Jazz for people who hate jazz
Jazz — the genre of music many people profess to hate even more than classical. It has a catalogue just as dense as classical. And impenetrable works, by Coltrane or Davis, are considered masterpieces.
Jazz simply puts some music fans off. And that is a pity, according to Jack Chambers. He is a Canadian expert in linguistics at the University of Toronto, but his real passion is jazz.
Chambers has written several books on the subject and its practitioners, such as Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. His most recent book is Sweet Thunder: Duke Ellington's Music in Nine Themes.
He joined Michael Enright, the host of The Sunday Edition, for the first installment of "Jazz for People Who Hate Jazz" -- an hour-long introduction to the music that might even turn some of the haters into fans.
Click 'listen' above to hear the full conversation. Due to copyright restrictions, this audio segment is only available in Canada.