How to Dive into Jazz

I’m a music lover through and through, but there’s one endless genre that I’ve fallen into—and seem destined to keep falling into forever—uncovering new layers as I go: jazz.

With most genres, at worst, I’ll put together a playlist of favorite tracks, and at best, I’ll find a few artists I really connect with. But jazz is different. I can hit play on a random track and immediately get lost in it.

Honestly, I can’t quite explain why this happens. None of the other genres I enjoy—neoclassical, folk, ambient, soul, chillout, rock, metal, or soundtracks from games, movies, and shows—work this way for me. Maybe it’s because jazz demands a high level of musicianship, especially for quality improvisation. As a result, you rarely stumble across anything subpar. Every track is melodic and engaging, ranging from simple and accessible to complex and intricate.

Jazz also provides a surprisingly smooth gateway into classical music, even if you’ve never liked it before. It lets you ease into exploring individual sections of an orchestra: brass, strings, percussion, keyboards—or even vocals.

Jazz is incredibly diverse, blending with countless other genres. Chances are, you’ve encountered it without even realizing it. Perhaps it was the background music in Tom and Jerry, the soundtrack of the Fallout games, the films Whiplash (2014) or Soul (2020), or even during art or music lessons at school.

But as with anything that offers so many options, it can be tough to figure out where to start. That’s why I always recommend beginning with the 12-part documentary series Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns (2001). Unlike other genres, where diving into the history isn’t strictly necessary, understanding jazz’s roots somehow makes the music even more enjoyable. Why? I don’t know—but it works.