10 August 2012

"And all that Jazz..." --Ebb & Kander

 I got tickets to a jazz club in DC.  We went.  It was an okay time.  The combo was composed of pretty good musicians.  At times, they even seemed aware of each other.  I liked those moments best.  The "I meant to do that" factor is kind of important to me. 

So, maybe I'm not cut out for jazz.

See what I did there?  I hedged.  I didn't say "I don't like jazz." because we all know the answer to that is "You just don't get jazz."  As in, you're not musically sophisticated enough to understand and appreciate what you are listening to.

You can say you don't like country or rap or baroque.  But jazz?  Nope--you haven't evolved.

Questions du jour:  How did jazz get this exemption?  How do you feel about jazz?

8 comments:

asplenia said...

How I feel about jazz can be summed up in a picture I included on a post I wrote about my jazz date: "I hate jazz and I hate you." (Yes, both were applicable.)

http://asplenia.blogspot.com/2012/02/saturdays-date.html

Mike said...

If there is nothing else to listen too I can listen to Jazz.

The Bug said...

I like some kinds of jazz - I consider it background music to whatever else is going on. Dave Brubeck for instance - very cool. But most of the modern stuff leaves me feeling the way you do - did they really mean to play it that way?

Gilahi said...

"Once is a mistake, twice is an arrangement, three times is jazz." -- Anonymous

"If you don't make mistakes, you're not trying hard enough." -- Miles Davis

Anonymous said...

I like jazz, even supposedly difficult jazz, but then I also love chimps and think bonobos are the most advanced of all apes.

Gary said...

The "you don't get it" answer makes me want to say, "you're gonna get it!"

I told a friend I didn't like the movie version of Nine and he responded that I just didn't get it. What's to get?

This stuff either speaks to you or it doesn't. I like jazz when it doesn't feel masturbatory on the part of the musicians. There is a difference between playing for yourself and playing for an audience and sometimes that gets blurred.

suicide_blond said...

omg..im the same way..i dont get jazz... i like the old new orleans style jazz..but the no two notes the same stuff ...ugh... i feel lost...i dont want to flounder in the music..im an orderly person i neeed soooome modicum of organization! please!
xoxo

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