Why do you listen to jazz?

I listen for total the disregard what is "supposed" to be played.

Check out Elliot Mason. Listen to Matt Garrison too.

Ive always been a huge Jazz fan i love it all Henry red Allen and Bobby Hacket to Rolland Kirk, George Adams to Art ensemble of chicago Sun Ra Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler. Im ashamed to say i have not listened to those people you have mentioned so i will be sure to give them a good listening to.

I was brought up listening to Bix and Louis and Bunny, Ive always loved it i love every style from the tempernce seven to evan parker, im a drummer and Jazz has always been my favorite music to play especialy bop and free, i also play Tuba cornet trombone guitar and played Alto also for a while.

I prefer listening to smooth jazz....it is relaxing and very sultry. It's great music for getting "in the mood" if you know what I mean!

I grew up listening to my father's 78rpm records of Harry James and Benny Goodman.
I haven't swayed too much from that. I love big band swing, but more than that New Orleans style jazz. Even as they call dixieland (swing style). Jazz is the only form of music where each and every musician can take a solo and ad-lib.

i listen to jazz because it's interesting, and it moves me emotionally. i don't listen to it for the sake of breaking rules. and smooth jazz doesn't count as jazz, it's mindless, it's painfully predictable, it puts me to sleep. but hey, to each his own.

--grumpy old man

thanks for the 2 points!

I absolutely love jazz. when i was 7 my parent brought me my first record/cassette/stereo system back in 1990. now i grew up with gospel music all of my life.and i have always enjoyed gospel music still do . but when i got my stereo, i wanted to listen to some other type of music`s out there. so one day whiles i was cleaning up my room, and got tired of listening to the same music, I began searching on the radio. i listen to a little bit of everything and some music i just could not get with like "hard rock" and "hard core rap" country was just to dry for me, and classical music put me to sleep(smile) but then i continued searching and then all of a sudden, i heard some music that had some nice tunes to it. and ever since that day i have fell in love with jazz. when i grauduated from high school a couple of years ago. my parents gave me a suprise present at a jazz concert. It was in Philly(that is were i am from) and they had Al Grueru, Norman Brown, some others and my main man Dave Koz. that was one of the best concerts ever that i had been to, from that day to this day, i finally realized that i truly loved jazz. I am an adult now and have my own place, car etc. and when i put on Najee, Rick Bryum, Brian Colbertson, Norman Brown, Herbie Hancock, and they even have gospel jazz artist also like Ben Tankard, Allen&Allen etc when i play any of those artist albums that i just mention, i am so calm and relaxed, you could have had a stressful day at work, people in the store could have gotten on your nerves, you may have did a hit and run on somebody and did not notice it etc. all u have to do is put you jazz on and relax.

Its so pure and honest. Its right from the source. Not bullshi$t.

Thats my attempt to answer an impossible to answer question.

Why? Because it is America's only true contribution to the world of art.

Your statement is NOT what jazz is all about. 'Total disregard for what is supposed to be played' may work in some genres and with talented artists, but if done by amateurs, it has another name: Noise!

It's soothing and relaxing. It does what medicine can't do. Jazz heals my soul; it puts me in a good mood. I get a natural high.

Jazz is a state of mind. I listen to smooth jazz mostly. Like the instrumental part of the music. Love a good horn man like Rick Braun, Chris Botti, and such. It is very relaxing and soothing. Great for waking up to on a lazy summer day.

its enjoyable and it calms me down

LMFAO at auntcookie84.

I listen to it to get more ideas in my improvisations and the whole drive/pulse that it has.

The i's have it.

Ingenuity, inventiveness, improvisation and interaction among the musicians.

Always changing never the same thing twice.

That's why........

because it's very diverse.. it's like gumbo, u get all flavors with it.
my favorite is dixieland, swing, big band. :), some smooth.