and I'm still not up for getting into heavily free stuff like Brotzmann, Cecil Taylor or even Ornette.. yes, I like some free jazz but not to the point it goes so out that it bothers me (like Brotzmann, sampled some clips--no thanks) and I've listened to inside-out stuff and borderline free for 6 and a half years, I even like some of Pat Metheny's free stuff (I used to like anything he did but now I've picked favorites-become more critical with him, even tho I recognize a consistent quality to all his work) I really didn't like "Free Jazz" either even tho I listened to it very hard, we even analyzed a section of it when I was a student in the jazz class, even tho I can focus on all the different levels of activity there, its just not to my taste.
Anyway, I think people bget turned off to jazz b/c they might end up hearing something really heavy, like a free tune, something like Kenny G, or maybe turned off by the discussions that we as jazz fans have like artists, pros and cons, etc....... or they could get turned off by elitism such as that which ppl like Stanley Crouch favor.