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Listener's Guide to Jazz —David DeJesus Learning about any new genre of music can be daunting. First, with so much music out there, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. Then, once you get a hold of something, it may not be easy to appreciate the song or album, since the new music can seem foreign to you. Lastly, once you do find something that grabs you, it can be challenging to find more music that gives you that same feeling. This article will address all of these issues as they relate to the amazing music of jazz. Getting Started The first thing to do is to get a hold of some jazz recordings, and there are a few ways to do this. When I first started checking out jazz, I went to the library, found the Jazz CD section, and just grabbed a few albums at random. I had no idea what I was getting, but that was kind of fun! Another option is to go on the Internet and research some of the "top jazz albums" lists that are floating around. I personally like the website www.allmusic.com, which is a sort of database for - you guessed it - all genres of music. Just click the "Jazz" tab on the main page and start reading about the different genres of jazz. Once you find one that appeals to you, you can view a list of artists and top albums in that specific genre. Don't worry so much about picking the perfect album, you just need something to get you started. You will learn just as much from albums you don't like as from albums you love. How to Listen Now that we have an album to listen to, there's something about jazz that we need to understand before we sit down to listen. We live in an age where most of the music you hear in the air, whether on the radio or in a store, is designed to catch your attention right away. Jazz for the most part is not designed in this way. Jazz music is filled with many beautiful moments, but you may have to wait a while for them, so give a jazz song a chance to play all the way through before making any decisions on whether you like it or not. Okay so now you're ready to listen. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you won't get distracted, sit back, and hit play. When you're finished, ask yourself a few questions. Did you like what you just heard? What did you think of the melody? What did you think of the harmony? Did you like how the song felt and how would you describe that feeling? (did it swing, was it groovy, was it romantic, etc) Did any of the solos grab you? Who was your favorite player? Couldn't answer many of the questions? That's not uncommon; we are not used to listening to music so closely, but now that we have had our first listen I'd like you to try something called Selective Listening. Selective Listening is when you try to focus on only one aspect of a song. It could be listening to just an individual musician like the bass or piano player, or one instrument like the drummer's snare drum. You could even listen to the form or harmony of the tune. Whatever you choose, try to listen to only that one aspect for the entire duration of the song. This takes a lot of concentration, but it is definitely worth it. You are going to notice things like how the piano player plays differently behind each soloist, or how the bass player fills in missing spots or how the drummer raises and lowers the intensity over the course of the song. Listen this way for a few times through the song, and then listen one last time with no goals in mind. Is this last listen any different from the first? I bet it is. This is how you build a relationship with your music. |
 Bloomingdale faculty member David DeJesus  Drawing by Bloomingdale student Joseph Graham How To Find More Of The Music You Like By now you've listened to a few albums and are developing an idea of what you like by using Selective Listening, so the next step is to find more music that you're probably going to like. There are a few ways to go about this. If you liked the way the album felt, meaning the groove or the energy level, that is mostly the work of the rhythm section. The rhythm section consists of the bass, piano/guitar, and drums. Start by researching these musicians on www.allmusic.com and finding other albums on which they appear. Chances are these new albums are going to feel very similar. If you liked the actual tune, meaning the melody/harmony, then there are two things you can do. One is to research the track title and find out if other groups have recorded the same song. Jazz musicians tend to play each other's songs in order to put their own spin on it. Another option is to figure out who the composer is and find recordings of other songs he or she has written. If you're drawn to a particular soloist on the album, then research if he or she has any recordings or on what albums they appear. That is sure to send you in the right direction. Lastly, if you liked the album as a whole, you can check out what recording label it is on and find other artists on that same label. Record companies tend to record artists that have a similar approach to music in order to create a theme, so this is a great way to find new artists. Hopefully all of these tips will guide you in the right direction and help you find some great new music. Just remember that it's most important to find something that touches you, not to follow what some "top ten" list says, or some famous jazz critic, or even me. Good luck on your search and have fun broadening your horizons with jazz! |
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