Proposed Jazz Thread

[mcq]

Thank you, Sean.

[fergus]

Three important points come to mind. Firstly, when listening to new music, try not to actively concentrate on the music too much initially. This enagages the subconscious which more readily aids in the unconscious absorption of music. Secondly, you will - quite naturally - gravitate to certain artists and recordings more than others. Try and identify what it is you dislike in the music you are resisting and make an effort to persist with it. In classical music, many people have a comfort zone with 19th century Romanticism and never really engage with, for example, 20th century music or the glories of 15th and 16th century vocal polyphony. Similarly, many jazz fans gravitate to piano trios or Blue Note hard bop (for example) from the Fifties/Sixties and never really look elsewhere. Finally, dismiss all concepts of "cool" and "uncool" music, which are just as damaging as the dividing lines of "good" and "bad" music. It can be difficult to shrug off dimissive responses from friends and family about a particular kind of music and it is much easier to listen to something that is more socially acceptable. But few things in life are as rewarding as music and it seems wrong to submit to a narrow definition of something that potentially offers a genuine creative enlargement of the world around us.

Thank you for that solid and down to earth advice Paul. I think that those who know me will know that I am not easily swayed by what is cool or uncool and that my comfort zone in Classical music is far from Romantic 19th century music LOL! Your advice on "listening" will be well taken. Therefore, based on your above criteria there would seem, in my mind, to be good cause for optimism for my journey ahead!

[fergus]

I got this over the Christmas....






It looks interesting as a sampler.

[Seán]

I got this over the Christmas....






It looks interesting as a sampler.

Yes, it is, there is some really good stuff in there. As a starter Mulligan, Getz and Brubeck may be to your liking.

[Diapason]

I have that somewhere too. Possibly in EAC archived form...

[Gerry D]

I really understand and sympathise with anybody trying to penetrate the world of jazz music. It is difficult because it sounds like a completely different sound world to much of the popular music that surrounds us.

[Seán]

That's a rather dismissive response to a carefully considered and thought provoking post by Paul.

[Derek]

[Gerry D]

That's a rather dismissive response to a carefully considered and thought provoking post by Paul.

No. It's not dismissive. It's funny!
Listen, I appreciate that some people need to find something in everything.
I know that some people think that if something affects deeply it must be deep.
I know that some people are so caught up in the hurry to ram out opinions that I wonder when they might listen to enjoy ?

Herbie Hancock's last one anybody ? I recall some rather vitriolic dismissal of that.
David Sylvian does Jazz anybody ? And that.

It's funny, but the most open minded, and least effected jazz fans seem to be it's creators. The composers. The players:
"I never thought Jazz was meant to be a museum piece like other dead things once considered artistic." Miles Davis
"What we hear is the quality of our listening." Robert Fripp
"Make no mistake, this music is for everyone. Jazz is not an exclusive, elite club." Christian McBride
"Don't worry. Be happy" Bobby McFerrin
And some listeners:
"Peace" Gerry Deegan

[fergus]

It was that post by Teddy that actually started me on this thing in the first place Derek!