Comments on: Jazz Now – 5 Gateway Albums

By: Jazz Now: Conclusions | My Blog

Jazz Now: Conclusions | My Blog — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:56:50 +0000

[...] has been noted several times by commenters that not everyone will like everything. Someone who doesn’t care much for modern R&B may [...]

By: Jazz Now, Jazz Then…Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Jazz Now, Jazz Then…Can’t We All Just Get Along? — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:18:43 +0000

[...] in Music, Thoughts Tweet This!Share this on FacebookPost this to MySpaceStumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUponDigg this!Share this on del.icio.usIf you follow the Jazz Blogosphere at all you are probably aware of Jazz Now, Patrick Jarenwattananon’s initiative to introduce young non-jazz fans to jazz at NPR’s A Blog Supreme. Patrick asked seven young jazz bloggers to submit their picks for the 5 albums they’d use to accomplish this seemingly herculean feat. In addition to the seven panelists, many other bloggers weighed in with their picks, and the final list is an impressive collection of some of the best jazz that has been released in the last decade. And I’d agree that many of these albums can be used as great gateway albums for the jazz newbie (see my list here). [...]

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:07:53 +0000

As one of the original Jazz Now participants, I agree with Kai’s point completely, but I also believe that there is some validity to our exercise. That’s because the process shouldn’t stop with our mere posting of recommendations. We need feedback from open-minded listeners who check out the tracks, and can tell us why something works or doesn’t work for them. Perhaps someone with similar musical tastes can chime in … and the conversation continues. The point of Jazz Now, as I understood it, was that it could be a broader starting point for a bunch of different conversations about which tracks work, which ones don’t, and why. Those answers will be different for everyone, but that’s what the internet is for!

Also, I tried to pick my five to suggest different access points — I highly doubt that the same person who would find their way to jazz through Soulive would dig Derrick Gardner and his Jazz Prophets at first listen. So I hope that someone out there can pick a favorite, tell me why, and then the conversation about other stuff to check out can continue.

(PS Jason, check out Derrick if you haven’t already. He’s good at the trumpet.)

By: Scott McLemore

Scott McLemore — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:34:29 +0000

Right you are, Kai. Naked City is a great entry point for a lot of people. If you can get them to make the transition to Masada, consider them initiated!

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:54:38 +0000

You make a great point, Kai, and I think you’re right. However, for the sake of this exercise I think those involved decided to take a broad approach. We could make lists for metalheads, deadheads, classical fans, etc., but then we’d have a LOT of lists!

But in the end you are absolutely right and when I try to bring people to jazz I always take their individual tastes in mind.

Thanks for visiting, as always! I enjoy your perspective on things.

By: Kai Weber

Kai Weber — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:29:31 +0000

Well, I think it doesn’t work that way. If you’re really interested in interesting your friends in jazz, a very individual approach is required. The taste of this person is the first thing to be considered. You won’t catch a heavy metal fan with the “Joni Letters”. But, if done rightly, it IS possible to interest a heavy metal fan in jazz music.
I really do like your selection, but I myself would have never found a way into jazz that way. I wasn’t coming from the direction of mainstream pop, but found my way into jazz via punk rock (e.g. NoMeansNo, Victims Family, later the Grind-Free-Jazz stuff like Alboth! or Naked City). As Goethe wrote: “Eines schickt sich nicht für alle”… (for translation cf. http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=6295) Or as we find in Kafka’s “Before the Law”, there’s exactly one gateway per person, rather than a common gateway for everyone…

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:36:39 +0000

Thanks for checking Keith. Definitely check out Darcy’s band…they are killin’! You can learn more at http://secretysociety.typepad.com.

Jeff – the “rules” for the game as stated by Patrick were albums “within the last 10 or so years, with an emphasis on the present moment (considered broadly).” I know the Sco and Wilson albums were early-90’s, but I stand by them as examples of modern jazz that are good gateway albums. But I’d be interested to hear what yours would be as well…

By: Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:12:14 +0000

The Scofield and Cassandra Wilson choices are excellent, but they’re both over ten years old. Maybe you should pick two more.

By: Keith B.

Keith B. — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:11:31 +0000

The “working musician” never rests! Nice picks, Jason. I hadn’t heard of Argue before (can’t argue with that pick, har, har).