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Me was a long time thing. i started out listening to punk then 90s music and then classic rock. i went to some progressive and i stuck with that for a whil rush, yes and stuff then i started listenign to these fusion bands like weather report and then one day i took a chance bought a john coltrane cd and i have been hooked since. How did everyone else get into jazz?

Well i didnt really get hooked in till highschool. I was in jazzband before in junior high but didnt understand it or got into it that much. Once i saw all my friends in the jazzband i wanted in as well. After i "wormed" my way into the second Tenor spot i started to grow as a musician. My teacher has a library of jazz cd's that he lends out to students. I became a spounge trying to absorb everything that was jazz. We got a jazz coach for our highschool a little after my sophomore year and we got much better and my knowlefge of jazz began to grow and grow. It was cool too cuz our jazzcoach worked at a jazz music store and so we'd help them with inventory. We'd get paid under the table with jazz cd's or cash. I also got great discounts and even free jazz cd's. At this point i was listening to several different styles of jazz which i'm thankfull for. If i wasnt introduced to those early on i probably would have been one of those guys that only likes swing and modern jazz.

I'm still a sponge today every bit of info i get i retain and try to get more.

Stared when I was young, my father and uncle had jam sessions, to bad not anymore...
Two local jazz musicials live in my area though.

I got into jazz through metal. xp Several drummers that I liked in metal were described as "having an almost jazzy" drumming style, becaues they were very "busy" drummers...always throwing in fills, playing drum rolls, etc, etc. They weren't satisfied with just keeping time, in other words. So, I eventually decided to make the plunge and take a risk on jazz.

My dad picked up XM Radio around this time, so I flipped through the jazz station until I found songs I could tolerate...which happened to be on the "modern jazz" station. Well..there was one particular song I liked, due to the drumming; it was Spaces Revisited (the title track) so Billy Cobham was the drummer. I looked up some reviews for the album on Amazon.com and took the risk of buying it, and ended up liking it. (I don't like it so much now, but it was a wonderful stepping stone...)

Due to that I went to the Classical/Jazz/Blues forum here on Gaia, and started a topic asking for suggestions. I got plenty of suggestions, listened to samples to see what I liked, and ended up starting off on a nice platter of great fusion. biggrin You know the stuff, Billy Cobham, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, Bitches Brew, Jaco Pastorius, etc, etc. It all went from there...

I'm currently listening to Little One off of Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage album. Good song.

i seriously cant remember...
I do however remember when i became serious about it.
That was after my first run in at Douglas College in their Jazz Improvisation classes over the summer. I had previous experience improvising, sure, but i didn't know what i was doing. They taught me what it meant to be in a combo full of improv artists. They taught me the level of musicianship one had to be at. Without that wakeup call, I doubt i wouldv'e went at the rate im at now. That summer i picked up the Charlie Parker Omnibook and All Blues by Miles Davis and started jamming like crazy. The next summer i came back to the improv classes with a newfound respect, and of course a different instrument. That time i decided to play Bari sax rather than on alto. Listening to Miles Davis and playing the solos of Charlie Parker have greatly influenced my playing over the last 2 years.

theres always progressive metal..
like devin townsend and dream theater !
but jazz is definately the right choice wink

hahaha hey...

i gotta maintain my jazz roots dont i?
xd

I've always loved jazz, but in high school I saw the jazz band play and I was instantly hooked. I started always listening to jazz on the radio and I start doing my own little thing on the side. I'm trying to step out as a jazz flutist.