Open Ears, Open Minds

"If it's good, it's good. If the music moves you and makes you feel something, then it's for you. I can listen to Lester Young and Joe Henderson and enjoy the hell out of both of them."

As a Jazz performer, I'm in concert and club music environments all the time. It's always gratifying and rewarding to play for enthusiastic music fans who follow and care about the music. Playing with great musicians is always a pleasure and the spontaneity of the live jazz experience makes for unforgettable "one of a kind" performances.

Jazz is such a wide genre at this point in history. Every style from Dixieland to swing, bebop, hard bop, modal, free jazz, fusion, or smooth jazz is now being performed in earnest by sincere, capable musicians. It's only natural for listeners and musicians to have their favorite styles and musicians that they follow.

My point in this blog is to encourage both listeners and players to keep an open mind towards other styles of jazz that they may not be familiar with or are not initially attracted to. Many times at jazz events, fans will say they only like swing type jazz, for example, or only certain players. They may tend to be critical of other types of jazz or players that are not their favorites. Conversely, fans of more free, "modern" jazz will only listen to that style and disparage earlier forms as "old hat." The same phenomenon happens with musicians who are "married" to a certain style or period in their playing. By the way, the innovations of musicians like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Cecil Taylor happened in the late fifties and earlier sixties. That's almost fifty years ago, folks. Not exactly "avant-garde" anymore!

It's a given that not everyone can relate to or enjoy everything. I'd just like to encourage looking at the vast palate of jazz music as a continuum rather than a bunch of disjointed styles and periods. Even looking at music chronologically can be misleading. If it's good, it's good. If the music moves you and makes you feel something, then it's for you. I can listen to Lester Young and Joe Henderson and enjoy the hell out of both of them.

So, enjoy you favorite jazz styles and players, but keep an open ear and an open mind. You never know what new enjoyable experiences might come to you!

Till next time...

-- Paul Kreibich