Jazz – and coincidentally, hydraulic fracturing – emerged from the chaos and discipline of World War II. Influences as disparate as the war, union strikes, freeway design, and the GI Bill set the stage for the eruption of what we call jazz. What does all of this have to do with fracing? Each story is unique – yet each follows a similar pathway. Without leadership, both jazz and fracing evolved through the efforts of a small group of dedicated participants.

The jazz age

Between 1942 and 1972, artists, technicians, and studios were in extreme flux. Some saw that as a threat. The musicians’ union strike of 1943 was against the threat of “radio’s most profitable source of content: the record industry.” Only after two years was the strike finally settled, resulting in the emergence of new recording labels, smaller studios willing to experiment with the new technological marvel: the long-playing record.

New 33-rpm discs replaced 78s, allowing musicians more than the three minutes of recording time that just fit onto the 78 single. Musicians like Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis, using the GI Bill to learn formal conservatory music, had to travel across Los Angeles via the new freeways to get to distant studio recording sessions, so time in session was valuable and often ran late into the night. Thelonious Monk exploded the 33 with his long-winded breaks, inviting Davis and Coltrane to join him in New York for all-night jams. Recordings of these new musical riffs became listening sessions for the record buyer more than viewing sessions for a large audience as they were prior to and during the war. Individuality came to the fore as groups became smaller in size, following the lead of chamber music from two centuries before.

Technology contributed to the revolutionary change as the catalyst. Demand grew as the public became aware, driving further experimentation. Jazz has perhaps settled into a period of rapprochement, as the first layer of talent has passed over, allowing the performing technicians of today the latitude to excel within their new “boundaries.”

The wild ride of Mr. Frac

Fracing is still exploring its boundaries and growing as the technology improves the odds. Resource demands, technological developments, global economies, and environmental challenges all force the industry into the “wild ride” of Mr. Frac. The first waves of gas have overwhelmed the markets, driving pricing mechanics into chaos. The next wave of oil may have a further destructive, yet evolutionary, effect. The third wave of applied technology – to industrial end users, power generation, and transport – is barely discernible on the horizon, a distant storm.

The public must be made aware of these developments. The industry has done a remarkable job of changing at a furious pace – and at keeping both the pace and the change from the public. Wealth, tax revenue, imports, jobs, and the environment each stand to reap untold benefits from the American natural gas revolution.

The industry is on the cutting edge of the environmental movement, yet no one knows this simple fact. Other than a few ads from ExxonMobil and the American Natural Gas Association, I see nothing for public consumption extolling the evolutionary changes in the environmental technology of E&P, storage, transportation, or end use. These stories must be told.

My wife and I recently saw “Promised Land.” I would call it “Un-Bourne.” The film is no threat to the industry as I feared it might become. In its own way it speaks to the newness of the issues of the shales without coming to grips with the concerns or opportunities. In its simplicity it avoids the complexity of the fascinating shale story. Not a frac truck in sight! It was as boring a film as we have seen in quite a while. They could have eviscerated the industry; instead, they did a poor job of haranguing, lecturing, and expressing romance. The best actor award should go to the young girl selling lemonade.