What do you like most? Jazz or Classic?

Adley, in your question is the suggestion that, not only do you like the violin, you like both Classical and Jazz.  Good for you!  There is a tremendous amount of wonderful music in both genres.  As has been pointed out the violin typically features far more prominently in Classical music than in Jazz, but there are and have been some very good Jazz players on the instrument.  A great “rule” to follow as a good (always growing) music listener is to remember that it is not the type of instrument that matters; it’s what you do with it.  The instrument is just the means to an end.  Who would have thought the harmonica would make a credible bebop instrument?  Toots Thielemans anyone?  Or the accordion?  Art Van Damme or Leo Sash?  Welcome to Audiogon and we look forward to your posts!

three_easy_payments:

****I’m not even sure there is a BlueNote album prominently featuring a violin but I could be wrong.****

Some (me) might argue how much of this record is actually “Jazz”, but...

https://www.discogs.com/Noel-Pointer-Phantazia/release/1574387

@frogman 

That's definitely jazz but not the type that ever really resonated with me.  While I totally admire the work and musicianship of Grusin, Ritenour, Gadd etc it was always a bit too slick for me.  Maybe I should have said pre-Liberty Bluenote ;-)

**** it was always a bit too slick for me. ****

And precisely why I expressed uncertainty about whether it qualifies.  It strays a little too far away from some core musical values that define “Jazz” for me,  Not that the label utimately matters much. 

Getting back to OP’s question .
The genres themselves both have many great music pieces of music more or less equal as music itself . I got hip to that listening to great German symphony orchestra’s playing things like "Stardust" and other jewels from the Great American Songbook .
But classical has one thing that jazz has not , its roots are in Christian religious music which was not for the music alone but for the praise of God and edification of the listener .There is no equivalent in any kind of music of a Bach Cantata or Passion and as it is sung there is no doubt about what the music is doing and why its doing it . Or in the the great masterworks of a religious bent of a thousand composers from the 12th century to this one .


.If you are not religious you can enjoy the music as music alone . if you are religious you will likely do that and the level it was aimed at as well .Even with jazz pieces I would consider profoundly religious like Coltrane’s
"A Love Supreme ", you would not pick that up from the music itself .

Classical Music is the greatest artistic  triumph of the Western World . .