As jazz artists, we try to speak another language musically.
Something beyond the easy to understand "normal" lite rock that you
hear in Kroger while you shop. We try to bring a newness, mostly by
redefining an old standard, or improvising new melodies over chords.
Our goal is to affect the listener on a deeper level.

It's quite similar to what we try to do as Christian music artists as
well. Bring the gospel to the world through contemporary, commercial
music. Singing Christian lyrics in ways the world can understand and
appreciate. Jazzing up hymns and worship tunes, or even turning a
secular song on it's ear so that it has religious meaning.

Jazz permits us even more to experiment and have freedom in the
Christian music realm. If you do CCM (pop or rock) you are still bound
to the rules of commercialism of the "Christian Music Industry".

But as Jazz artists, we were free of those rules a long time ago anyway!

Any thoughts?

EC
http://www.ericcopelandmusic.com