Follow up to "jazz is so relaxing" thread

[pryan]

So I met this girl recently and we've hit it off pretty good in terms of conversation, related interests, ideologies, etc (and I hope we get some kind of long-term thing happening).

BUT, I digress, one thing she said kind of made me chuckle and it was not unlike what BFrank (I think it was him) heard someone say regarding the correlation between "relaxation" and jazz. I told her I was really into jazz and improvised music and she said something like, "Yeah, I can tell you're a jazz kind of person". So I said, "What's the definition of someone who likes jazz"? and she basically said she found me to be "laid-back" and "relaxed" kind of guy and hence, that corresponds, in her mind at least, to jazz.

So, I'll leave the floor open to your opinions surrounding this perceived relationship between relaxation and improvised music.

[Clunky]

well, I don't know about that, but my wife just read a book (one of those about women this and man that kind-a books) in which it was stated (of course based on the best data science has to offer) that guys who listen to jazz have better sex lives than guys who listen to pop/rock and MUCH better than guys who listen to classical music exclusively.

That could be a useful reference to help justify the unjustifiable expenditure of time and money on jazz in this household !!

[rockefeller center]

This is an absurd generalization/assumption. I, for example, like improvised music/jazz very much and am absolutely not relaxed. Can't see a relation between relaxation and improvised music.

[Dan Gould]

Not to hijack the thread in another direction, but what did she think about your jazz interests? Does she have some familiarity with the music? Is she open to it? Does she think Kenny G. when she hears "jazz"?

Will she make you go

Or will she make you go ?

[Noj]

I've watched jazz I play put people to sleep. I think it is related to an attention deficit disorder.

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm, sorry... What were you saying???

[connoisseur series500]

I've watched jazz I play put people to sleep. I think it is related to an attention deficit disorder.

Excellent point, Noj!

[Jim Alfredson]

It's the mentality that if the music doesn't have words, it's not important and thus you can talk over it, read a book over it, think about watering your garden over it, anything but actually really listen to it. A guitarist friend of mine calls it the "AM Radio Syndrome" because he believes it started back in the days of pop AM stations. They would talk over all the instrumental intros to the tunes, right up until the lead vocal comes in and then talk again at any instrumental end of the tune. Subconsciously people begin to think, "Hey... that part of the music must not be important."

I mean, think about it: What was the last instrumental hit? Would any one in their right mind release an instrumental ROCK tune? Or soul/R&B tune like "Hip Hug Her"? The shit just doesn't happen anymore.

Also, we are constantly surrounded by music. In the mall, on a plane, in the grocery store, at the hair-dressers, etc etc. People usually have no idea that music is even playing. I go to dinner with friends who are not musicians, nor necessarily into music as much as I am, and I'll hear something over the restaurant sound system that will make me laugh or want to sing along or whatever and the usual response is, "Oh... I didn't even notice there's music on..." We're so inundated by it, we don't even realize it's there.

It's a true shame, really.

[Dan Gould]

It's the mentality that if the music doesn't have words, it's not important and thus you can talk over it, read a book over it, think about watering your garden over it, anything but actually really listen to it. A guitarist friend of mine calls it the "AM Radio Syndrome" because he believes it started back in the days of pop AM stations. They would talk over all the instrumental intros to the tunes, right up until the lead vocal comes in and then talk again at any instrumental end of the tune. Subconsciously people begin to think, "Hey... that part of the music must not be important."

Parenthetically, if I remember correctly from my radio days, this is called "talking up the ramp" and it is something where, if the jock can talk right up to the start of the vocal, he feels mighty proud of himself (or at least I felt mighty proud of myself).

On the other hand, when I worked at a Soft Adult Contemporary station, the absolute rule was do not ever speak over the music, EVER. The owner of the station would cite this as the number one complaint of all radio listeners, and it seemed like we were the only station in the market that cared enough to not do it!

[Parkertown]

B3-er totally nailed it! I hadn't considered that before, but it makes complete sense.

[pryan]

Thanks all for the interesting comments so far. I'll try to respond to some select comments below.

Couw, I don't see how that study could be true, but, hey, I could always just throw that one out there and see what she says; I'd bet she'd just laugh BUT you never know now do you..... B)

Dan, I think she dug that I was into jazz, although I don't think she really knows how MUCH I'm into it. I think she'd know "jazz" if she heard it, although that's just an assumption on my part; possibly if she heard Kenny G, she might also consider his stuff "jazz". She's open to lots of different kinds of music, but her passion is Hungarian folk songs, as well as Hungarian dancing (her parents are both Hungarian). So far she makes me go And, I find myself humming tunes (or thinking about titles of tunes) like "I Thought About You" and "I've Got a Crush on You" (I know, that's just lame).

B3-er, good points about the innondation of music all around us. The vocal parts seem to be the only thing can immediately identify with (if they don't know something about musical theory) because it's just like speaking, at least in their minds.

Edited July 22, 2003 by pryan

[BruceH]

Right on, B3-er! It's hard not to see being inundated with music at all times in our society as devaluing and debasing music. Why wouldn't people become desensitized to music if they hear it in the malls, restaurants, even the sidewalks sometimes.

As for the whole "relaxing music" bugaboo, I think a lot of people who don't listen to jazz and don't know much about it tend to assume that all jazz is like the music they would hear on one of the "soft jazz" radio stations. That stuff may be relaxing and "laid back," but whether it can truly qualify as jazz rather than muzak is arguable to say the least.

[BFrank]

Was it something like, "I love jazz, it's so relaxing"?

I agree pretty much with what everyone's saying about the "relaxing" image of jazz. Aside from the smooth radio tunes that people associate with jazz, they also hear "jazz" in restaurants. It's "cool", it's "mellow", its for eating!

I was just trying to remember the last instro radio hit. I'm thinking it was probably "Rock-It" by Herbie Hancock, or Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F" from Beverly Hills Cop. It's been a while.

Edited July 23, 2003 by BFrank

[Dan Gould]

So far she makes me go And, I find myself humming tunes (or thinking about titles of tunes) like "I Thought About You" and "I've Got a Crush on You" (I know, that's just lame).

Glad to hear it! And no, its not *that* lame ... I remember when I met my wife, the song that stayed in mind was a country tune by Trisha Yearwood, "Thinking About You". Now that was lame!