I reckon this thread is at risk of going the way that any thread about jazz does...
Music is entirely subjective and where one may hear unstructured noodling, another may infer a beautiful and melodic piece that challenges conventions with every chord change. (I'm the latter).
Jazz is no better or worse than any other genre, it's just different.
Back to the thread, this has inspired me to pop along to my local jazz jam this month. I'll let you know how I get on (badly, I imagine).