Theremin and jazz?

Before this thread dies a horrible death, I would love to know what jazz theremin performances others in this forum feel are successful, and show that jazz - hot, cool, or anything in between - can be played on a theremin. 

I'm not talking about music where the jazz feel is provided by the accompaniment while the theremin does what it always does in its typical semi-classical style. I mean music where the jazz is coming from the theremin itself. 

You know - the way jazz flows magnificently from the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie. 

Hmm. Does jazz flow magnificently from the bagpipes of Rufus Harley?

I find it hard to say. All the reviews I have come across say yes, but it still sounds like bagpipes to me. 

(Kinda jazzy and good though, at least IMO.)

Rufus Harley was a novelty act. How could anybody write a bad review about a bagpipe playing black man in a Scottish Highland kilt wearing a Viking helmet? Damn!

Possibly true. A quick google of "Rufus Harley" and "Novelty Act" reveals 49 pages, mostly of the "was regarded as a" or "now considered more than a" variety. 

But then, who would speak ill of the departed? (please form an orderly queue)

I've never had any more difficulty speaking ill of the departed than I have had speaking ill of the same individual before they left! I suspect that there are lots of people who think that Rufus Harley is one of the jazz greats of the 20th century. For them, he is. I doubt, however, that you could find any genuine jazz lovers who would agree. 

Same thing with the theremin. Here is a "free jazz" concert given in Vilnius (Clara's birthplace) back in 2007. I would argue that it is not "jazz" at all. But I guess "It's jazz if you say it's jazz". The keyboardist in this is great. There are some interesting nods to early 20th century Russian piano music (Prokofieff in particular). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnAxwswJAm4

 JAZZ: American music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre (Mirriam Webster)  Seems to work for me.  I'd have quoted Wiki, but it's all blacked out.  

That's the standard definition of "jazz" and I think most people would agree with it. What they don't agree on is what music fits that definition (and therefore qualifies as jazz) and what doesn't. Experimental and free jazz are so far removed from ragtime and blues that it can be argued they are not "jazz" at all. Wiki's back - great article, better catch it while you can. 

One could define a "theremin" as "..any of a number of electronic musical pitchbend devices developed from the inventions of Russian engineer Leon Theremin, and capable of producing eerie or spooky sound effects of the sort commonly used in the Science Fiction and Suspense films of the 1940's and 50's."

IOW, it's a theremin if it sounds like a theremin. Many people actually do subscribe to this definition but the problem is that what sounds like a theremin to one person (especially one who does not really know much about the instrument) may not sound like a theremin to another person who has a keener ear and is perhaps more informed.

There seems to be a gaping hole in the Wikipedia article.  Did I miss something, or does it not include even a slight nod to Klezmer?

I'm sure it can be argued that my music can't be jazz at all.  But I am very informed by and interested in jazz.  You've classified my musical work as "New Age" music in the past, but I've posted some tracks, notably "Requiem Solina Polara" and "Tabasco" in Soundcloud that quite a few listeners refer to as Jazz.  Yes, I did tweak up the theremin with a number of filters to accomplish it, but the sound did originate in my toy theremin.  Arguably, the result is not on the level of Coltrane, Parker or Bird or maybe anyone, but they "are what they are."   

I'm rather curious about the Wiki section "M-base," something new to me.

At least, Lawrence ~ you got "New Age" to your music as a classification. some of mine got the "Boring" reference. I'll go with yours! ;) I guess I could classify my music as new age too. it touches many different aspects. since I use a lot of sample libraries alon with real vocals and theremin, it is hard to classify, hence the "other/new age" category.

Lawrence, not by the wildest possible stretch of the imagination could your Requiem Solina Polara be seriously classified as "jazz". It is definitely "New Age" and could possibly cross over into the realm of "experimental". In fact, the ping-ponging synthesizer track, which plays throughout the composition as a kind of "drone", with a hypnotic repetitive quality, actually fits part of the definition of New Age music as provided by Wiki:  "The melodies are often repetitive, to create a hypnotic feeling, ....New Age music includes electronic forms, frequently relying on sustained synth pads or long sequencer-based runs....." etc.

Like music of all genres, there is great New Age music and not-so-great New Age music. When the category first emerged about 30 years ago, it was regarded as fairly "cool" and innovative. Millions of people enjoyed the work of New Age music pioneer, KITARO. It was as the whole notion of "New Age" gradually got trashed by Shirley MacLaine & company and began to be associated with cults and wacko philosophies in the popular imagination that the musical genre lost credibility. These days, unfortunately, it tends to be looked down on - perhaps because it is often thought of as music specifically conceived as background for some activity OTHER than listening to music (meditation, yoga, relaxation, chanting, etc.). 

There are really fine musicians who are classified today as New Age, but who were making recordings long before New Age was even a category (sitar player Ravi Shankar, Celtic harpist Alain Stivell, etc...these artists used to be classified as "Folk" or "Ethnic"). Amey is right, a lot of music ends up in the New Age bin simply because the industry doesn't know what else to call it. 

For me, it doesn't matter what pigeon hole they try to force someone's music into.

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."...................or not, as the case may be.

Just as a little theremin Post Script, if I remember correctly the very first Ethervox theremin went to Masanori Takahashi (aka New Age musician, "Kitaro").