Jazz is Weird

So is the High Priest of BeBop

There are a lot of reasons that jazz is weird, but first you need to know what I think about weird. When I say weird I mean weird good. I love things that are weird because they are by definition different from the standard expectation and yet somehow they still exist. This is a place that I like.

As for jazz, I think it occupies a unusual place in the spectrum of musical offerings. It is arguably the most important American contribution to music (if this gets your hackles up… give me a minute and I’ll hopefully address some of the obvious objections) played by some of the most technically accomplished and yet creatively motivated players anywhere. Despite this, it is largely loved by a cognoscenti and considered a bit much or just plain bonkers by the majority.

Before I get into the weird and the wonderful of jazz and hopefully address some of the resistance to it, I think that I should let you know where I stand on jazz in general.

I am a big fan, but I also have a niche love within the tradition. As a rule, I stream all of my music but for jazz from the 50’s and 60’s, I buy LPs. On some level this is because of the “superior sound of vinyl” but really I think that unless you have a purpose built room to listen in, it is hard to argue that my turntable in my Kitchen/Dining Room (I like to cook and listen) wouldn’t be beat by streaming the same album through high end headphones.

The real reason I listen to this era on vinyl is it takes commitment. Collecting and listening this way slows me down and makes me more engaged with the album, the music and the artists.

For those of you who are not up on your jazz history, there is a lot to say but for today I want to define this era that I love most in two ways. First from the last half of the music of Duke Ellington to the first half of Miles Davis. The second is fire and ice. If you do know jazz this might makes sense and no doubt you have a million other ways to slice it up. These are two that make sense to me - not academically but more a vibe. If you don’t know jazz I made two short playlists that will give you a taste .

In simple terms the first one is a historical slice and the second one is all about the mood the music creates but it’s all of a piece, and that piece is my favorite one.

Ok a quick note on objections - The blues, bluegrass and hiphop are all undeniably great musical traditions with roots in America so if you would put one of these above jazz in the pantheon, fair play. I would love to have that discussion over a drink (or two). Either way I hope that you will still find my take on jazz meaningful or at least interesting. To that end here are a few of the reasons I love it.

The first is that it gets better the more you listen. What I mean is jazz takes some effort. Of course this is true with most music but there is something about the reward that comes after putting in the effort that stands out. Sort of how a cold beer just tastes better after doing some hard work outside or taking the time to understand the history of an artist makes their work seem more meaningful not just in their own context but in our own.

Second, with jazz there is a particular blend of freedom and respect that just hits home for me.

Thelonious Monk was called the High Priest of BeBop for his groundbreaking contributions. As an amateur piano player myself, he may not be the player I listen to the most on any given day but he will always be the favorite that I come back to. Miles Davis said this of Monk (pictured above in children’s wagon if you needed more proof that jazz is weird!)

“A main influence he has been through the years has to do with giving musicians more freedom. They feel that if Monk can do what he does, they can.”

The amazing thing is he did this not by throwing out the rules and doing his own thing but by venerating the past and finding within the traditions of gospel, jazz, classical and more, new forms of expression.

A lot of the reason that I love jazz is that it reminds me to look at the world with respect but also to fearlessly add to that which is beautiful in the world. If that’s weird, then count me in!