Do you enjoy listening to jazz?

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Answers

Oh yes, elena, oh yes. Its a rather new obsession of mine, however.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Yep. My oldest brother is a professional jazz musician and I've always had access to his albums and CDs, so I kinda grew up with it. "Jazz" is such a huge genre, though... which kinds do we all like? I tend to like sax-based jazz the best, such as Grover Washington, Jr., and older stuff like Stan Getz. I guess my faves are smoky sax-heavy combos from the '30s through the '50s. But I pick and choose a lot from the other styles and eras, too.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Paul, what does your brother think of New Aged jazz? My friend's ex plays stand up bass in a jazz band, he can't stand it.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

I don't really like jazz. That's one of those things I'm afraid to admit in open company. I do, however, jazzercise. Does that count?

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

I just started listening to Dave Brubeck, and I really like the one CD I've heard. I find the whole genre a bit intimidating, but that's probably because the jazz fans I've talked to are hardcore and know more about jazz than I know about anything in the whole world.

And Gardanna, jazzercise counts on so many levels.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

In high school there was a jazz band that performed and did competitions and I loved what they played, but now that I've heard more kinds of jazz it seems like they played more Big Band music. I love that kind of music, but would that be considered jazz?

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Nicole, Big Band is jazz, in a certain context. For instance, Count Basie and Duke Ellington were arguably "big bands" but their free and groundbreaking styles would make them jazz artists. I wouldn't really call Glenn Miller a jazz musician, though. A rule of thumb in those gray areas is to look at how much improvisation/soloing is allowed, more usually means jazz.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Shelly, my brother tends to focus so much on the individual contributions of the musicians that he listens to a lot more than I could ever stand to. For instance, he has some Kenny G CDs, which have a very easy, "adult contemporary," kind of sound, (I don't like it) but my brother can hear the hot Kenny G from long ago still in there someplace, so he listens. When it comes to so-called "New Age" kinds of jazz, if someone's got the chops and will show them off, my brother seems to appreciate that.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Elena, on my last flight from Denver to Chicago and back, one of the in-flight audio channels was all Dave Brubeck, including lots of interview snippets about the particular songs and albums we were listening to. It was so nice to get a break from the usually lame airplane music selections.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Oddly, I don't like recordings of jazz music. I prefer to listen to jazz live, and I prefer a combo with a piano player.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Right on, Milla. It's the soloing that really makes jazz breathe, and it's almost a shame to trap it forever in a recording.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

I like jazz in general, but I don't know enough about it to purchase CDs. And I wish I did. I have one Lionel Hampton CD. I like it coz of the vibraphone.

We just got back from a jazz concert, actually. It was Randy Weston and Billy Harper and the Master Gnawa of Morocco or somewhere, I think. It was good, but it wasn't the kind of jazz I'd buy a CD of. Too many minor chords.

I wish I knew what they called the kind I like. I like xylophones, bass, and saxophones, with happy chords and beats.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

I don't listen to jazz because I can't seem to appreciate it. It sounds discordant and unmelodic. But I blame my "ear" or whatever, not the music.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

That's interesting, Paul. My friend says if you mention Kenny G. to her ex, he'll just about throw up.

I don't have a problem with the 'new' stuff. I used to love driving home late at night with the sunroof (moonroof?) open and listening to it on a warm southern California night.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Shelly, I think I'd throw up, too. :-)

Bubba, don't blame your ear, a lot of jazz IS awful sounding. But a lot more of it is some of the best music you'll ever hear. Jazz is so big, there's always something for everyone.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue", "Sketches of Spain" and then there is Ornette Coleman and Coleman Hawkins. The Bird. Dave Brubeck is killer as is Terry Gibbs vibe work with Gil Evans. Stanley Turrentine will soothe any aches and pains of the day. Chick Corea in any guise works wonders. The Count, what's to say. The new big band jumpjive makes me want to dance. There is so much out there. Tune into it and you'll find something you'll like. james

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Well, Paul, I'll try. I do love music. To really sink the putt on my redneck tag...I like dixieland jazz, you know the old stuff, but I'm willing to bet that's not what a jazz purist would really consider jazz. Am I right?

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

I agree with James -- Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is it. If you want to get to love jazz, feed yourself a steady diet of that one album -- transcendent, but accessible. Gwen, I wish I had some good "happy beat" suggestions for you -- Lionel Hampton is very cool -- all I can think of is Coltrane's "My Favorite Things". It's sort of distressed happy, but really really cool.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Oh, and Bubba -- I think Dixieland jazz counts as jazz by any argument. It's one of the pillars that modern jazz stands on, as valid as St. Louis or Chicago blues, or be-bop, or whatever. But not Kenny G. Please don't let him ever be considered germinal to the development of jazz ... oy!

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

I love this post 'cause I'm trying to increase my jazz CDs and don't know where to begin. I really like improv. live, but not recorded. And I love sax. but not clarinet. Other people have suggested the artists y 'all have listed, so I now I know where to start. There is something about listening to jazz in the car when I am alone late at night. It evokes some kind of melancholy. Not a bad feeling really, but it reminds me of a time I just can't seem to place.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Of course Dixieland is jazz, Bubba. In New Orleans, you can hear live Dixieland every day (I wouldn't want to, but anyone can). That music is definitely unique.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

I like my jazz hot... like my men.

*rimshot*

I love jazz, but early jazz, hot jazz, Dixieland jazz, (and big band and blues, which is kinda umbrella'd by "jazz," as some of y'all've already noted)... but I start to lose interest in it right around the late 1940s. I can admire and enjoy on SOME level listening to Thelonious Monk or Miles Davis or John Coltrane... but right now, cool jazz leaves me cold. I want my jazz to kick. I want it to swing.

Same with jazz vocalists... I love the earlier stuff, but the "cool" stuff... scat... just doesn't do anything for me. One of my friends and I have an ongoing debate about who's better, Ella or Billie. I'd like to think that me and Billie are winning, but he'd prolly say the same for him and Ella. ;)

And I, ever oppinionated, don't consider Kenny G "jazz" either. In fact, I don't consider most of the stuff on the typical jazz radio stations to be jazz.

Can you believe with all of this, I've only heard jazz live ONCE?! Milla, WHY didn't we hit the clubs when we were in New Orleans? :)

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

You know, Dwanollah, I recently added Sarah Vaughn to that conversation about Billie and Ella -- she is amazing and makes the question that much harder to answer.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Darn you, Deidre... darn you!

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

You had to go and through Sarah Vaughan in there, didn't you? :- ) Anyway, between Billie and Ella, I gotta pick Bille... because her voice has this very fragile, breakable, quality that will always make me stop in my tracks to listen.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Through? Ugh, I meant "throw." That margarita was stronger than I thought. :-)

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001

Speaking of jazz and New Orleans, I am going flying down to NO next week. I have a guide to the city, and I've made notes for some clubs that sound like fun, but recommendations from y'all would be great if you feel like sharing.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2001

Dawn--I heard live jazz not once but three times while wandering around Nawlins (three and a half if you count Ringo Starr's All-Starr Jagizen Band, featuring Blind Lemon Homey on vocals and Bleeding Toes Washington on a pilfered shopping cart). Where were you? :)

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2001

I prefer Sarah, myself, though Ella comes in second. (Not to knock Billie by any means. It's all a matter of opinion.)

I've been known to listen to Edith Piaf willingly, though (and Nina Hagen, too), so my opinion might not count for poo. ;)

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2001

I listen to Edith Piaf too. What's wrong with that, huh? Huh?

I also had to throw in a semi-related plug for jazz poetry... just because.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2001

I love swing jazz...Glenn miller is the best...my current fav song is "Kalamazoo"...i'm also addicted to 30-40's jazz musicals :) best one "diamond horseshoe" or anything where glenn has a cameo. I'm so twisted.

-- Anonymous, March 18, 2001