NO insult intended just stating something, a fact that I understood many years now from just talking about this subject and other musicians views.

1. Folks who don't like jazz do not understand it and the structure basics of the complex chord progressions and the actual structure of complex chords.
2. They are not capable of playing jazz because of the discipline needed to patiently practice it on a regular schedule.
3. They think that everyone who can play jazz is gifted, and just do not realize the time, effort and training it takes to get even close to playing jazz. You also have to listen intently on a regular schedule to the jazz greats.
4. You're not a Jazzer because you know two jazz tune melodies but cannot improvise which in essence is jazz.

Who is a real jazzer? He is a musician who someone in a club or wherever mentions to a band member that he is a good trumpet player and gets invited on the bandstand by someone he may not even know and gets asked, do you know "Darn That Dream" or some other difficult jazz standard that all the greats did.

They agree on one of these tunes and the original key is known by both parties. The invited person ask for a four bar turn-around and begins to play the melody with his own technique and feeling and does a solo maybe for a chorus or two or three and they swap out on the bridges each chorus maybe.

Then as Russ stated, all the jazzers really enjoy playing fours. It's actually a contest.

I remember Dexter on several different sessions near the last chorus or two with Hank Mobley and on another session with Johnny Griffin playing the lick, "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better," as they were actually playing each other's licks and trying to do them better. If you're a jazzer you would really be knocked out of your socks hearing this for the first time and the more you listen to it the better it gets.

When I worked in New Orleans I enjoyed playing fours with two other very good tenor players more so than paying attention to the attractive brunette smiling at the band all night.

I'm elated that I've had the opportunity to experience that in my life and thoroughly enjoyed it and remember all the different guys who could cut it. I don't believe that even pot could compare with the feeling.

OK somebody tear me a new one for speaking honestly. Here's another fact! If you're into music to entertain for money, free alcohol (booze) and adoration from the opposite sex, you ain't smart enough to be a jazzer. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.