As the old saying goes, "You have to go back before you can go forward." And that means you should learn the tradition of the instrument to gain greater knowledge and bring more depth to your playing.

Today's totally fun Take Five list by Josh features some of the stranger instruments to pop up in jazz -- everything from bagpipes to conch shells. But a quick poll around the office revealed that ...

If you love jazz music and always wanted to play in a jazz orchestra, don’t give up your dreams and try out some of the easiest jazz instruments to learn. It is never too late to start learning. But ...

Jazz is strange enough for some listeners. Dig a little deeper and it gets ever so bizarre. Throughout the music's history, particular instruments have risen to challenge of playing improvised music.

Read Vocalistics: Cascades From The First Instrument by Raul d'Gama Rose on All About Jazz. Discover in-depth jazz Highly Opinionated coverage, artist features, and expert writing since 1995.