The recent Columbus Neighborhoods Documentary, King-Lincoln focuses on the neighborhood located on the east side of the city. The neighborhood is bordered by I-71 on the east, Broad Street on the south, North 20th Street on the west and Atcheson Street on the north.

Michael Cox, Bobby Floyd and Jerry Powell, local jazz musicians and members of The Jazz Arts Group, provided the soundtrack for the segment in the documentary about King-Lincoln music.

“We knew that we wanted to use a blues of some kind,” said Cox, who plays the saxophone. “It threw just a little bit more of the gospel thing in there and it had a nostalgia to it.”

Cox said that when the group was making the soundtrack, they were inspired by each other. Often, Floyd would take off and Cox and Powell followed. But the group also found inspiration elsewhere.

“I knew when we would be playing with video that we would definitely be inspired by that and spurred on by that in a creative way as well,” Cox said.

Cox said playing jazz music is like having a conversation.

“Playing jazz is about listening as well as talking,” Cox said. “Especially with seasoned jazz players, because everybody brings something to the table.”

And like in a conversation, there is plenty of wiggle room.

“In jazz, there’s definitely not only room for improvisation, but improvisation is part of the fabric of the music itself,” Cox said. “It’s improvisational music.”

Read More: WOSU presents Columbus Neighborhoods: King-Lincoln (Columbus Neighborhoods)

In his research he’s identified five distinct eras in gospel music in the twentieth century. He says the Spiritual gave birth to gospel music.

He tells WOSU’s Brent Davis that first, it’s important to understand the difference between spiritual and gospel music.