I don't understand why many Jazz performances hum on studio records.?!
Question: For example Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette-STANDARTS.
Answers: For example Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette-STANDARTS.
Since you posed the question trying to understand why, my first question is to ask whether you are a jazz musician yourself.
The reason many jazz musicians make noises is related to the part of jazz that is about improvisation.
When you are creating something on the spot like that, the goal is to have as few "blocks" as possible in letting the ideas in your head flow out of your hands. The best musicians are able to play whatever idea comes to mind at any time.
In doing this, you'll find you create the best, when there is total ease. You're not caring what you look like or sound like.
Jarrett is the loudest. However, you'll notice on his classical recordings that he does not do this, mainly b/c he's not improvising at all.
Herbie hancock makes a wheezing sound when he records.
Elvin Jones made a lot of noise too.
its all about the process of improvising, creating art on the spot, and making that the best it can be.
Jazz artist hum because they are humming the chord progressions or in the case of Charles Mingus Melodic ideas
A lot of artists, including my piano teacher, hear melodies in their heads and sing/hum them out loud while they play. This helps them take ideas that are only in their brains and make them actual sounds that they can translate into their instrument. It can be a little annoying sometimes, but it's actually kind of cool how they can play exactly what they're humming.
It's funny that you should mention this. As a person who goes ballistic when the audience makes noise during his performances, Keith Jarrett makes more than his share of his own noise. He is notorious for scolding the audience and a lot of listeners and musicians alike consider him a real pr*ck for doing so. Perhaps he should muzzle himself, no?
Keith Jarrett is a genius thus he gets a pass. While I agree it's kinda ironic about getting ticked off at the audience it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things. He's one of the few jazz artists we have today that's not just playing licks. To answer your question people hum because they can't play without doing so, whether it's melodic or chordal doesn't really matter, if they could play organically without doing it they would. For the people who do it because their idols did it (do it) oh well that's just sad. In the classical world Glenn Gould was famous for this as well. It's part of their music making process and you have the right not to choose to buy or listen to their work if it bothers you.