Jazz, by day or by night?

[wesbed]

I will listen to jazz at any given time of the day. However, the music speaks more clearly and more personally to me at night. It seems more like ‘night music’ for sure.

When I’m in my car during the day I might play Steely Dan, early Dire Straits, Phish, Galactic, or MMW. When the sun sets, though, it’s time for the genuine jazz article… Sonny Rollins, Monk, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, etc..

At night, the horns & piano sound crisper and the drums & bass bang deeper. I can hear all kinds of nuances and detail under the light of darkness as compared to the light of day. Often, when listening to jazz at night, I wonder why I hear little details that I’d never have heard while the sun was shining.

Anybody else experience the same?

Edited March 13, 2003 by wesbed

[John Tapscott]

Well, I can't honestly say the time of day affects how I hear jazz.

Generally, I hear jazz best when I'm alone and not distracted by someone or something, which is why I often find it hard to listen to jazz at work. Alone in my car is a good listening time or after hours in my office when no one else is around. Late in the evening at home is good, too, if I can tear myself away from the TV.

But I just just never know when something is going to strike me in a new way. It really is the "sound of surprise." For example, I was listening to Inside and Out by Ruby Braff and Roger Kellaway while getting ready for work this morning and I heard some lovely nuances in Ruby's playing that I'd never noticed before. Of course, it will take the rest of my life to hear all the beautiful things happening in Ruby's playing!

[randissimo]

I like listening in the car or late at night at home when there are not so many distractions. A lot of my gigs have out of town driving time so it's a great time for me to check the radio presets and see what's happening...

Jim Wilke's "Jazz Afterhours" is always enjoyable on those drives home late at night on the weekends..

[JohnJ]

For me, anytime is just fine. My wife, however, insists that jazz is night music and refuses to allow it over breakfast. Afternoon seems to be o.k. though.

[jazzbo]

I listen a bit all day long. But just a bit. And I hardly listen to anything else but jazz (well, Brazilian music has invaded my listening time of late.) The most time I get to listen however is on the weekends. The first hours of the weekend mornings I get undivided listening and they are the hours I live for!

There are other reasons that the music may sound better at night, especially in urban areas: power is often cleaner in the evening hours (especially late night to the early morning hours) and I honestly believe that stereos really shine when the power is clean.

[vibes]

I listen about 12-15 hours a day. At work, at home, wherever. Jazz is the preferred music, but I find that I don't like listening to it in the car as much. For some reason, whenever jazz is on I think I hear police sirens. So, I usually listen to rock or metal of some kind in the car. Also keep some rap in there, like Dr. Dre.

Right now I'm listening to the Metallica black album. After this, who knows? Probably jazz.

[Dan Gould]

Jazz is definitely an anytime, all the time thing for me. Its true that I get a lot of hearing done in the car, but I don't really find that I can listen that closely-usually I'm competing with the music by cursing out the drivers around me

The problem with evening listening is when my wife isn't working late, she's more likely to be watching TV or having TV on, so the best time for home listening is weekends, particularly Sunday morning with the newspaper, and also the hour or 90 minutes I'll have between getting home from work and making dinner/watching the news.

******

I realize now that this comment is kind of off-topic or at least very tangential. To answer the question, I can't say that jazz speaks more to me at any particular time of the day. I do however find that certain albums work very well in a dark room, for example Blue Hour and Kind of Blue .

Edited March 13, 2003 by Dan Gould

[JohnS]

I'm home most of the day so that's when I listen. I try but often don't succeed to get about two hours in each day. When my wife's home jazz is usually off the menu but she might accept to the odd ballad or maybe some Grant Green in the evening. I don't do an awful lot of driving but on the whole I don't enjoy listening to jazz in the car. I may have to change my mind about that as I've an awful lot to play.

[Brad]

I like to listen any time of the day but usually I need to be myself for good listening. I may have it on the car when I'm travelling with my family but unless I've listened to that particular cd before I'll play it again when I'm alone.

[Jazzmoose]

There are other reasons that the music may sound better at night, especially in urban areas: power is often cleaner in the evening hours (especially late night to the early morning hours) and I honestly believe that stereos really shine when the power is clean.

I don't know enough about the subject to post intelligently (but I haven't let that stop me before; why start now?), but there's certainly something going on at night. It's almost like the stereo gremlins come in and throw a grand into your system at night, and then take the loot back after you fall asleep...

As to when I listen, usually in the afternoon when I get home from work, when the wife is out. Otherwise it's "turn that down/off"...

[Ed S]

Definitely in the car to and from work. I have my own office, so I listen all day long, though someimes the music slips into the background as I concentrate on work. At home, sometimes at dinner, then usually late at night. I also have a CD player/clock radio at the bedside along with a pair of headphones.

[Brownian Motion]

I will listen to jazz at any given time of the day. However, the music speaks more clearly and more personally to me at night. It seems more like ‘night music’ for sure.

I'm a night person all the way, although a dreary dark day will work almost

as well. Sunshine and jazz don't mix.

[Jazzmoose]

I forgot about work! I work in a small, windowless office with no one else to annoy, so KCSM is playing on the radio in there all day. I tell my friends I get paid to listen to jazz. After all, with my salary, the can't expect much work...

[wesbed]

I'm a night person all the way, although a dreary dark day will work almost as well. Sunshine and jazz don't mix.

An excellent point about a dreary dark day. I agree completely. The more it rains the better the jazz sounds.

Except, I live in Tucson so dreary days are few and far between.