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I make my living as a Jazz musician/educator. You don't have to be a musician to appreciate, love or know everything there is to know about Jazz music. It's a complex music, it's a music that requires a lot of investment into the music as a listener. You cannot listen to jazz the same way you listen to pop music for example, you have to be involved. I'm almost finished a graduate degree in Jazz and I don't listen to the music analysing every note or rhythm, that's for me when I am practicing, but when I am listening that's another story, I'm not any different then a typical jazz fan even though I could very well be on the stage playing that night instead of sitting in the audience digging it. Knowing something about music sure helps, but it is the equivalent of the sprinkles on the ice cream sundae.. it's nice, it adds to it but if you didn't have the sprinkles you'd still love the sundae
My suggestion for you is to go to see the music live. This is where Jazz is at it's undeniable best. The music is about risk, improvisation and the dynamic between those on stage and those in the audience. Listening to CD's is great and obviously important. Depending on where you live you could have a drop dead awesome jazz scene and would get to experience it first hand, not the 2nd take studio version of a tune.
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"A real leader faces the music, even if he doesn't like the tune." - unknown quote
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