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Is Modern Jazz an Oxymoron?

I am a huge jazz fan and 90% of my listening time is listening to instrumental jazz artists from the classic jazz era of 1950's to 1970's. Excluding jazz singers and a few more recent jazz artist who play classic jazz style I can't stand modern jazz.

My question to jazz fans is if it is my limitation or is this a common thing amongst classic jazz fans? Or did you finally come around and learned to appreciate modern jazz? If so which artists?
128x1281extreme
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,505 posts
 
Billy Child’s latest. He co leads Ravinia’s RMSI Master Class so he knows his way around ALL jazz. Grammy winner, Monterrey Jazz, Lincoln Center etc.
Besides, Scofield and MSW keep moving forward. Often together.
Among many others.
If you only like vinyl you are stuck listening to a finite conglomeration of "old" stuff.
Over and over.
nicotico
187 posts
 
Long-time Jazz listener. I love the old Blue Note (and similar-era) albums but my need to discover and listen to those has peaked. Same with 70’s fusion. Always searching and manage to find something, even post-80’s. But I’ll bet if I stratified my Jazz collection by decade the bulk of it would be from the 50’s to the 70’s. It’s easier to identify the things that have stood the test of time, as hindsight is 20/20. Some of the guys mentioned above - Scofield, Corea and Coltrane - have all done some things that are “out there” that would qualify as the dreaded “modern jazz.” The younger guys that play with Lloyd - and one day McBride & Redman (and Tom Harrell) - they will carry the torch and will be the ones to listen too. The point about sounding like classical players who switched to Jazz - applies to a lot of ECM stuff. Just some random thoughts I guess.
1extreme's avatar
1extreme OP
161 posts
 
@rok2id 
Yes, you're right. I should say today's jazz. And as much as I appreciate Miles Davis he lost me at Bitches Brew. I've never been a big fan of Fusion Jazz either. I do like Weather Report though.
tuberist's avatar
tuberist
951 posts
 
Jazz is my favorite musical idiom and I listen to it about 80%. I find the newer players to be very exciting and thought-provoking, such as Kamasi Washington etc.I still listen regularly to the old stuff but there’s so much great new material out there now it is a big draw for me
chayro
2,933 posts
 
It's like any other age and genre.  There's some great music out there and a lot of crap.  Check out this clip of Jeff "Tain" Watts' group playing very modern composition in 2011.  It's a very difficult piece of music with changing tempos in every section, but these guys make it sound very listenable, even to someone who thinks the 50's-60's were jazz's high point.  You need to look.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPpciCh4i0Q
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