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What got you into jazz? |
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PopetherevXXVIII ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() ![]() Joined: 18 Mar 2015 Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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3 things
My dad exposing me to Big Band when I was 8. Watching The Cosby show as a kid, The Simpsons and Family Guy (didn't know who Mingus was until Quagmire mentioned him) as an adult. But what really got me into Jazz was when Cowboy Bebop got reissued and I fell in love with both IT and the Music and wanted to find more stuff that sounded like that soundtrack. So that's when I actively started researching Jazz and it was right around the time I got a turntable (a few months ago) so pretty much I've been grabbing Jazz on Vinyl like crazy for the last 3 months. |
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zwordser ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() ![]() Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Location: New Mexico Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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Wow, the question makes me realize I don't know for sure. Either it was a gradual process, or I've forgotten something; I don't remember any moment of finding jazz. In any case, I'm sure the jazz program on public radio that played every night where I grew up was instrumental in getting me to like jazz. By the time I was in my early 20's, I had moved away from rock for a while, and I loved both classical and jazz.
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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When I say "jazz", I actually mean jazz.
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Argonaught ![]() Forum Groupie ![]() ![]() Joined: 08 Mar 2013 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 53 |
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When we say "jazz", we mean contemporary (post-swing) subgenres, correct?
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badacid ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 13 Nov 2014 Location: Black Country Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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14 years ago I was playing drums in a rock band at school. After a while I found that style of drumming a bit samey and decided to take to the internet - i think my search was for the worlds best drummers. Of course Buddy Rich was one of the first to pop up, and I ended up listening to the two "Burning for Buddy" tribute albums put together after his death. This was the first time I had properly listened to compositions by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis etc, and heard insane drumming by the likes of Max Roach, Joe Morello, Steve Smith etc. I also had that old "Encarta" programme on the PC and read up about jazz on there. There was a sound clip of Charles Mingus ripping it up on the double bass. I quickly picked up his Mingus Ah Um album and also Time out by Dave Brubeck. I had a brief era where I did not listen to so much music, but the last couple of years I have really got back into it - reading up on where it all started, picking up alot of the older essential albums and listening to the likes of Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard etc. I am truly hooked now and my CD collection has grown massively over the last year. I have also got back into playing drums after 14 years out! |
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Shrdlu ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 31 Jul 2014 Location: Azerbazian Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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"Being hip isn't a state of mind. It's a fact of life." - Cannonball Adderley.
So, a person really has to be born with a liking for jazz. I've never been able to influence anyone into liking jazz. Before I forget, I'd like to say that we all should listen to any piece of music, in any genre, with an open mind, and, even if it's not the kind of music we want to listen to, be appreciative of good musicianship whenever it appears. For example, I'm not into Scottish accordion traditional dance music, but I think Jimmy Shand, the famous button-accordionist/bandleader, sounds terrific. His music served a purpose, and pleased a lot of people, and, the guy performed for about 60 years. Someone mentioned Lawrence Welk. His music was as corny as all get out, but one must agree that the band performed perfectly - no mistakes and everything in tune. And, it gave pleasure to a lot of people. Louis Armstrong liked it. What got me started on jazz was the fact that my Dad had quite a lot of jazz 78s when I was little. From about the age of 4, I was allowed to play them on our clockwork player. He had Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Billie Holiday, Sinatra, and others. My Dad had a good knowledge of swing era music, and an excellent memory for songs, including the "middle 8s" that one sometimes forgets. There was one piece, "Smoke Rings", for which he couldn't remember the "middle 8"; that turned out to be because it didn't have one. When I was 8, my Dad took me to a Louis Armstrong concert. That was his best "All Stars" group, with Trummy Young, the wonderful Edmond Hall on clarinet and the equally wonderful pianist, Billy Kyle. Back then, you could actually hear jazz on the radio, and the presenters were very knowledgeable. That helped to expose me to a variety of players. I can't remember when I first heard the Dave Brubeck Quartet, but I got into that group very heavily, and soon, having heard Paul Desmond on the alto saxophone, I wanted an alto so bad that I could taste it. I got a used Selmer Super Balanced action alto and started lessons. After about a year or so, I added the clarinet, and switched the lessons to it, because I thought that the clarinet was harder, and knowledge of it would cover both horns. (That isn't true, but that was my thinking.) There's a major point here: you have to want to play an instrument so bad that it hurts. You have to have a sound in your head. We also had a neighbor who was about 5 years older than me, and he used to bring round jazz LPs for me to borrow. These included "Bags and Trane", "The Cannonball Adderley Sextet In New York", and "Coltrane Live At The Village Vanguard". All along, there were several excellent jazz programs on the radio. Another major thing was being able to play at "blows" with other jazz musicians, and to sit in at gigs. Until I was about 30, there were many opportunities to do that. But many of you won't be players. You can enjoy music without being a player. It does help if you learn a bit about music: notation, chords, effects etc. Then you will appreciate what you are listening to a lot more. When I was about 20, I was lent a book about writing for dance bands, and that showed the ranges and keys of all the horns. It's good to know about instruments that you don't play yourself. I guess we should be discussing not only "What got you into jazz", but also "What keeps you in jazz", and for me, it has been constant performing, a regular supply of radio broadcasts, and an expanding collection of recordings, plus, the occasional concert by a major "name". |
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After hearing Dave Brubeck's, "Take Five" and Erroll Garner's, "Misty,"on the radio, I was hooked!
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MusicFreak ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() ![]() Joined: 26 Jul 2013 Location: India Status: Offline Points: 3 |
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I got into Jazz music specifically because of Bram Stadhouders
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davidrydelnik ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 09 Jul 2013 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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I'm definitely enjoying some of the replies here...everyone has a story! Mine starts at an early age, although I didn't appreciate it much at the time. My grandpa was an arranger in the late 40's for the Buddy Rich Orchestra, as well as for Bob Chester. In the 50's he started a music program in his hometown's school district. When I was 7, he started me on the trumpet. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I got interested in my grandpa's arrangements. but I started inputting them into the computer and getting them performed/recorded. Meanwhile, my uncle is a host of a popular jazz radio program, and his show spotlights more of the modern big bands of today. However, he had me listening to Maynard Ferguson as a kid and I loved it. However, I wasn't a jazzhead back then at all. I was pretty much into stuff that wasn't all that great. But when I got into my first college, our band director basically yelled at us one day because we couldn't get the style right. He told us we didn't listen to the right kind of music. It was then that I realized that I should start listening to jazz instead of the crap I had been filling my head with, so I went out and bought all sorts of stuff, mainly small group Blue Note sessions from the late 50s and early 60's. Well, I got hooked on it. And like I said, a few years later I got an interest in m grandpa's music. I plan on getting his music crowd funded so that I can pay musicians to record it all, because a lot of it is not recorded and it needs to be. Some of his writing is really hip, even though he didn't think so. That's my story, the really, really short version.
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Jazz Trumpeter, Vocalist, Trombonist, Guitarist...internet marketer and fitness geek. <a href="http://davidrydelnik.com" _fcksavedurl="http://davidrydelnik.com">
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Chozal ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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... I'm not sur i'm "into jazz" yet.
I'd say ... I don't know how it will be received here but my first jazzy stuff was jamie cullum's early cds. After that, I tried classic jazz pianists but it didn't click. Then I got into prog and actual musicality and Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny and Hiromi were the ambassadors who allowed for a rererelistening of Kind of Blue which I start to fully enjoy. Also, Joe Pass. |
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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Yeah, I'm sure I have some of his records, I collect exotica and artsy easy listening. it used to be easy to find records like that at thrift stores etc, not as much anymore
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ShlinkLincoln ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 02 May 2013 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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I think you're right. when i searched for Al's book it came up with some old looking albums:
He has a sweet guitar. Ever heard his stuff?
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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Now I'm trying to remember who Al Caiola is, I think he's a 60s easy listening performer or arranger.
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ShlinkLincoln ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 02 May 2013 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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Money! Found it on amazon and looks like exactly what i'm looking for.
Thanks again JS
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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I'm sorry, I had the name wrong, its: "the History of Jazz" by Ted Gioia. Its a fun read, not boring at all. I found my copy at a Barnes and Nobles store.
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ShlinkLincoln ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 02 May 2013 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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JS,
Can you provide a link to the book? Can not find on Amazon.
Thanks
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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I recently read Al Caiola's new history of jazz book and found it to be outstanding. I like the way he can deal with the entire history and any genre from traditional to avant-garde, just an excellent book all-around.
He gives out many album recommendations during the course of the book. Edited by js - 02 May 2013 at 6:12pm |
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ShlinkLincoln ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: 02 May 2013 Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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My brother gave me Chet Baker's "Chet" as a gift almost 10 years ago and I have slowly been adding to my Jazz collection since. In that time I've discovered the classics, Miles, Monk, Montgomery, Adderly, etc.
But lateley I'm really wanting to get deeper into Jazz so found this site. Any good books on best Jazz albums out there? My search of amazon did not reveal the "must have" jazz album book.
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FromArmstrongtoZappa ![]() Forum Groupie ![]() ![]() Joined: 10 Apr 2013 Location: Northeast US Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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From what I can remember, my father played the Ramsey Lewis trio in the 60's. As a teen, I liked Earth Wind & Fire, who in the early days played improvised music. That makes sense because Maurice White was the drummer for a while in the Ramsey Lewis trio. I bought the Crusaders Street Life album and saw them at Carnagie Hall in 1980. I guess these were my early influences to jazz.
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js ![]() Forum Admin Group ![]() ![]() Site admin Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 34714 |
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One of my first jazz records was a Jimmy Smith best of, I have several of those now, still like them.
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