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subrosa wrote

Yeah, I felt similaraly not too long ago, and I still find it hard to connect a lot of the time. I think I 'learned' to appreciate the art some more by actively listening to musicians playing with music, rather than a song from an album. Rock and electro tends to have a final product, a sum arguably greater than its parts.

Jazz (thinking bebop, and whatever grew out of it) usually has a more improvisational, expressive character. The musicians all share a core structure to build around, but within a fairly complex framework they give each other a lot of room to do their own thing. It's about moments and moods, about pushing the limits of the framework in an alive back-and-forth conversation between musicians. Which is probably why you get a lot of names in jazz: Talented individuals with a unique 'voice' rather than band projects; compositions and takes rather than songs.

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Hibiscus_Syrup OP wrote

That's a helpful way to think about it. So I guess the best way to get into it would be by seeking out good live shows.

In a pandemic...

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