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Is improvisational jazz to impressionism art as smooth jazz is to realism art?

So, I’ll acknowledge up front, I’m an engineer. Civilian and Warfighter lives can be in the balance depending on whether our company products perform as required or not. As a result, I try very hard to drive the entropic world we live in towards black and white as much as possible. I need to put order to chaos. When i look at art, impressionistic art requires a lot of mental work to make sense of. I just don't see it or get it, appreciate it or like it. I also find, as hard as i may try to enjoy improvisational jazz, that i don't get it, appreciate it, or like it. Instead, I love Realism art and instrumental smooth jazz!!
Reading from Audiogon forum pages for a couple of years now, i feel like i should feel inferior because 1. I don’t appreciate the free flow of expression that is improvisational jazz and 2. I love that there is a tune and thread in smooth jazz. I love the guitar artistry of Chuck Loeb, Chris Standring, and Acoustic Alchemy; the trumpet expressions of Rick Braun, Cindy Bradley, and Chris Botti; and the bass works of Brian Bromberg. 
I’m curious if there are many others out there that equate order (or lack there-of) in their music tastes to that of their taste in the visual arts?
Also, are there many other music lovers who would rather enjoy a good smooth jazz listening session than improvisational jazz?  If so, who do you listen to?
128x128estreams
stuartk
2,907 posts
 
@mijostyn:

"It is not an issue to argue about, like art there are an infinite number of ways to interpret it"

Well, I'd disagree just a bit. My BA is in studio art and in school, I became quite used to evaluating artwork in terms of how skillfully it accomplished what the artist set out to do-- both in terms of form and content. This is the "craft" aspect and I'd argue this is not strictly an "interpretive" process.  

Taking this approach pre-supposes a capacity for setting aside one's initial,  spontaneous response, which can be very challenging but it's like a muscle that gets stronger through practice. 

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that if an artwork is successful in this "craft" aspect, you or I or any given individual will automatically like it!  

However, if we solely go by our personal taste, we may fail to appreciate much in the world of art. 


oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
  • "However, if we solely go by our personal taste, we may fail to appreciate much in the world of art."

So very true with music. I still find no redeeming quality in Rap. 


stuartk
2,907 posts
 
@oregonpapa:

I agree with Garcia's assessment that Rap is a spoken-work form, not music-- simply because it fails to include melody and harmony in addition to rhythm. 

As such, it can be powerful but I don't much relate to its content/cultural context and generally experience rhythm absent melody and harmony to be monotonous. 

If I want to focus on spoken-word, I'd much rather read or listen to someone recite, poetry!  

estreams's avatar
estreams OP
6 posts
 
@4afsanakhan:

My OP post was intended to be a commentary on my own reflection of how i appear to be “wired” and the similarities between the attributes of visual and audio art that i seek out and enjoy versus the similarities of the characteristics of visual and audio art that i dont seek out or enjoy.  I floated that thought to see if others had similar or different observations and experiences. 
whart's avatar
whart
3,048 posts
 
I already provided my view on improvisational or more challenging jazz upthread. I will say that from my limited view of streaming services Qobuz, for example as a trial, it isn’t very deep in jazz. Look up Cecil McBee, who I keep mentioning, and see how little you find. Compare that to his discography, as listed by Discogs (which is crowd sourced and may include mistakes).
The groove-- what turns you on-- is where you find it. For me, a lot of that may depend on mood, which is a whole separate thing from quality of performance, recording, mastering or pressing. I will say that Eddie Hazel is criminally underrated. -Maggot Brain- you’ll need no convincing.
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