"Conceptual Jazz" and "Jazz-Off": Avant-garde, globalization, and personal interpretations of jazz in Portugal-The Legacy of Jorge Lima Barreto (1968-1974)

Jorge Lima Barreto (JLB) (1947–2011) was a Portuguese musician, composer, and essayist, pivotal in reshaping jazz discourse and practice during Portugal’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. He introduced “conceptual jazz” and championed “Jazz Off”, advocating jazz’s liberation from capitalist constraints and traditional norms. JLB viewed jazz as a catalyst for societal and political change, pushing its boundaries radically. His musical endeavors, such as the Anar Jazz Group and solo performances, fused elements of concrete music, minimalism, and free improvisation, challenging conventions and provoking the jazz community. Through analysis of JLB’s texts, examination of some of his music, and the use of interviews, some light will be shed on the practices of representation assumed by JLB to become a legitimate representative of “avant-garde music” during the late 1960s and early 1970s, emphasizing tensions with traditional jazz gatekeepers. JLB’s legacy offers a case study in the global reinterpretation of jazz, aligning with contemporary jazz studies’ emphasis on its global and cosmopolitan dimensions.