Blogia
On Poetry and Culture Shock

Jazz

I generally dislike jazz on principle. The idea behind jazz is more or less the same as in free verse: as long as the central idea remains, you’re free to go in and out of the rhythm. I see jazz in one corner of a triangle with soul and blues on the other two. Blues is occasionally too monotonous; jazz is too free; soul has the perfect balance. This is something explained humourously in the novel The Commitments by Roddy Doyle, whose characters prefer soul, without a doubt. I agree with them: jazz is way too self-indulgent. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything as boring as Miles Davis. Sorry.

The surprising thing about this is that I should not like Django Reinhart, who takes a theme or song and makes it jump and run all over the place, turns it backwards and inside out and then goes on as if nothing had happened. But I’ve just discovered Reinhart and I think I’m in love. If I could post music like it was a poem, I would. But I can’t, so stating my newly discovered love of Reinhart will have to do.

Edited to add: Coincidentally, Fitopaldi quotes someone who also despises Jazz. Heh. This may be the explanation of why I don't like Heavy Metal either.

1 comentario

maruja de pro -

Recuerdame que te ponga algo de uno de mis profes...
En cuanto al heavy...es mas largo el poder entenderlo.