Is jazz overly intellectualized?

[KOB]

Is jazz overly intellectualized?

[Ron S]

[7/4]

[Soul Stream]

Hence, this thread.

[Chuck Nessa]

Duh!

Pretty big question for a 15th post.

By who/whom/whose/etc?

[CJ Shearn]

uh, Wynton, and the like maybe are you inquiring about?

[chuckyd4]

Should have been a poll:

1) Yes.

2) No.

I'll go with Yes. Wait... No. Ah crap, I give up.

[Spontooneous]

Overly intellectualized by the people who play it? Occasionally.

By the people who write about it? Sometimes.

And what art isn't?

Generalizations don't help. Generally.

[ghost of miles]

Let me mull it over for a few years and get back to you.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Define "over".

Mike

[Michael Fitzgerald]

No - wait - define "jazz".

Mike

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Hold on - define "is".

Mike

[Rosco]

Is jazz overly intellectualized?

←

I'm gonna have to think about this...

[Spontooneous]

Duude, you were supposed to answer in the form of a SESTINA...

[GregK]

how about underintellectualized?

[KOB]

"Pretty big question for a 15th post."

Well,... maybe so if one doen't count the 200+ posts on the old BNBB & 45+ years of listening to jazz.

That aside, to answer your question Chuck, ... let's say my question is directed toward the so-called 'name' critics, musicians in general & the general listening audience. Admittedly, that is a very broad group, but interested in generally broad thoughts on the matter.

[chuckyd4]

[but interested in generally broad thoughts on the matter.

←

Sometimes jazz is overly intellectualized. Sometimes it is not.

Seriously, not to keep beating up on you here, but you should probably elaborate a bit on the original question if you want some serious answers. Who "overly intellectualizes" it? Where is the line between talking about jazz and "overly intellectualizing"?

I'm honestly not really sure what your question even means. Not trying to be disingenuous, it's just too vague to make much sense of.

[Chuck Nessa]

"Pretty big question for a 15th post."

Well,... maybe so if one doen't count the 200+ posts on the old BNBB & 45+ years of listening to jazz.

That aside, to answer your question Chuck, ... let's say my question is directed toward the so-called 'name' critics, musicians in general & the general listening audience.  Admittedly, that is a very broad group, but interested in generally broad thoughts on the matter.

←

My answer is NO, but for some folks the answer is yes.

So, there you go.

Twinkies are a delicacy for some folks and junk food for others.

[mgraham333]

Twinkies are a delicacy for some folks and junk food for others.

←

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning's reading, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Winston Zeddemore: That's a big Twinkie.

[7/4]

Twinkies are a delicacy for some folks and junk food for others.

←

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning's reading, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Winston Zeddemore: That's a big Twinkie.

←

I think we need a Twinkie alert with the morning weather.

[Ed S]

Over-intellectualized?

Not by me, I hope.

In the last few years, I have been able to divide jazz into two main categories - stuff I like and stuff I don't like.

[Jazz Kat]

Jazz=something I dig

[KOB]

As to 'who' I am referring to, I thought my list was fairly clear.

I am not referring to anyone specific that over-intellectualizes, but interested if some felt there is too much emphasis these days on rationalization of content, format etc. versus whether the music is simply good or not good depending on what the listener is hearing and feeling.

Maybe it is a big question, but just threw it out there for some thoughts. I certainly didn't expect to generate such criticism for this question.

[Kalo]

Define "over".

Mike

←

No - wait - define "jazz".

Mike

←

Hold on - define "is".

Mike

←

[Kalo]

This question is so broad that it's like a Rorscach blot.

Jazz is no longer a popular music, even though it is broadly listened to. That implies that it has become almost exclusively an intellectual music. Whether over- or under- is a matter of player, critic, or individual listener.

But nowadays even the latest rap record or Brittney Spears tune is automatically over-intellectualized by some critic or listener. Meanwhile, a five-year-old is hearing Sonny Rollins or Bubber Miley at this very moment... and dancing!

Edited August 23, 2005 by Kalo