piano keys
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The piano: You know, they use it in music, which is good for times when your favorite shows are in reruns. (Just kidding!)

As NPR's collection of culture-related blogs continues to grow, I wanted to make sure you had all had a chance to see A Blog Supreme, the new project from NPR Jazz.

"Jazz? But...but I like television! They won't like me or want to be my friends!"

No, seriously. It's not that kind of jazz blog, I promise.

They're trying, in part, to do some of the same stuff we're doing here, which is to find ways to harness the power of the enthusiast without the occasional insularity that fans can demonstrate. Furthermore, if you liked talking about Pixar and girls, you'll love talking about women and jazz.

(And do not miss the awesome post about naming the blog, which I love dearly, because oh goodness, oh gracious, have I ever been there.)

If you're wondering whether you're going to encounter a solid wall of...I don't know, snapping hipsters or whatever the least pleasant and most silly stereotype of inhospitable jazz fans might look like, consider this passage from blog big cheese Patrick Jarenwattananon:

Educate as we might, jazz audiences will never be comprised of only highly-trained musician-types. So much of the barrier to entry of jazz is a perception that it requires a foundation of history and music theory to appreciate at any level — a perception no doubt bolstered by the behaviors of typical jazz nerds (who have historically been male). Teaching more and more people jazz literacy will help, but more importantly, jazz needs to find a public tone of voice which informs but doesn't intimidate its potential new audiences (female or otherwise). [Meta-Editorial: I'd like to think that's what we're trying to do here, albeit in too many words.]

In other words, they'd still like you to listen to some great music, even if you don't have the time (or perhaps even the inclination) to become a full-time student.

I feel exactly the same way about getting people to watch Wipeout. (Not really. I'm only kidding. Don't e-mail me!)

More importantly, it's well-written and interesting, and you have to admire any project that involves regular conversations where a guy educates his own boss. (I don't know why I haven't forced Trey to sit through some episodes of Dancing With The Stars. Next season!)

So check it out, and listen to good music, and don't forget me when you become a sophisticated snapping hipster.