I much prefer Dixieland jazz to the sometime cacophonic free-form style.
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?
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?
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- 114 posts total
"One last thought, going back to my “cacophony” complaint; i know i need better resolving speakers than what i have today. I have a feeling that hearing a better separation of instruments and notes could help open the aperture to broader jazz & genre enjoyment." Try avoiding the "genre specific" speaker mindset that some appear to have. Your "perfect "speaker will sound good for everything. "Smooth Jazz" can be broken into categories. Just keep the drum machine, synthy, processed Kenny G. stuff out of my collection. Not that there's anything wrong with that... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-mjt1ypiF8 Are you familiar with Jeff Golub? He was Rod Stewart's touring guitarist during Rod's corny years in the late 80's Another good "Smooth Jazz" artist. |
tablejockey ... I have the same feelings about Kenny G. as you do. However, I saw him one night as a guest on the old Arsenio Hall show. Kenny G. played his soprano sax without all of the electronics backing him up. It was just Kenny G. playing straight-ahead jazz. Believe it or not, the man kicked butt. Why he didn't cut recordings like that is beyond me. Frank |
- 114 posts total