‘Soul of Jazz’ takes center stage at The American Adventure in EPCOT

A new exhibit sharing the rich history of jazz is now on display in the rotunda area of The American Adventure pavilion in EPOCT at Walt Disney World. And, all i want to say, is give me more.

Located to the left of the entrance to the pavilion, “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure” display could be easily missed if you were not searching it out. Using the recent film “Soul” as the lynchpin the exhibit is designed to take people on a musical tour of several U.S. cities and the influence of jazz on those locations.

In the film “Soul,” Joe Gardner is a musician and music teacher. His appreciation of jazz music came at a young age, realizing the music is more than just notes being played. “Listen to that. See, the tune is just an excuse to bring out the you. And that’s why I became a jazz musician,” Joe Gardner explains in the film.

The exhibit traces the origins of jazz to Congo Square in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1800s, where enslaved Africans and free people of color gathered on Sundays to socialize sign and dance. The improvisational style had hints of African, Caribbean, French and Spanish influences.

The musical tour includes New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Juan, Chicago and New York City. There are, of course, a couple of Disney tie-ins. There is a Louis Armstrong trumpet on display that is believed to have been used when he recorded “Disney Songs the Satchmo Way” in 1968. In addition, there is a reproduction of sheet music from fame orchestrator Maxwell Davis who wrote a jazzy version of “Whistle While You Work,” that Armstrong played on that album.

Other exhibits include drumsticks from legendary drummer Gene Krupa, sheet music of a Jelly Roll Morton song, and one of Bix Beiderbecke’s coronets.

In addition to the exhibit, the playDisney app now has a trivia section on the The Soul of Jazz exhibit where after you can use your knowledge of the exhibit to answer the questions.

Which, brings me back to the idea of wanting more. While the exhibits are interesting, and some jazz music is playing in the background, some videos or areas playing specific type of music would have helped the experience. Even if there was something extra on the playDisney app.