POWER OF JAZZ: "The feeling of jazz is very much like love," says Christian McBride. "You know what it is when you feel it."

Not even the musicians sharing the bill on a tour titled "What Is Jazz?" have formulated an answer.

Drummer Bobby Previte dismisses the question out of hand: "I didn't choose the name. I never would have chosen the name. I'm completely unconcerned with the question of what jazz is, as well as any possible answer to same."

Eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter treats the question like a third rail, referring to it as "almost radioactive to the touch."

"Some think jazz ended when Louis Armstrong switched from cornet to trumpet. Others would say it encompasses everything from King Oliver to Pat Metheny. It seems to me that most creative musicians who strive for their own sound and direction don't really think of things in such a codified way."

Not even bassist Christian McBride, who not only headlines this tour but is co-director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem, will venture much more than the old Supreme Court pornography test.

McBride

"What is jazz? That's a question no one's been able to answer for an entire century. I certainly won't break the drought. The feeling of jazz is very much like love—you can't describe it, but you know what it is when you feel it."

According to Andy Hurwitz of Ropeadope Records, who is presenting the tour, the name was born from the frustration of trying to peg their genre-blending artists into particular categories for the benefit of retailers and the press. "You look at cats like Charlie Hunter or Bobby Previte that basically came up in the jazz world in terms of who they play with and where, but clearly, neither of their records fall into the traditional jazz realm. And then you have a guy like Christian, who is like the great hope of the jazz world, and see him playing with DJ Logic, and it just becomes comical to try and define the music."

So for Hurwitz, the "What Is Jazz?" idea has always been tongue-in-cheek. The concept first saw life at the Knitting Factory years ago, when Hurwitz ran the NYC club. But when it came time to revive the idea, it was through a monthly series at World Café Live, beginning last September with a show featuring Uri Caine, Jason Moran and DJ Logic jamming with Calvin Weston and Jamaaladeen Tacuma.

Hurwitz says he chose to present the series here because "Philly is the ultimate laboratory for new things, tinkerings, etc.," which is kind of a nice way of saying we're the out-of-town tryouts for New York. But the series presented an intriguing batch of shows featuring Robert Glasper, The Bad Plus and the Benevento/Russo Duo, among others.

Hunter and Previte headlined one of those shows with their Groundtruther project. For this tour, Hunter will be playing with his regular trio, while Previte performs solo. Previte in particular seems uncomfortable with the showcase nature of this package, downplaying the influence of disparate genres on his own music and asserting that "life is the primary source. Music is someone else's interpretation, or expression, of life, and as such, not terribly useful if you already are an artist doing the same thing."

DJ Logic

Still, he does acknowledge the basic fact of the blurred lines between forms: "Every music has an influence on every other music—it's not rocket science. Jazz used to be more of a popular music, but then changed into 'art music,' much like 'movies' changed into 'film.' And now it's generally 'brunch music' at white tablecloth restaurants."

Of course, the World Café Live show is a homecoming not just for "What Is Jazz?" but for Christian McBride, who brings along his funk-influenced quartet. McBride was born in Philly, and his dad is locally renowned bassist Lee Smith (who performed a blistering set with Sonny Fortune at Chris' Jazz Cafe earlier this year). In his own work, and especially since taking his museum position, McBride always stresses an outreach and education function, which extends to this tour. "Musicians and critics, I believe, have been very wrong when they say that younger listeners aren't 'sharp' enough or even willing to listen to jazz. Young listeners want to hear something different. They don't like jazz because they never get to hear it. This tour should bridge the gap between jazz, soul, rock and all the in-between."

What Is Jazz? featuring Christian McBride Band, Charlie Hunter Trio, Bobby Previte and DJ Logic, Fri., April 7, 7 p.m., $24-$46, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.