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Trying to get back into jazz

Posted by magiccarpetride on July 5, 2012 at 10:08:28:
I used to be a big jazz lover. That changed abruptly after I bought Dave Holland Quintet "Prime Directive" CD some 12 years ago. At first, I loved that album, but after a while it started getting on my nerves, and I began spotting chinks in the armour. All of a sudden, what used to sound so engaging and daring to my ears, turned into this cold, stillborn music.

Needless to say, I was in shock. Then I went out and attended some live jazz performances to see if Holland was only an exception. I've attended Wayne Shorter's show, Herbie Hancock's show, etc. Much to my chagrin, I came to the conclusion that all these celebrated jazz luminaries were merely going through the motions. All that semi-free, semi-experimental music sounded completely stillborn to me. There was no real content in there, none that I could detect. Just some jazz celebrities ripping it up and down their instruments while juggling arpeggios, exotic scales, trying very hard to play on the "outside". Very acrobatic without any trace of emotions.

That sad discovery forced me to completely abandon jazz. However, after more than a decade of sabbatical, I think I feel ready to get back into jazz. In my recent attempts I was only able to stomach some old recordings, usually from the '50s, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, a little bit of Cannoball Adderley, you know, the melodic stuff. Tried to revisit Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" (which I used to adore), found it too hollow and shallow sounding (except for Cannoball's amazing melodiousness, of course). Coltrane especially failed to impress me. Sounded like he was trying too hard.

So now I'm asking if someone could recommend a good way for me to ease back into jazz without the danger of souring on those hollow, 'experimental' masturbators. I don't want to be put off again by some muscular athletic musicians who approach jazz the way chess players approach the checkered board. Jazz, to me, is not an intellectual challenge, it's a joyous expression of the human condition. Or so I've heard...