[Dixielandjazz] Not Dixieland Jazz

[Stephen Barbone]

Jim Beebe is right, the post was not Dixieland Jazz. It was so noted at
the beginning. It was also noted that the post referenced Yoruba music
and religious praise songs which were an integral part of the foundation
of Dixieland Jazz.

It seems to me that the "Jazz Police" are getting restless. We tend to
dismiss all music we don't like as trash. Interesting view point. Much
like the pre World War II book burnings because those books were not to
some one dimensional person's liking. Who among us is able to state with
real conviction that the music, or politics, or religion, or what ever
we espouse is the only correct stuff?  Those who espouse it are trying
to foist their own brand of political correctness on the rest of us.

Is is education? If we are educated, is our view therefore correct. Can
the best and the brightest tell us what is good and what is bad? My,
what egotistical garbage. Just read Robert McNamara's mea culpa about
his part in the tragedy of Vietnam. As a member of the best and the
brightest, he helped get 50,000 American Boys killed. For nothing. I got
news folks, everybody's opinion counts and sometimes the dumb ones are
better then those of the educated elite.

Musical education? Most of us have only studied European and American
Music. We are woefully ignorant of the beauty of the music of India,
China, The Middle East etc. So please don't tell the rest of the world
what music to like and what not to like. You only highlight your own
ignorance. Pure and simple, music is in the ear of the listener, not in
the words of of the "elitists".

Yes, my taste in music is very broad. From Sousa (which folks post about
in detail and has less to do with Dixieland than my post in question) to
Cecil Taylor, to Bach,  Beethoven, and Stravinski, Ravi Shankar and a
whole bunch of others worldwide.

How do I say this gently? If you don't like what I post, don't read it.
And by all means, don't re post it in html so that it appears twice more
on the list for those who may have already read it. And if anybody wants
to be a list moderator, then send in your application and quit
complaining about moderated lists.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone