Dealing with the large quantity of Jazz
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URL: http://www.JazzMusicArchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1891
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Topic: Dealing with the large quantity of Jazz
Posted By: darkshade
Subject: Dealing with the large quantity of Jazz
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2012 at 1:14pm
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This thread was inspired by a similar one on PA, but this one will be focused more on the overall genre of Jazz. Jazz has been around for over 100 years, with recording technology coming about not long after ragtime met the blues. As with any genre, you're going to have about 10% of it being great, with the other 90% being not so great. But 10% of all the jazz out there is still A LOT of music. Sure, for a newbie, we can mostly agree what are good starter albums like Kind of Blue or Giant Steps, for example, or some fusion albums to ease someone in who is totally unfamiliar with jazz. But what happens when you're pretty knowledgeable in jazz? In my young age, I know a lot, I'd say. But of course, many of you guys know a lot more than me; but then again, I know stuff that some of you guys don't too. A common thought comes in my head sometimes: "How many more post-bop albums do I need?" Now, you may have your favorite artists, but I rarely feel like I need every album by any of them, unlike some of my favorite rock bands or something. Sometimes, you have an artist like Miles Davis, where almost any album released while he was alive is essential in whatever sub-genre an album of his falls under. But then you have someone like, say, John Scofield, who, when he isn't playing some kind of fusion (rock or electronic), it's post-bop, but if you've got one or two of 'em, you've got them all. I can say that about a lot of jazz artists. Take new releases. Forgetting the fact that there's posthumous albums from deceased jazz greats released all the time (which can occasionally add to the frustration), sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on a new album by a jazz artist because of rave reviews, only to be disappointed or neutral about it when I finally hear it. Same thing happens the other way, I'll avoid an album because it doesn't seem like something I'd be interested in, only to later finally listen to it and beat myself for not checking it out sooner. It doesn't help that jazz as a whole has not been progressing as fast as it did in the 20th century, so you have a lot of the 'same old, same old' trend. Which is also a problem for newer acts, there is so much out there that came before and is more popular, that newer acts don't get the exposure. Point is, how do you deal with the overwhelming quantity of jazz? Sure, there's stuff you know you'll like, or you just enjoy a particular artist's style, but what about jazz that's outside of your personal favorites? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm |
Replies:
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2012 at 1:49pm
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You can't hear it all anymore, there is no way. I do a lot of the evaluations for this site, which means I am listening to jazz and jazz related music for a couple hours every day. Even with that much time spent, the amount of music which I still don't know about is staggering.
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Posted By: Dean Watson
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2012 at 2:21pm
| Isn't that the best part of the genre? Finding new music you love? That being said, we have one jazz radio station where I live and to be honest, all they play is commercial crap. So, while there is tons of jazz out there, some of the more obscure ( and usually quite excellent ) is not too easily found. This site sure helps with that problem though! |
Posted By: dreadpirateroberts
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2012 at 10:33pm
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Great question - reminds me of what advertisers call 'clutter' - how to make one ad stand out in a world saturated with ads. Not to call jazz clutter of course! After getting a certain proportion of my favourite leaders/composers, I usually do the sideman method: if I find an album I like and I think the sideman on it is quite distinctive I'll check their best-regarded albums. (For instance, I'm still doing that now with Ron Carter) My other method is not very unique either, but I compare around 10 or so reviews (if I can find enough), looking for the lowest and highest reviews of a certain album - the I split the difference in my mind to help make a decision And my third method, which is very hit and miss, is to try and hear samples from an album that most people seem to dislike or even hate, so I can make my own call. It usually forces me to look at something I might not usually consider ------------- We are men of action. Lies do not become us. http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/dreadpirateroberts%28member%29.aspx?reviews=all/" rel="nofollow - Reviews... |
Posted By: idlero
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2012 at 3:41am
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I just try to listen to as many albums as I can (from all genres excepting AG and vocal ) ------------- I think the problem with a lot of the fusion music is that it's extremely predictable, it's a rock rhythm and the solos all play the same stuff and they play it over and over again ... Ken Burns |
Posted By: Amilisom
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2012 at 12:29am
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I like to regard music outside my personal interest as educational. To me it's interesting to see the chronological evolution of music genres or artists and how they were influenced to change. Of course, I'm thousands of albums far from really understanding how that works. At that point I usually just google "best [insert sub-genre here] jazz albums of [insert year here]" and take my chances. Unfortunately there's the probability that the best selling jazz album will come up, and vocal jazz (say what you will!) usually isn't what I have in mind. ------------- "Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has never been a statue set up in honor of a critic." -Jean Sibelius |
Posted By: Dean Watson
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2012 at 11:56am
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There seems to be a certain niche of individuals who think it's 'hip' to like jazz, like you must be intelligent if you like jazz, who honestly know nothing about the background of jazz or all its diversified sub genres, to them anything by Sachmo or Billy Holiday or Benny Goodman is the 'hip' stuff. I get really ticked about this. Perhaps I shouldn't, but the commercial side of jazz, it's kind of like Jazz's Greatest Hits - which quite often is boring to my ears. Does anyone else feel this way? I somehow feel offended that they want to join the club? I don't know, perhaps I'm being completely unfair .... There was a DJ on one station I listened to who obviously knew nothing about jazz, his quotes about jazz coming from him just doing a search on google prior to playing the song, and most times getting it wrong. I once heard "Chick Corea is one of the world's greated vibraphonist" Excuse me? I'm sure you meant Gary Burton .... ------------- Find me at: http://deanwatson.bandcamp.com/track/Fantasizer New CD "Fantasizer!" out now! |
Posted By: Amilisom
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2012 at 1:42pm
I never really think of the earlier greats as boring, but I can emphasize. I generally feel this way regarding smooth jazz, like if you ask somebody who their favorite sax player is and you get Kenny G or David Sanborn for an answer  (not that I hate smooth jazz or anything) This also reminds me of a time when I was driving with a car full of friends while playing Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock. A girl in the back seat called it "smooth jazz". ------------- "Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has never been a statue set up in honor of a critic." -Jean Sibelius |
Dean Watson wrote:Posted By: js
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2012 at 6:24pm
Chick Corea plays vibes too.  ...and he is quite good at them.
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Posted By: Abraxas
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2012 at 7:55pm
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I think this implies to music in general, no real need to seperate by genres, in my opinion. Classical, jazz, country, blues, rock, folk, hip hop, metal, you name it. Every genre has their pillars, their innovators, most of it are just derivations. The listener just hopes to enjoy new stuff and with luck, encounter slightly innovative music in the present. One can stay forever listeninng to the classics, but each has a unique taste, and everybody has a liking for a "weird" album from an artist, and that makes a lot of albums if you count various genres. The more (or less?) criteria you have to enjoy something, higher the probabilty that you'll like lots of stuff despite some obvious repetition of an 'x' band. For example, lately I've been watching to a lot o funk/soul bands live here in Argentina, which are really cool, but wouldn't say they're doing something new. But it's the fact of seeing them live, a whole different energy, that makes listen to them; since I can't go and listen to James Brown or Parliament live. Same with rock these days, I really enjoy watching one live, even if it sounds like Zep, Sabbath, The Who, whatever, the live experience is a factor for liking something that may not be totally refreshing for you. (just naming one factor, seeing bands live) I really don't know how to state what I actually think, but hope that gives you a vague idea haha.
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2012 at 2:52am
Hip=/= commercial or mainstream
I won't say hip and commercial are antinomic, but the hip/snob crowds generally flee themainstream... Which hipster wants his hick neighbour liking the same kind of music
Bop was "hip", yes... but not mainstream (IMHO, anyway)
Just rambling... nevermind
 ------------- my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicted musicians to crazy ones....  |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2012 at 11:14am
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I'd like to meet people who at least are aware of jazz, let alone think it's 'hip'. The only artist anyone usually knows if jazz comes up in conversation is Herbie Hancock, and that's only because his name is used as a joke by Chris Farley in the movie "Tommy Boy" "I need your John Hancock." "It's Herbie Hancock." ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm |
Posted By: Dean Watson
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2012 at 11:38am
That's exactly what I'm saying ... ------------- Find me at: http://deanwatson.bandcamp.com/track/Fantasizer New CD "Fantasizer!" out now! |
Posted By: js
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2012 at 11:53am
Satchmo not hip, ...jive turkeys! 
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