What is jazz?

I am auditing a course at Capital University entitles “ The History of Jazz and Pop”. One of the advantages is no tests, just pure learning. Also, being around young musicians is enlightening, and educational in itself.

My take on the above question:

Jazz is improv, casual elegance, wild and crazy and interesting. (In the past I wasn’t interested-at all, found it irritating.) More recently, it is life support.  Life support. It supports and strengthens my connections….to music, people, art in general, and my pastel work more particularly.  It allows me to have space, create space.  It is space. 

When I listen to it, I don’t know what’s coming and that is ok.  It is never the same, it is individual, unique, all the things that describe a human, so it is human. Complete with foibles and eccentricities, repetitive patterns, dark and light side. All encompassing. An expression of the personality and imagination of whoever is playing it.

Jazz is spiritual and thus, inspirational in nature. Inspirational and thus, spiritual in nature. 

Jazz wakes up a part of my unconscious mind that has been sleeping and not paying attention. It is reviving all my reflexes. 

How would you answer the question?