What got you into jazz?

JS,

Money!  Found it on amazon and looks like exactly what i'm looking for. 

I think you're right.  when i searched for Al's book it came up with some old looking albums:

... 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.

I got into Jazz music specifically because of Bram Stadhouders. I got a chance to see him live on a concert while I was travelling around Europe. I used to be a hip hop music fan but this man changed my entire view on music. What he produces is called real music. Experimental, Jazz, Indie he got them all. He have collaborated with great improvisers like Jim Black and Sidsel Endresen. Check out one of his best song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1posgTUlHpI

"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".

When we say "jazz", we mean contemporary (post-swing) subgenres, correct? 

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.

Welcome to the site, I like the jazz on vinyl too, also the Simpsons.

I am now 70 years old and have been a "Jazz" fan since my teenage years. I guess I found Jazz by myself none of my family or friends were into it.

The earliest piece that influenced me was Dave Brubeck's Take five which was often played on the radio in the early 60's it was a popular tune.

The first 2 Jazz records I bought were Jaques Lousier's Play Bach and Mose Allison cant remember the record name, sad to hear of his death the other day, I have several of his records now.

I guess my favourite Jazz is small group type favourites include; Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, EST, John Coltrane, Miles Davies, etc.

I also like classical music in the string quartet form.

I guess the common link is that in small groups of musicians it is easier to follow the interplay between the different plays and follow the diverging patterns. That what engages me.

I have in excess of 1,000 cds and am a regular listener to an American radio station (via the internet) JAZZ24, great channel no adverts, recommended.

Crackers
England