home
about
editor’s note
JAZZ FIELD GUIDE.
listen while you read...
I don't really know why I'm so drawn to jazz, but I always have been.
Over the last five years, it has quietly become the soundtrack to my life. It's there when I'm overwhelmed and need to slow down. It's there on peaceful afternoons when I simply want something beautiful to fill the room. It follows me into bookstores, museums, coffee shops, long train rides, and late nights with headphones on. Wherever I go, I somehow find myself returning to jazz.
Some of my favorite memories are tied to this music. I remember hearing "In a Sentimental Mood" by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane with someone I loved and realizing that a song could completely change the feeling of a moment. I remember learning "Love & Death" by Ebo Taylor on the bass and feeling connected to the music in a completely different way. I wasn't just listening anymore. I was becoming part of it. I think about listening to Brasilian Skies by Masayoshi Takanaka with my brother and how that album became something we shared together. I think about discovering Fela Kuti with one of my friends and spending hours talking about the music, the history, and everything surrounding it. Looking back, I realize that some of the people I care about most are connected to memories of music.
As someone who plays bass, music has always been a huge part of my identity. Jazz, though, has stayed with me in a way no other genre has. It has taught me to slow down, pay attention, and stay curious. Every album seemed to lead somewhere new. One record became another artist. One artist became a book. One book became a movement, a historical moment, or a place I wanted to learn more about. Before long, I wasn't just listening to jazz. I was learning about Black history, Brazilian music, Afrobeat, literature, museums, and cultures I might never have explored otherwise. That curiosity is what inspired this archive.
I created The Jazz Field Guide because I wanted to make the kind of resource I wish I had when I first started listening. Not something that tells you what you should know, but something that encourages you to explore. A place where an album can lead to a book, a book can lead to history, and history can completely change the way you hear the music. This archive isn't about becoming a jazz expert. It's about building a relationship with the music and discovering the people, cultures, and stories that live within it.
If you're just beginning your journey, I hope this archive gives you a place to start. If you've loved jazz for years, I hope it helps you discover something new. Most of all, I hope it reminds you that listening can be one of the most meaningful ways to learn. You don't have to know everything before pressing play. Curiosity is enough.
Thank you for spending time here. I hope you leave with a new favorite artist, a book you can't wait to read, or a story that stays with you long after the music ends.