Jazz is probably the most extraordinarily diverse music form, with many idioms to choose from and enjoy: trad, swing, be-bop, hard-bop, cool, west coast, vocal, free, avant-garde, contemporary, fusion, acid, smooth, funk, nordic, latin, cuban, etc. Some of these may not be well-regarded or even considered jazz by some, but to me they all include an element that is not usually found in other styles of music: IMPROVISATION.
Brad Meldhau (sp?) wrote in the liner notes of one of his recordings that if all forms of written/recorded music were lost, jazz would be one of the few forms of music whose players could return to their instruments and continue to play and create as if nothing had happened.
Brad Meldhau (sp?) wrote in the liner notes of one of his recordings that if all forms of written/recorded music were lost, jazz would be one of the few forms of music whose players could return to their instruments and continue to play and create as if nothing had happened.