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Santa Cruz -- Duke Ellington rejected it, Charles Mingus was ambivalent about it, and Wynton Marsalis is okay with it. For many African American musicians the word "jazz" is a double-edged term, sometimes representing black accomplishment and virtuosity; sometimes a symbol of segregation and creative limitations.
It's a dichotomy that extends from the word to the music as well. Jazz has been seen as a way to showcase contributions of African American to American society, to highlight black history and affirm black culture. But for some African American musicians, the music called jazz is a reminder of an oppressive and racist society and restrictions on their artistic visions.
"Now, jazz is celebrated as America's classical music," said Eric Porter, author of "What Is This Thing Called Jazz?" (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002). "But in the past, it had...