In an era increasingly obsessed with measurable outcomes and flawless execution, it’s no surprise that the world of jazz—once a sanctuary for raw expression and individual voice—has not escaped this trend. Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable rise in the technical abilities of young jazz musicians. Social media clips and conservatory recitals overflow with lightning-fast runs, impossible intervallic leaps, and harmonic sophistication far beyond what was typical even twenty years ago.
At first glance, this appears to be an unequivocal victory for the art form. After all, what teacher wouldn’t want their students to play in tune, in time, and with a deep understanding of harmony? But progress, like everything else in life, comes with tradeoffs. And the tradeoff we now face is subtle but significant: as technique rises, meaning seems to diminish.
We are witnessing, in real time, a shift from the expressive to the mechanical.
I remember my own time at Berklee College of Music. It was a crucible of talent, competition, and relentless ambition. Among the many gifted players was Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith—already a prodigy when he walked through the doors at sixteen, with only four years of playing under his belt. His command of the instrument was stunning, and his rapid ascent only confirmed the depth of his abilities. Being surrounded by such musicians was both inspiring and, at times, paralyzing. It made me question my own place in the music, and more deeply, what I hoped to contribute.
What I eventually discovered—and what so often gets lost in today’s race for technical mastery and jazz vocabulary display—is that fast fingers and encyclopedic regurgitation alone cannot carry the emotional freight of great art. Technique is a tool to create language. And like any language, it’s not what you say that matters most, but what you mean. The greatest players—those who endure—aren’t always the most technically advanced, but the ones who play with conviction, clarity of identity, and a willingness to be vulnerable.
In my own creative practice, especially through prepared saxophone and extended techniques, I’ve chosen a path that falls outside traditional measures of proficiency. It’s not always understood. And it’s certainly not for everyone. But that’s precisely the point. If your work resonates with everyone, chances are it doesn’t go deep enough to truly move anyone.
This brings us to a broader cultural moment: the growing presence of artificial intelligence–like values in art.
AI, by its very nature, thrives on patterns, probability, and imitation. It can write sonatas, generate paintings, and even mimic the cadence of a jazz solo with stunning fidelity. But fidelity is not the same as soul. AI does not long. It does not mourn. It does not celebrate. It merely aggregates the longings, losses, and triumphs of others—and rearranges them into a new format.
To the uncritical eye, this may seem like creativity. But it is creativity without cost. And art without cost is, at best, decoration.
Young musicians growing up in this climate face a dilemma that previous generations did not. They’re pulled between the seductive ease of digital-like precision and the messy, unpredictable terrain of authentic expression. It’s easier to quantify speed than sincerity. Easier to teach harmony than humility. Easier to program a performance than to cultivate a voice.
But jazz—at its best—was never about ease. It was born out of struggle, shaped by improvisation, and carried forward by those brave enough to sound like themselves, even when doing so went against prevailing norms. It wasn’t about being polished. It was about being personal.
If we’re not careful, we may end up with a generation of musicians who can dazzle but not move us. Who can impress but not inspire. Who, despite having everything—sound, speed, and skill—somehow still leave us cold.
The purpose of art is not to prove how much we know. It is to remind others—and ourselves—that we feel. When someone walks away from a performance not thinking, “I could never do that,” but instead, “That made me want to try,” then something profound has taken place. That’s the moment when technique bows to meaning—when the intellect yields to the heart.
And in that moment, we are no longer simply musicians. We are human beings in conversation with other human beings.
That’s something no machine can replicate.
And it’s something we should never stop defending.
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