saxophone is the first instrument that comes to mind when you hear jazz. When you actually listen to it, the image of the saxophone is quite strong when it comes to jazz. However, jazz is divided into various genres, so it may not be possible to say that in general.
The characteristics of jazz, here's an image of it!
Jazz is characterized by its improvisational improvisation and dialogue, and is a genre of music with a high degree of freedom in which the performers play music freely according to the situation. However, it is not all about improvisation, and sometimes there is no improvisation, so it can be said to be a genre in which music is played that suits the atmosphere of the place.
Image of jazz melody
When you hear jazz once, you can tell, "Is this jazz?", but it's hard to think of words that can describe it. If I had to say, I'd say it's the unique rhythm and harmony that is unique to jazz. Everyone has a different image of melody, but it's basically cheerful and bright music, but it also has a somber darkness at its core, and some people may have a somewhat calm and pastoral image.
Miyamoto Dai also performed an improvised live show!
The protagonist Dai also performs in various ways, including with other members of the improvisation group. The sweat and passion of the characters and the enthusiasm of the audience create such a sense of dynamism that it is said that you can hear the sound, even though Blue Giant is a silent manga. I think the expression that really conveys the heat of this work is outstanding.
The origin of jazz is the music of slaves seeking freedom
It is said that jazz originated when black slaves were brought from Africa to America and created music by fusing African and Western music in order to forget their hardships and seek freedom. The background to this is the deep-rooted discriminatory attitude of black people, which may be the reason why the cheerful music contains a dark and somber tone and has a high degree of freedom. However, modern jazz has evolved repeatedly, so it is not necessarily true that jazz at the time had such an image.
Miyamoto Dai also aims overseas!
Jazz is said to have been deeply involved from black music to white music since its beginning, and has constantly evolved, creating new jazz, and has now become a global music. However, jazz is not very common in Japan. Although the development of the Internet has made it possible to listen to jazz at any time, it must be said that the momentum in Japan is declining compared to other genres. Therefore, Dai, who aims to be the world's best player, also goes abroad to study. This will be discussed in detail in the sequel BlueGiant SUPREME, which will be the end of the main story.
Introducing famous people in the jazz world whose names were mentioned in the work!
Jazz Giant Sonny Rollins
The protagonist, Miyamoto Dai, is a tenor saxophone player, and two famous tenor saxophone players are John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. He is a jazz tenor saxophone player from the United States, and his dynamic and powerful playing and improvisation have been highly praised by many people, influencing many people.
Dai is influenced
Miyamoto Dai in the story was also influenced by Sonny Rollins, and at the school cultural festival he performed in a mohawk style that imitated his hairstyle. This matches Dai's characteristics of overwhelming and enthusiastic audiences, and it is thought that the author was also greatly influenced by him.
Art Blakey
He is a legendary black jazz drummer and is famous as a great Japanophile. He is also famous as a great Japanophile, and his wife was also Japanese. The reason he became a Japanophile was that when they came to Japan in 1961, they were greeted by enthusiastic fans at the airport. It was so unbelievable for them that they wondered if there was a VIP on board. After that, when one of the fans asked to take a photo with him, he said, "I'm black. Can we take a photo together?" However, they were particularly surprised because there was no custom or awareness of discriminating against black people in Japan.
Art Blakey continues to visit Japan
He sparked the popularity of jazz in Japan, and was even more surprised by the enthusiasm and welcome, and above all, by the fact that it was being broadcast nationwide on national television. Upon returning to Japan, he said, "I have traveled the world, but no country has left such a strong impression on me as Japan. Of course, the attitude of listening to the performance is great, but what makes me happiest is that, except for Africa, Japan is the only country in the world that welcomed us as human beings. As human beings! As human beings!" He has continued to visit Japan since then.
Summary about Jazz
This time, I have summarized jazz, the subject of the work. Nowadays, with the spread of the Internet, it is easy to enjoy music. If this work piques your interest in jazz, give it a listen once and you may become truly engrossed. The experiences of the characters in the work may happen to you. In that sense, it is a work that can be enjoyed, so I hope you will definitely try it!
