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Arnie Baum
Lifelong jazz lover
About Me
Arnie Baum has been listening to jazz since hearing his father's swing albums as a young boy. He started to listen seriously after hearing Weather Report play live in college. From there, his musical journey took him back to Miles (and beyond), touching a lot of of bases along the way, and isn't close to ending. Arnie attends a lot of live events. He has been going to the Newport Jazz Festival since 1979 (when he saw Dizzy Gillespie) and sees a lot of shows at Birdland, the Blue Note, Jazz Forum and other New York clubs.
My Jazz Story
I love jazz because the sophistication of the music, which covers so many genres and influences, just never ceases to grab me.
I was first exposed to jazz as a little kid. My father was a big band lover, and he would play Harry James, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, et al.
The best show I ever attended was the one that changed my life - Weather Report in 1975, right after the release of Mysterious Traveler. I was a college sophomore
and was mostly listening to rock at that time, but had heard of Weather Report and was intrigued. It was a truly religious experience, that changed the course of my
listening life. The level of musicianship, the complexity of the tunes and the interaction among the musicians was astounding!
The first jazz record I bought was Mysterious Traveler, by Weather Report (of course).
My advice to new listeners...
Or whatever else you have in mind.
My Favorite Local Jazz Venues & Festivals
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