Quite the contrary. Contemporary jazz is trendy as hell, much more than, say, 10 or 20 years ago. Do you remember 80s jazz?
I think that's partly dependent on which side of the pond you're on. Thank God for Europe, doing far more to keep jazz alive and thriving, than my fellow Americans.
I think I'm a lot like you. I like Jazz, but it really has to be in the right setting. The lack of melody really gets lost on me.
That much said, Charlie Parker is pretty great. Maybe as a classical fan, the Album Charlie Parker with Strings might be more accessible to you.
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is a very accessible album. And, there is pretty good reason it's also often touted as the best Jazz album ever.
I have found that with Jazz, you're better off focusing on one artist at a time and growing accustomed to their style. Listen to full albums -- multiple albums, even. If you try to listen to a bunch of different songs by a bunch of different artists, the contrasting styles can be a bit jarring.
Maybe as a suggestion listen to Bird with strings. Then follow that with Bird & Miles, which will transition you to Miles Davis. Then listen to Kind of Blue. then sketches of Spain.
Jazz is a pretty big and widely varied genre, and this roadmap doesn't give you the most broad view of everything their is to hear... but, I think it's a good place to start and build off of.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
What I learned while discovering Jazz is that there are A LOT of sub-genres. I learned I'm not crazy about free jazz or avant-garde jazz, so if all I did was discover that and not know it... well then I'd never really discover I liked Jazz.
Probably easier to find the artist you like and then look up which genre, but eh, here's what wikipedia lists:
Avant-garde jazz
bebop
big band
chamber jazz
cool jazz
ECM jazz
free jazz
gypsy jazz
hard bop
Latin jazz
mainstream jazz
modal jazz
M-Base
neo-bop
post-bop
progressive
jazz soul
jazz swing
Third Stream
traditional jazz
Take a look at these genre's and perhaps there's an artist in it that you know you actually kind of have a inkling towards liking. Then like Lastings suggested, listen to it and get familiar with it until it's the back of your hand. Of course don't do this with a record you don't like - something you already almost immediately like.
Here are the jazz records I like and I you'll notice they aren't the traditional suggested ones because of that discovery of different types of Jazz (mostly). Listen to the first track or so of each of these albums and see if they settle better with you - if none of them do, perhaps keep digging - find that one jazz album that gets you into it. Idk - that's kind of what I do. Find that one song/one album/one artist and really fall in love with it and it likely will be a gateway.
But also what's said before is true - maybe you just don't like jazz and that's ok too.
I think that's partly dependent on which side of the pond you're on. Thank God for Europe, doing far more to keep jazz alive and thriving, than my fellow Americans.
I really really liked charles mingus "blues & roots" and "the black saint and the sinner lady".
I don't know there's something devilish about the songs on these albums that I never felt in any other musical style.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about ? this rythm and feelling.
If there's others artists who emits this kind of vibe (or something different but still sort of "demonic") I'd like to check them out ^^
I really really liked charles mingus "blues & roots" and "the black saint and the sinner lady".
I don't know there's something devilish about the songs on these albums that I never felt in any other musical style.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about ? this rythm and feelling.
If there's others artists who emits this kind of vibe (or something different but still sort of "demonic") I'd like to check them out ^^
Always good to have another Mingus convert 😉
I've been chasing that sound elsewhere myself, and it really is what makes Mingus unique, and so great. Definitely give 'Let My Children Hear Music' a try, a personal favourite of mine - also Mingus, and has some similarly wild moments.
Sun Ra is the closest thing after that in my own collection, 'Jazz In Silhouette' for something a bit more traditional, and 'Lanquidity' for something a bit more screechy and cosmic (a bit closer to Mingus).
Also, if you haven't already, Tom Waits is basically the Charles Mingus of Rock, and their records suit a simlar mood.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
I really really liked charles mingus "blues & roots" and "the black saint and the sinner lady".
I don't know there's something devilish about the songs on these albums that I never felt in any other musical style.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about ? this rythm and feelling.
If there's others artists who emits this kind of vibe (or something different but still sort of "demonic") I'd like to check them out ^^
Also, if you haven't already, Tom Waits is basically the Charles Mingus of Rock, and their records suit a simlar mood.
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