The distinction between hot and cool media, as outlined by McLuhan in ‘Understanding Media’ makes direct reference to the two predominant styles of jazz – particularly in the 50s and 60s. Hot jazz was the East Coast, fiery, high intensity music typified by the be-bop of Charlie Parker. Cool jazz was the West Coast, laidback style of Stan Getz – though often, thanks to the inclusion of classical influences, considered more ‘intellectual’.

In McLuhan’s perception, ‘cool’ media are low definition, high participation. More is required in terms of involvement by the recipient to complete the picture. ‘Hot’ media on the other hand are high definition, demanding less completion by its audience.

Jazz today, in the digital age has transcended some of those boundaries, and the terms hot and cool somehow don’t really apply any more. In fact, the labelling of a style of music jazz, while always a contentious issue, has been harder and harder to pin down – particularly in the digital age. The inclusion of digital media into the creation of jazz (samplers, sequencers, etc) has imposed the conditions of the media upon jazz. The object of the metaphor is itself impacted by its subject.

So the question becomes – are digital media hot or cool? There are strong arguments in both respects. As the web is an interactive aspect of digital media, the tendency is to categorise it as ‘cool’. However, other digital appliances, such as Compact Discs, are extremely high definition – and although there is some degree of user control (CDs utilise random access technology, so that listeners can skip between tracks at will), they are predominantly hot media.

Digital media, like electric media are both hot and cold – and some, like the web, have tendencies, but operate in both modes – and some commentators have used that fact to categorise the ‘net effect’ (pun intended) as lukewarm. Applying digital technologies to jazz provides the opportunity for both a heating and a cooling of the genre. Avant-garde digital music fits the very cool criteria of the Open Work (Opera Aperta), as defined by Eco. Jazz-flavoured dance music is complete in and of itself – though still requiring some completion from its audience (get off your seat and start dancing!).

Overall, digital media – and jazz today – are both hot and cool – not a mix of both and not one or the other. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Likewise, the body of music that can still legitimately fall under the auspices of ‘jazz’ are dual in their effect in a number of respects: both cerebral and visceral; both contemporary/fleeting and timeless; both Hot and Cool.

Listening to: The Best of Lee Morgan – The Blue Note Years (Blue Note)