Douglas Groothuis

Philosopher and Jazz aficionado

About Me

I teach philosophy at Denver Seminary and have written academic and more popular articles, including essays on jazz. I am an avid jazz collector and prefer bebop, modal, Duke Ellington, and free jazz. I hope I can make a substantial contribution to this page.

My Jazz Story

Published on: 2016-03-27

I love jazz because it can bring out the best of human creativity and friendship. I was first exposed to jazz long ago by reading reviews by Ralph J. Gleason. I met Ravi Coltrane, Joey DeFrancesco, Vijay Iyler, and (best of all) Pat Martino. The best show I ever attended was Pat Martino in Chicago in 2012. The first jazz record I bought was perhaps Herbie Hancock. My advice to new listeners is to learn to listen deeply without distractions.