Do prog-fans like jazz?

I like Jazz more in theory than in practice.  My father is an immense jazz nut, so I've heard (and have access to) a wide variety of jazz artists.  Something about it just hasn't resonated with me personally though, and in the end it feels like background music to me - pleasant and exciting, but not particularly memorable and not the kind of thing I'll put on myself often.  I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll "get it". 

Edited by HolyMoly - January 18 2010 at 07:43

undercover_man wrote: I've always felt I'm on a eclectic and classical side of prog, VdGG, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Anglagard are my most loving bands. But on the other hand, I love some albums by e.g. Soft Machine and National Health, I love very much the instruments often associated with jazz like saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, I love jazzy druming, I love instrumental prog.   So I started to buy some albums from ECM label to explore more jazz, but I can't say I'm too satisfied. I've never met beauty and emotional depth of my most loving prog bands. Sometimes sounding too happy, sometimes too sentimental, sometimes I missed the dynamics or power of prog. ]

Sounds as if your taste is similar to mine!

A lot of ECM albums sound rather wishy-washy, but try Eberhard Weber's YELLOW FIELDS or SILENT FEET, or Terje Rypdal's early albums. Most probably, you will also love Gary Burton's ECM albums and Keith Jarrett's MY SONG. You may also enjoy Pat Metheny, Weather Report, Brand X and Bill Bruford's Earthworks. All these acts are somewhere between Canterbury scene, symphonic prog and "orthodox jazz". Happy listening!

P.S. In many European countries you can use Spotify to access virtually the entire ECM catalogue for free. And it's 100% legal.

I have always liked jazz, especially chamber jazz á la Oregon. and I must say I like most of the ECM recordings. that does not mean I don't like other jazz. I even like some big band jazz. the WDR big band is fantastic, and the full list of artists that have played with it as guest artists reads like a who-is-who in jazz. I also liked the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble. and many jazz artists cross borders to world music, like for example the French trio Hadouk. just as world musicians like Rabih Abou-Khalil experiment with jazz and play with top European jazz musicians like Gianluigi Trovese or Michel Godard

HolyMoly wrote: in the end it feels like background music to me - pleasant and exciting, but not particularly memorable and not the kind of thing I'll put on myself often.  I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll "get it".

My exact opinion.

I'm not really big on jazz, though I do like some jazzy prog. I have a tough time sitting through a lot of traditional jazz especially.

-Jeff

I'd say my love for jazz and prog music is close to equal.  I probably got into prog music at first by listening to jazz fusion artists like Weather Report and Return To Forever, then from there I branched out to more traditional jazz and prog music.  Since I'm Canadian, I was familiar with Rush before any of that. 

I love jazz and prog about equally.

No, not at all. Prog fans do not like jazz, and you should be ashamed of yourself if you do. Only those who like jazz rock like it, but they're not real prog fans anyway. Jazzers don't use mellotrons, and they suck at irregular time signatures. Also, their drumers use brushes.

undercover_man wrote: As you've noticed, I would like to find progfans' relationship to jazz.     Maybe I need an advice where to find jazz equally emotionally moving as e.g. VdGG.   Many thanks for your comments and recommendations.

Maybe you should try "Mike Mainieri - An American Diary" for a start

I'm fairly new to jazz, only been listening to some classics like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Brubeck, Bill Evans and Jarrett.