Hate Jazz but wish you knew a bit more about why? A Jazz 101 thread.

[poet]

@Bridget_Burke

Yes, I remember the scoffers. Obviously, the Burns series was a Survey Course. But most of the scoffers preferred to express their scorn rather than actually impart some knowledge about their neglected heroes. We need more experts like WordMan!

I’m not an expert but have heard jazz-related music most of my life. Mom loved Glenn Miller–smooth & commercial, but definitely swing with jazz roots. Bob Wills had a Big Band in his heyday & his legacy survives in Texas. Lightnin’ Hopkins no longer used bands, the many times I saw him; but he drove Wrecks Bell, his sometimes bassman, nuts with his improvisation. Surely, blues & R&B share roots with jazz. And, of course, many of the folkies I knew back in the day absolutely worshiped Django Reinhardt & Stephan Grappelli. (Bluegrassers the Cypress Swamp Stompers played a corny fiddle intro that sounded like “Orange Blossom Special”–then segued into “Sweet Georgia Brown” as played in The Hot Club of France between the wars.)

Since I knew jazz was “good for me,” I’d visit La Bastille when I could afford it. Although I couldn’t “understand” Rahsaan Roland Kirk, this little hippie was truly amazed; I’m sure purists would sniff at Tito Puente, but he played** La Bastille, **too. Taking other opportunities around town, I saw The Art Ensemble of Chicago & Sun Ra & His Arkestra.

Good record collections are fine but music that might take several spins to absorb is easier understood live. (Not that I’ve avoided adding classic jazz platters to my collection.) Hey, there’s a jazz jam in my neighborhood every Tuesday…

Oh, how I miss La Bastille. I saw Seawind there, back in the mid 70’s.

[Prelude_to_Fascination]

I’m going against the spirit of the thread, because I don’t hate jazz at all. I love it, and have since I was in college 30 years ago. I’m no expert by any means, but I’ll just say, thanks Wordman for the OP. I listened to three of the links you posted, started with Louis Armstrong, then onto Benny Goodman, and finally Miles.

I’d rate those three as 3, 2, and 1 as my choices. I love the 50s jazz of the cool and bebop era. In about 1982, I was lucky enough to see Dexter Gordon at Blues Alley in Georgetown, in the Washington DC area. I was extremely fortunate to have gotten his autograph after the show.

As great as Miles is on “Kind of Blue,” (and I give it a 9.5), I think Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” comes in at about 9.7. (Take Five link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwNrmYRiX_o)

[BigT]

I find that the jazz I like sticks very close to the melody, at least at first. I’m always trying to jazz up tunes I already know. And ever since I ever learned to play the piano. I was always big about making sure that the average listener could recognize what song I was playing, assuming they knew the song in the first place. It has been both a help and a hindrance.

Of course, my biggest problem with jazz is using my left hand. I really hurt myself learning to only play the root and fifth of a chord, and playing for rhythm only.

[Jackmannii]

@WordMan

So - if you HATE jazz - that’s cool; feel free to keep hating it and I feel no obligation to convince you otherwise

No hate here; I mostly just find it boring.

…there is going to be a wandering, exploratory feel - they are NOT trying to fit into a song; the song was just a launching point to frame their point of view

And there you have it - the song’s not important, I’m supposed to care about the musician’s point of view. I want to hear the song, not be expected to revel in the cleverness of the person playing it.

[Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela]

@WordMan

Le Ministre - yeah, Dolphy probably isn’t the way to go ;), but really glad to hear that he seems okay and you are getting some cool time with him.

So for the remainder of the afternoon, we listened to ‘Meddle’ - Pink Floyd; ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ - The Raconteurs; ‘A Real Fine Hole’ - Yell County and ‘Epistrophy’, which is the opening cut from ‘Last Date’, the last recording we have of Eric Dolphy.

I asked him what he thought of the Eric Dolphy, and he says to me ‘To be honest, Dad, I didn’t really like it.’ Fine, fair enough - music is kinda like food, chez nous - give it a good try and if you don’t like it, that’s cool. Keep an open mind in case your tastes change, is all. (There is one other big rule we have here - no one is allowed to interfere with someone else’s enjoyment of a piece of music. You don’t like it when your sister listens to Sarah McLaughlin? Fine, but she’s listening to it and she likes it, so don’t you dare click it off or change songs before it’s finished!) Then I asked him ‘What do you think it would have sounded like on a distorted electric guitar?’ Pause. ‘I’d have to hear it, but that might have been really cool.’

I don’t know if you want to count that as a ‘yes’ vote for your EVH/John Coltrane theory or not…

[CookingWithGas]

@WordMan

**CookingWithGas **- I remember that photo - or a photo of that room with different guitars in it - from a thread about folks’ gear!

That archtop Hofner (2nd from left, for those not conversant in guitar-speak) looks very cool. Would love to hear a review of it, or even hear it, over in the GOGT (Great Ongoing Guitar Thread).

So shall it be done.

[Zeldar]

Nothing to add. Just replying so I have this thread in my vanity search list.

I have loved jazz since I was old enough to listen to the radio. George Shearing was the first for me.

[WordMan]

@Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela

So for the remainder of the afternoon, we listened to ‘Meddle’ - Pink Floyd; ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ - The Raconteurs; ‘A Real Fine Hole’ - Yell County and ‘Epistrophy’, which is the opening cut from ‘Last Date’, the last recording we have of Eric Dolphy.

I asked him what he thought of the Eric Dolphy, and he says to me ‘To be honest, Dad, I didn’t really like it.’ Fine, fair enough - music is kinda like food, chez nous - give it a good try and if you don’t like it, that’s cool. Keep an open mind in case your tastes change, is all. (There is one other big rule we have here - no one is allowed to interfere with someone else’s enjoyment of a piece of music. You don’t like it when your sister listens to Sarah McLaughlin? Fine, but she’s listening to it and she likes it, so don’t you dare click it off or change songs before it’s finished!) Then I asked him ‘What do you think it would have sounded like on a distorted electric guitar?’ Pause. ‘I’d have to hear it, but that might have been really cool.’

I don’t know if you want to count that as a ‘yes’ vote for your EVH/John Coltrane theory or not…

What a great post - I love the musical relationship you have with your son; I have a similar one with mine (e.g., I put on Arvo Part’s *Tabula Rasa *one morning when we were building something together; at one pensive moment he said “It sounds like Queen Amidala just entered the Senate Chamber.” Why yes, yes it does ;))

And yes, a good rule - we discuss how auto-tuned Miranda Cosgrove/iCarly’s voice is on her recordings vs. how Miley Cyrus really has her chops - we can’t just trash them randomly.

**CookingWithGas **- I’m off to the GOGT…

ETA: oh, and as for Dolphy on guitar - I assume you have some James “Blood” Ulmer and Sonny Sharrock?