Pablo Todo Ballester

I love jazz because, after realizing that I have listened all that can possibly interest me in pop-rock (I said possibly:) I thought it was time to "go serious" with jazz. Only then I realized all that I have been missing all my life. I was first exposed to jazz with my mom's Louis Armstrong's records as a kid. I still can sing along many of his records in that children-invented language. I met Prince and many other pop artists. I was a music journalist for many years. The best show I ever attended was not a jazz concert. Not yet. The first jazz record I bought was a Billie Holiday compilation. I played it thousands, millions of times. My advice to new listeners is quite cliché, but still works for me: listen carefully and read some books. You'll enjoy jazz beyond your actual expectations. And while you are at it, try some contemporary (XXth C) music too. You'll be amazed how everything about jazz makes even more sense.