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Hi Squeeeb,
I, too, felt the same way for a long time. I had only listened to rock, pop, and blues when growing up. Jazz was always so "discordant" and "non-melodic" for my ear to appreciate. Then I stumbled upon a documentary
on PBS , Ken Burns' "Jazz", (can be rented from video stores) and I learned the history and development of Jazz in its many forms. Specifically (for me, as I already understood blues) learning how Jazz grew from its roots in the Louisiana delta , evolving through the decades since, gave me a whole new perspective.
Sure, there are critics that said it focused too much on some artists, and omitted others, but overall this served as a wonderful and essential introduction for me and I highly recommend it. Right now, I'm enjoying the genius of Thelonious Monk (how's that for discordant and non-melodic!), something which I could never begin to comprehend before. Hope you find this helpful.
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