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Why most people don't like jazz

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Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#51

Post by eru »

aristoxenus wrote: post #15
keyist wrote: post #6

An interesting corollary is that jazz musicians tend to not have as striking an image when it comes to their marketing. Compare what you first visualize when you hear the names KISS or Flava Flav versus say Brad Mehldau or Keith Jarrett. EDIT: This is probably due to jazz musicians taking themselves more seriously and wanting to be known more for their music than anything else. If a jazz artist enlisted Dir En Grey's…

Have you noticed how much more sophisticated Lady Gaga's music is than the rest of what's popular these days? Her popularity has nothing to do with that. It's the way she throws in catchy verbal chants and is equally brilliant at visual and personality branding. And she as a great name.

> than the rest of what's popular these days?

Depends on your definition of popular.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#52

Post by bbgm »

ichverstehe wrote: post #10
run4yourlives wrote: post #2

Wow what a great article. I didn't fully appreciate his take until this line: "Jazz to most people is like a color on a wall; unless you hung something on it, they don’t even notice it." It's funny, because I like jazz and classical, along with most music, and even I view the two types as "colour on the wall" in many ways.

Until you put on Peter Brötzmann or some of those wild Coltrane live recordings.

:-) I don't think anyone will call some of those Coltrane recordings or Ornette Coleman "color on the wall"

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#53

Post by scott_s »

I find it sad that some of my favorite pieces of music are inaccessible to most people - but it's not their failing. My own personal preferences causes me to listen for certain things in the music that I hear. In particular, I like music with depth and layers, clever melodic hooks, and some changes in tempo and rhythm. Like jazz, the best parts of it are instrumental.

But most people just can't seem to get past all of that screaming in death metal.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#54

Post by mixmax »

dan_sim wrote: post #31
keyist wrote: post #6

An interesting corollary is that jazz musicians tend to not have as striking an image when it comes to their marketing. Compare what you first visualize when you hear the names KISS or Flava Flav versus say Brad Mehldau or Keith Jarrett. EDIT: This is probably due to jazz musicians taking themselves more seriously and wanting to be known more for their music than anything else. If a jazz artist enlisted Dir En Grey's…

You're so right. Jazz musicians are boring. Worst than that, I hear them complain every time that "the crowd was not in it". So, they don't even try to be less boring, they blame their clients for it. Way to go jazzmen!

I've shared an apartment with three jazz musicians, and I can assure you that they're not boring.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#55

Post by snitko »

mattmcknight wrote: post #37
snitko wrote: post #3

It's not the problem of lyrics vs words in the first place. It's a problem of lack of musical education. Give a person a guitar or a piano and within a year she starts paying attention to the composition and performing skills. And her tastes may change dramatically too. So in a sense, I consider "listening to words" not as an alternative point of view, but rather a lack of musical training. Sure, words may simply be…

I agree with your first point, the author's claim that it is an instrumental vs. lyrics problem is not accurate. There are easy counter examples, such as the popularity of instrumental dance music, which often features very little in the way of lyrics and the vapid nature of most pop songs, as well as the ability of many listeners to appreciate music performed in a language other than their own. The problem with a lo…

Very good point. I think we can both agree that a great composition, both smart and understandable for general public, may be quite simple to perform. On the other hand, sometimes poor composition may be somehow hidden under the layer of the great performer's skills. Not only a jazz problem, btw. As you noticed correctly, it is also quite common for rock bands and, I believe, classical music is affected as well.

The balance is the key. Let me once again mention Sting here. I know I may be quite obsessive with this guy, but he really seems to be the one who found this balance. Always sort of bugged me )

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#56

Post by zaphar »

I think I actually fall somewhere in the middle. I evaluate a piece of music by both lyrics and melody/harmony/beat...

I can appreciate purely instrumental and also Rap which is heavy on lyrics and beat. I think being too far on either end of the spectrum causes you to lose out.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#57

Post by hernan7 »

CoreDumpling wrote: post #28
WilliamLP wrote: post #8

I was hoping this article would tell me more about why I don't like jazz. I don't know why! I've tried. I love all forms of classical music. I like rock and pop music. I know the opera repertoire really well and have sung several major tenor roles. But I just can't get to like jazz at all for some reason.

Have you tried listening to Shostakovich? He was moderately successful at blending jazz and classical elements, as well as at polarizing critics in the process.

Or that Jazz Flute Suite record by Bolling & Rampal.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#58

Post by smokinn »

michael_dorfman wrote: post #13
bryanh wrote: post #5

Not that I entirely agree with this article, but as a jazz musician, it definitely interests me. I am curious though; when was the last time everyone listened to an entire album while doing nothing else? (no driving, surfing, working, etc...)

Seriously? Two nights ago, my back was aching so I laid down on the (heated) bathroom floor and listened to "Between Nothingess & Eternity" (by the Mahavishnu Orchestra) on my iPhone. I can't say I've had the chance since, umm, the kids were born, but there aren't too many better ways to spend a Sunday morning than laying in bed listening to Van Morrison. Do people really not do this anymore? If I strolled around a U…

Think of the medium. While it's entirely possible to listen to entire albums on the ipod/phone, it's just as easy to listen to a single artist/genre/list/random. It used to be a pain to get up and change the disc/tape/cd so people would follow the path of least resistance. Now the path of least resistance is to pick random. (Or something like genius or some other type of "smart random")

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#59

Post by eru »

ecoffey wrote: post #44

I thought I was the only one who didn't pay attention to lyrics. My friend and I kinda of resemble that dynamic. He loves some of the shittiest songs (imo) because of interesting lyrical content, where as I totally ignore them. If I like them it's because of how they were sung not because of me diving through looking for "meaning". That's why after all these years Pinback is still one of my favorite bands. Their voic…

Just as an anecdote: Since my English got much more fluent in recent years, I pay much more attention to (English) lyrics now, than I did earlier. Though it's still easier not to pay attention to English lyrics than German ones. I don't know whether or how that has changed my perception of music. I like purely instrumental music, too.

My sister prefers music with voices in them to purely instrumental stuff, even if she can't understand them, e.g. Japanese rock.

http://kahvi.org/ is a nice place to get (mostly) instrumental-only electronic music from the creative commons.

Re: Why most people don't like jazz

#60

Post by smokinn »

bryanh wrote: post #34
mortenjorck wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am indeed guilty of neglecting this. So is everyone else, but I guess it stands out to me because I do consider it a worthwhile goal, to sit on the sofa, put on something like Jóhann Jóhannsson's IBM 1401: A Users' Manual , and just listen to the movements the way I would watch a movie. But I never do. I always feel like I have to be doing something while listening to music, simply because it's possible. It's true;…

It seems society has a notion that music alone cannot in and of itself be the only event.

I imagine that's a byproduct of our productivity fetish. If we can do something else, but we aren't, we feel lazy.
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