[scarecrowbob]

Jazz isn't necessarily snobbery.

I know why folks don't like Coletrain, and I don't expect them to... but as a musician, I find it way more interesting to think about Giant Steps than to try and analyze, say, Townes Van Zandt singing White Freightliner... both are pretty cool things, but one has a lot more in it to play with.

[wyclif]

Jazz isn't snobbery, it's just the last exit on the musical highway for people who listen carefully to the interplay between musicians.

[scarecrowbob]

Well, I dunno about that... that might be snobbery :D

I take your point... jazz is one of those things where that interplay is super important and can be enjoyable to see.

Also, I really enjoy playing in a string band / jam band. Essentially it's jazz, but with bluegrass instruments. But then, it's not clearly not "Jazz".

A lot of the musicians I know who are super talented don't like a jam. They want something totally un-jazz -like... they what Joseph Haydn, et cetera. In that realm, there is a whole lot of interplay between the musicians that is even subtler than what you get with jazz.

As a musician or as a listener (and, this is even more true for the better musicians that I know), I feel like there is a lot of road to explore outside of jazz even just in terms of the interplay between musicians.

[sonnyblarney]

Yes, I agree, a lot more to explore.

... but people who listen to a lot of music tend to simply end up in Jazz because that's where the bulk of interesting live stuff is. It's one of the only genres that is consistent in it's kind of creative-intellectual appeal.

Hence the last regular exit on the highway ...

[scarecrowbob]

Yeah, I guess at some point I've driven down enough dirt roads that I'd mistake a solid two lane black top for an interstate highway :D

I generally agree.