[Fwd: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Hentoff piece]

[Fred Spencer]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Hentoff piece
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 13:45:03 -0400
From: Fred Spencer <drjz at bealenet.com>
To: Butch Thompson <butcht at sihope.com>
References: <BB52B84A.32AE%butcht at sihope.com>



This "debate" resulted from a Marsalis letter to the editor of the "New 
York Times" (12/19/94) about an NYT review of Collier's book, "Jazz. the 
American Theme Song", by Russell Davies, a BBC jazz producer (11/21/93). 
Marsalis's belief that "Mr. Collier is nothing more than a pompous 
social scientist who for too long has passed as a serious scholar of 
jazz music" brought a reply from Collier, who said " Not only am I 
willing to debate Mr. Marsalis. I have already asked my publisher to 
arrange a meeting. (2/6/94)." This occurred on 8/7/94. I wrote to Mr. 
Ccllier for a transcript of the session and he replied that  he 
understood this was not to be released by the Lincoln Center, where the 
"so-called debate" took place. After considering the use of the Freedom 
of Information Act, an efficient lady at the Lincoln Center finally sent 
me a copy of a long review from "Transition" (Spring, 1995} by Andre 
Craddock-Willis. I wrote an article entitled "The Debate That Never 
Was", so far unpublished. As Craddock-Willis said, "Marsalis came to 
talk music", mainly criticizing Collier's books, and Collier "wanted 
Marsalis to answer to various charges made against the Lincoln Center 
Jazz Program, ranging from nepotism to racism to hostility to free 
jazz." The result was not a debate but an argumentative exchange of 
unanswered questions. A somewhat biased account appearaed in the 
12/12/94 "New Yorker".The best summary I know of came in" "The 
Economist", which, in a review of the same Collier book, suggested that 
" [Mr.Collier]...deserves to be answered not by bluster but by the 
passionate attention characteristic of jazz itself." Regards.
Fred
Butch Thompson wrote:

>For some reason, Nat Hentoff didn't mention that trombonist Jim Collier is
>none other than the writer James Lincoln Collier, whose work is somewhat
>controversial.  Some years ago, there was a debate in NYC between Collier
>and Wynton Marsalis.  Does anyone remember this, and if so, would that
>person fill us in on the details?
>
>Butch Thompson 
>  
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