Let's Talk Jazz: Where is a good place to start?

    Before I start my rant about Jazz, I just want to give a quick recommendation about Nujabes from last week. He had a special album recorded with Japanese American rapper Shing02 called "Love(sic) Hexalogy", and as the name suggests, the mini album contains six songs that are a set. Give a listen to them from start to finish if you have the chance, you won't regret it. The lyrics Shing02 used are very beautiful and complex, it is a little challenging for me even after learning English for so many years. Also, it sampled many great Jazz songs, so have fun finding them!

    So, Jazz! It is cool, stylish, and has a very long history with a unique heritage. At the same time, it is one of the most complex and difficult genre of music to get into. Jazz is constantly evolving and that is true still to this day, because being rebellion and experimental is a big part of its origin, so we should have the correct mindset when we listen to it. What sounds "good" shouldn't only be determined by your won inherent standards. With that in mind, it would be much smoother for you to get into Jazz. Along with the long history (Well not really that long, it's like a hundred years) of evolving, many different branches of Jazz had been created, like "Cool", "Bossa Nova", or "Fusion" just to name a few. In other words, there's Jazz for everyone. It is totally fine if you stumbled upon some Jazz records you just couldn't bear to listen to, just switch to another genre, and given enough time, you would start to appreciate it with more experience in head. ( If you want to know how that "unbearable" feeling feels, I recommend the 1970 Miles Davis album "B*tches Brew" . Good Luck!) With all that being said, it's time for me to recommend some tracks that you could listen to if you want to get into Jazz.

    Most people aren't used to listen to pure music without lyrics, so Jazz singers could be a perfect entry point for new comers. If Louis Armstrong feels to familiar and conventional for your taste, I recommend his good friends' works, his collaboration album with Ella Fitzgerald for example. "Dream a little dream of me", "Cheek to cheek" are all classic works that still hold up to this day. Ella's version of the famous love song "Misty" is also one of the most beautiful version of the song in my opinion. Besides from the classic sounds, Billie Holiday is a perfect choice for late night chill moments. Her 1956 solo album 'Solitude" is one of my favorite vocal Jazz works. Songs like "Solitude", "Blue Moon", and "East of the sun(West of the moon)" have already found their way into modern medias. For people that want to radiate timeless cool and style, Billie Holiday is most definitely an essential. As for the more melancholy type of vocal Jazz, Chet Baker would be your best friend in the lonely nights when you couldn't sleep. " I fall in love too easily", " You don't know what love is" are smooth tones you could enjoy with your broken heart, or if you just want to relax.

    If you enjoyed the vocal Jazz works, then the door to instrumental Jazz is opened for you! This is when you could really start to appreciate the musical side of Jazz, and if you are able to play some instruments, it would be much easier to understand  the charm of them. For the more upbeat types of Jazz, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan would definitely be invited to the party. Freddie Hubbard's albums like "Ready for Freddie" is the perfect mix of happy and chill. Songs like "Happy Times" and "Red Clay" are also amazing. As for Lee Morgan, his album "Cornbread" is a must listen during relaxing dinner time with friends. Oh! And not forget the symbol of Bossa Nova, the album "Getz/Gilberto" by Stan Getz and João Gilberto(Duh) will instantly take you to the beach of Ipanema, you could almost hear the warm wind breeze and the cold beer in your hand.

    That's it for this week, I have so much to write about when it comes to music, so next week I would continue my Jazz rant, hope you enjoy them!