The headline might thrill the hearts of those who think Europe is now the crucible of jazz innovation, but it actually announces something rather more banal. It’s the kind of punning title that has prefaced reports on the imminent launch of the hybrid version of the Honda Jazz and reflects the fact that the new petrol/electric model is not to be sold in the US, where the car has been called the Fit since it appeared in 2001.
But why does Honda not use the name “Jazz” for the US model? One will look in vain for American embarrassment about the low origins of one of its greatest musical creations. It turns out “Fitta” was the original name for the car but that it
was abandoned for Europe when Honda realised it was Nordic slang for female genitalia.
So no, Eurojazzophiles, America has not, as more hysterical commentators might have it, been struck through in the jazz address book. Europe has though, created its own unique jazz, albeit nothing grander than a compact hatchback.
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