4/18/15 Why Don't We Listen To Jazz?

    As a society, why don't we embrace jazz music, which is credited as an American created style of music?  I was listening to a long Dave Brubeck recording on youtube, his famous song is Take Five, it is in countless movies, instantly recognizable.  At some point in the youtube clip, it cuts into a short interview and he starts talking about people having had 30 years of 4/4 beat music back in 1954.  He thinks it's time for the masses to start listening to music in 5/4, they are working in 7/8 time.  This music has a swingy feel to it.  It is not standard back and forth stuff.  Their style is creative and not standard repetitive stuff. 
    It's one of those nights, now I find myself listening to some bossa nova which is still in the jazz section.  It is a Brazilian music popularized in the 50's and 60's.  It is a fusion of samba and jazz, to be correct. 
    I got a taste of jazz in high school, as I was in the jazz band.  It was very different from the big marching band efforts or the symphonic band which focused on playing certain classics.  I was lucky in the jazz band that I always ended up with solos, which is when we would get to showcase our abilities, nothing better than having the crowd listen to something that came from within you.  I do wish their had been a way to continue playing, as it was something I was good at and did enjoy doing.  Other than one semester at the junior college, I have not handled a saxophone since graduating high school back in 1989.
    Wife will listen to it with me, but I don't find that people look to play it.  It is not as intrusive as modern pop music when it is played in stores, so it works like at the mall, but usually it gets drowned out by the ambient noise.  The managers have to have confidence in it and turn it up when they commit to playing it.  I think it engages parts of the brain.  Ultimately, it must be good for you.  Anything that forces the mind to engage and decipher has to be a positive thing.  Maybe I need to go down to a music store and see about getting me a saxophone.