Jazz: a complaint

What makes jazz a jazz? The jazz principle, not instruments or cultural context. Its name was given to it in rather random way. it could be ass music or class music, all the same. The principle is real-time building of music, where each musician listens to others and reacts by modifying his own play according to his skills and imagination. Historically it goes from polyphonic traditional folk singing, the opposite to western musical tradition, but also very restricted. Computer generative music, still kind of unexplored cutting edge, is based on the jazz principle in a sense. It's basically programmes playing jazz without sax.

I feel like this is a good place to ask for suggestions for someone (me) trying to get into jazz.

I've had the same frustrated thoughts as some of the other people here, but the fact that so many of the musicians I deeply respect cite it as one of their greatest influences, I know I have to be missing something.

When I was younger I thought the Rolling Stones sucked because all I'd heard at the time was the new music they were making that was on MTV and whatnot...it wasn't until I heard their older shit that I was like "oh, these guys are awesome, that's why people like them."

I also wonder if part of the reason I haven't been able to get into jazz yet is that I wasn't alive to experience the radical difference it made to music when first came around, like part of it being so profound is how different it was from everything else at the time.

Lastly, sometimes I think that because I don't have any real natural musical skills or intuition, I'm missing out on what real musicians feel and hear when they hear jazz...like I wonder if it's really a true musicians' genre in a lot of ways...

Anyway, if y'all can fire off some suggestions for us not in the know to start off with, it would be much appreciated!

******* Just as an aside, this is one of the reasons I want to get into it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSrj_IztkyY

the problem is not jazz, the problem is you thinking that you dont like jazz and so you dont even try to hear it. thats beginning of insanity if you ask me. You want so much to not like it that you arrive to persuade yourself that jazz is boring. jJazz is the most intricate and complicated music there is.

jazz is made out of solos. and to understand the content of a solo you have to be attentive to the solo, hear every note. if you just listen to jazz as a background music, I agree it might sound boring. other then that, if anyone dont like jazz, its clearly because they dont get it.

Jazz is for people really willing to let down preconception and listen. once you'll listen, youll be glad.

start with

kind of blue- Miles davis. listen to the same solo over and over until your little brains styarts to get it. llisten to miles solo from beginning to end.

Meditations- Coltrane

the problem is not jazz, the problem is you thinking that you dont like jazz and so you dont even try to hear it. thats beginning of insanity if you ask me. You want so much to not like it that you arrive to persuade yourself that jazz is boring. jJazz is the most intricate and complicated music there is.

jazz is made out of solos. and to understand the content of a solo you have to be attentive to the solo, hear every note. if you just listen to jazz as a background music, I agree it might sound boring. other then that, if anyone dont like jazz, its clearly because they dont get it.

but I understand. jazz is hard. you need to focus real hard to understand what coltrane is doing or even miles in the electric era. its not easy drum n bass, just fun! jazz is not only fun, its art. and sometimes art isnt always friendly.

when something is good, it means that its good. Aphex twin is good. anyone who say the contrary just is not getting it. maybe they dont want to listen to aphex everyday but if someone tells me he dont like aphex twin, I know that its because he never really tried to understand what richard means. same for jazz.

Coltrane practise 16 hours a day for 10 years. practicing like a maniac all the possibilities. the guy is so far beyond anythong that yes you can give up easily and say the guy doesnt say anything, but let me tell you that once you drop your misconception and you listen to every details of his solos, timing, ect, what you realize is that actually, jaazz is the most interesting music. I used to think that I hate jazz until I tried. some thing for jimi hendrix, or zappa, or van morrison, the beatles, the rolling stones, even bob marley! I all thought they suck, until I stop being insanely judgemental and open my eye and heart.

Jazz is for people really willing to let down preconception and listen. once you'll listen, youll be glad.

start with

kind of blue- Miles davis. listen to the same solo over and over until your little brains styarts to get it. llisten to miles solo from beginning to end.

Meditations- Coltrane

Was that use of repetition and slight variance a deliberate nod to the genre ?

things i learned from this thread:

1) there are only two threads about jazz on watmm

Totally cut a few breaks out of the album version of this song. Sick break. Love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbeQD0x_nao

Also, fuck you. Jazz is the greatest musical artform.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZDW50aGNg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssZ3HtP1E5Q

  On 5/11/2012 at 6:19 PM, mcbpete said:

Was that use of repetition and slight variance a deliberate nod to the genre ?

well yes it was after realizing I cant edit I thought that it indeed sort of followed the jazz reptitions...

  On 5/11/2012 at 3:08 PM, carthief said:

I feel like this is a good place to ask for suggestions for someone (me) trying to get into jazz.

 

I've had the same frustrated thoughts as some of the other people here, but the fact that so many of the musicians I deeply respect cite it as one of their greatest influences, I know I have to be missing something.

 

When I was younger I thought the Rolling Stones sucked because all I'd heard at the time was the new music they were making that was on MTV and whatnot...it wasn't until I heard their older shit that I was like "oh, these guys are awesome, that's why people like them."

 

I also wonder if part of the reason I haven't been able to get into jazz yet is that I wasn't alive to experience the radical difference it made to music when first came around, like part of it being so profound is how different it was from everything else at the time.

 

Lastly, sometimes I think that because I don't have any real natural musical skills or intuition, I'm missing out on what real musicians feel and hear when they hear jazz...like I wonder if it's really a true musicians' genre in a lot of ways...

 

Anyway, if y'all can fire off some suggestions for us not in the know to start off with, it would be much appreciated!

I suggest first just getting a feel for the rhythm. the sort of loose rhythmic feel is a big part of what makes jazz jazz. after that, try and guess where a soloist is going next when listening to a solo. think of it like a conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_6TM2VifwE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hx59GG1dl4

fuck this thread... seriously, if you don't like jazz then i must write you off as a tone-deaf plebian

  On 5/14/2012 at 8:45 AM, ghOsty said:

fuck this thread... seriously, if you don't like jazz then i must write you off as a tone-deaf plebian

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:08 PM, Candiru said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 8:45 AM, ghOsty said:

fuck this thread... seriously, if you don't like jazz then i must write you off as a tone-deaf plebian

If you don't know what it is, it's jazz.