Some thoughts on recent posts:
It always comes back to those famous and simple words "There's only two kinds of music, good and bad". It is true that a good jazz musician has something special in the ability to improvise, and it is also USUALLY true that to be a great artist one has to "have it"; to be born with, at least, with the seed of a special gift. However, this reality applies not only to jazz musicians but to musicians in any genre. Yes, the great improviser has something unique that the classical musician doesn't (although, as Schubert points out, some Classical musicians improvise); but, the great Classical musician brings certain things to the table that the great Jazz player doesn't have. In that regard, other than wether it is a preferred genre for a particular listener or not, no genre is any more special than another. Moreover, anyone who thinks that to achieve the level of proficiency required to be an artist in ALL genres including jazz, doesn't require a tremendous amount of practice and study (formal or otherwise) is mistaken. Sure, there is the occasional rare exception of the player that appears to never have done so, but they undoubtedly did at some point.
Re old/new: As Acmnan3 said, we go around in circles. Actually, more accurately, some just spin their wheels staying in the past without exploring more of what current jazz as to offer. Too bad.
It always comes back to those famous and simple words "There's only two kinds of music, good and bad". It is true that a good jazz musician has something special in the ability to improvise, and it is also USUALLY true that to be a great artist one has to "have it"; to be born with, at least, with the seed of a special gift. However, this reality applies not only to jazz musicians but to musicians in any genre. Yes, the great improviser has something unique that the classical musician doesn't (although, as Schubert points out, some Classical musicians improvise); but, the great Classical musician brings certain things to the table that the great Jazz player doesn't have. In that regard, other than wether it is a preferred genre for a particular listener or not, no genre is any more special than another. Moreover, anyone who thinks that to achieve the level of proficiency required to be an artist in ALL genres including jazz, doesn't require a tremendous amount of practice and study (formal or otherwise) is mistaken. Sure, there is the occasional rare exception of the player that appears to never have done so, but they undoubtedly did at some point.
Re old/new: As Acmnan3 said, we go around in circles. Actually, more accurately, some just spin their wheels staying in the past without exploring more of what current jazz as to offer. Too bad.