Why “I Hate Jazz” Part 4

In the last three parts of Why “I Hate Jazz”, we looked at the circumstances surrounding jazz’s reputation and popularity (or lack of it) today.  We looked at its history, its structure and its social context.  We saw that a wide variety of musical styles are covered by the word “jazz”, including Swing Jazz (a danceable style which rates high in entertainment value) and BeBop (an artists’ movement which puts no emphasis on entertainment).  We looked at the techno-historical reasons behind the marketing focus on BeBop/FreeJazz and how it has affected the availability of all genres of jazz.

We have also noted that many people who claim to hate jazz will actually enjoy jazz of the Swing, Ragtime or Dixieland varieties.  The more thoughtful jazz-haters will actually exempt these genres from their criticism, but most people who say they hate jazz have not considered what it is they hate, or why they hate it.

So, now that we can see why so many people hate jazz (or at least think they do), how do we who love Swing Jazz and swing dance get through to our family and friends who won’t even give our music and our fun pastime a chance?

First, let’s look at the easy stuff.  When we have these friends over for dinner or drinks, we can play them some of our favourite music… but we don’t have to tell them what it is!  If we don’t prime their defences with preparatory statements like, “I know you say you hate jazz, but check this stuff out,” then there’s a greater chance that they will be open to the exposure we’re trying to offer.  After they’ve listened to a disk or two, even just as cheery background music, we might drop a hint like, “This band is playing at the Legion next week and I can’t wait to get to see them; wanna come along?  You don’t have to dance, but there’s also a free lesson included in the cover charge.”  If your friend is single, the added bonus of the lesson is that they get to meet everyone of the opposite sex in the room, as learners change partners every couple of minutes; it’s like speed-dating, without the date.

If you’re in the position of already having argued extensively with someone over the merits of jazz music, they might be too entrenched in their position to even have an open discussion about it anymore.  If you really want to get through to them, you might be in the position of having to make a deal: how about they come to one of your dance events, in return for which you will accompany them to a musical event of their choosing, even if it has no appeal to you?  Who knows: you may both end up broadening your horizons!

Another thing you can do to help your friends and family understand the difference between your favourite dance music and the stuff they hate is to suggest that they read this blog series.  Then they can click on this link to listen to a couple of very likeable tracks recorded at the Stomp It Off swing dance in Vancouver.

The Jungle Swing crew have often found that family members who claim to hate jazz love this music: one of them even keeps the Live at the Legion disk in their car now, having made that album their #1 favourite driving music.

Have you thought of other ways to make the jazz you love more accessible to the “jazz haters” in your life?  Post them in the Comments section; we’d love to hear about them!

Nereid Lake