Definition of jaz

(Musical America, LXXXI:5...)

Meager and shabby by-products linger to haunt our memories of a once mighty protagonist ; a maladroit reharmonization of our National_Anthem ( The Star-Spangled_Banner ) ; a poor attempt to write an idiomatic jazz concerto ; a circus polka for elephants ; his hopes that the tunes from his old music might be used for popular American commercial songs !

(Edward Jablonski, Harold Arlen Happy with the Blues....)

It purported to be a reasonably serious attempt at a treatment of jazz_musicians , their aims , their problems - the tug-of-war between the `` pure '' and the `` commercial '' - and seemed a promising vehicle , for the two men shared a common interest in jazz .

Johnny_Mercer practically grew_up with the sound of jazz and the blues in his ears .