I sat through an evening of jazz last night. Very good jazz , I was told. Usually, when I hear jazz I simply flee, but since that was not an option this time I decided to listen as attentively as possible and try to work out if there seemed any basis at all for the now widespread view among aestheticians that jazz is good music.
The experience only reinforced the view I already held. Jazz is a desperately impoverished musical form. In essence it is just musicalised beat. Insistent, monotonous beat, dressed up with shreds and patches of melody and various repetitive rills and frills. I sat there pining for Mozart. For real music. DA
