Learning to Love Jazz

Jazz music can be intimidating. A person's first exposure to jazz can bring about feelings of confusion and disorientation, of discomfort, or even anger. I remember having some of these feelings when I was first exposed to jazz music at a local concert. Now, I had heard jazz before, but it had always been presented in a way I could deal with; as background music in a restaurant, on TV commercials, at the end of movies. Sitting in that quiet room, listening to a bunch of old musicians obviously "making it up as they go along" held absolutely no charm for me whatsoever. I'm one of the lucky few; I survived that experience, and have grown to be an appreciator of the artform and its musicians. With a little initial effort, you too can learn about, and become a fan of what some refer to as "the only true American artform".

How to listen to jazz
Does jazz just sound like a jumbled up bunch of notes to you? Fear not.... there really is (usually) some structure within jazz music. Here's an explanation of the role of each instrument in jazz music, and some tips for listening to jazz.

Jazz radio
Once you've gained the knowledge you need to start listening to jazz a bit more comfortably, you'll need some music to listen to. Here are some great online jazz radio stations.

Top 5 Jazz Guitar CDs for Newbies
Are you a rocker who is a little bit curious about the world of jazz guitar? Read about five of the most influential jazz guitar albums ever recorded.