Sick of Christmas music but want to listen to something that can give you a similar cozy feel? Soothe your soul with some classic jazz. As the holiday season commences and Christmas music seems to be playing everywhere it can get a bit tiring hearing the same handful of songs over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Christmas music and I feel as though I’m sipping peppermint tea by a fireplace while looking out the window at a snowy quiet landscape when I listen to it. But eventually, I’m done listening to the same five versions of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that play on repeat. I guarantee you that jazz will give you that same comfort feeling and is absolutely perfect for the holiday/winter season.
As a music lover, I can pretty much appreciate/tolerate every genre of music. Jazz has never been my first choice as I usually opted for rock or pop, however, recently I have a newfound love for jazz. The best way to describe jazz, for me, is that it feels like home. Maybe it’s because my family listens to jazz artists such as Frank Sinatra while cooking Italian meals, but jazz just gives me a sort of peace, happiness, and warmth that some days at NC State are lacking.
Personally, I have been enjoying soft jazz. My absolute favorite jazz vocalist is Billie Holiday. Songs such as “Solitude”, “Blue Moon”, and “When You’re Smiling” never fail to put me in a good mood. Usually people associate Billie Holiday’s music with melancholy, however, I find her music to be quite personal and uplifting. Funny how the same music can invoke such different feelings.
Another lovely jazz artist is Wes Montgomery. His music blossoms in your ears. I visualize laying in a field of flowers on a breezy summer day. The best quality of jazz stimulates the mind, allowing you to imagine and visualize the music in a personal way.
And of course I cannot forget the king of jazz, Miles Davis. I love listening to Miles Davis as I walk down Hillsborough Street. The busyness of his music helps me notice the bustle of life around me as I walk past buses carrying people to different destinations and people enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend at Jubala or Global Village. His music represents sonder which is the realization that every passerby is living their own complex life and thinking their own complex thoughts. Crazy how simple instruments can do so much for the mind.
I encourage you to give jazz a try while you’re walking, completing homework assignments, or even just staring at the ceiling wanting to feel something. I promise you it will give that warm holiday feeling at any time of the year. Choose to soothe your soul with jazz.