[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 8, Issue 34

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/22/03 12:12:08 PM Pacific Daylight Time, DWSI at aol.com 
writes:

> read The Future Of 
> Jazz, a collection of essays by noted authorities and performers including 
> Ted 
> Gioia. They don't have a clue as to where it's going.
> Dan (piano fingers) Spink
> 
> 

Hi Dan.

Then me thinks they are all wrong again,

 In my opinion, all one has to do is listen to the pop driven radio and one 
can see that it continues as it almost always has since it was first played  
"In Circles"  albeit sometimes in ever larger circles.   we just have to wait 
for our part of the circle to come around again, or do what many jazz players 
are doing now, reinvent ourselves.  As much as most folks on the DJML list claim 
to hate Smooth Jazz, if you listen to what is coming out today you will hear 
definite elements of previous Jazz and R&B and Rock and often just plain new 
arrangements and tempos of old hits.

Rap being the exception of course!  I will never be ready for that drivel, 
and the reason I think most kids are into it is because it was served up to them 
in lieu of real music by the major Record companies who deserve to die the 
death they are currently having.

This will create many wonderful opportunities for artists to take back 
control of their music and make money on it at the same time.  I have preached for 
twenty years or more that nobody really needs a Major Record Label to sell 
their music.

I also put my money where my mouth was and launched a label full of Major 
label rejects that sold over three million dollars worth of records in 22 months, 
breaking all the rules of the game and the Major Record Labels.

The Internet offers endless opportunities to market your products direct to 
the consumers, and let us not forget that most of the records sold by the major 
labels are sold mail order to their Record Club members at Retail prices, by 
passing the distributor and the retail store, and to make it worse they pay 
absolutely no royalties to the artists for those sales.

Maybe John Cage was right.  Any sound is really music. 
To John Q Public's untrained or unexposed ear he is correct, after all much 
of it started as sticks beating on logs, which caused folks to dance.  In Iraq 
folks will dance if someone starts beating on a garbage can, and or pots and 
pans, the hood or trunk of a car or anything else.  Music is actually quite 
primitive in nature, it is only the frustrated musician who has a never ending 
desire to make it better as long as it is according to our ears and 
interpretation.


Cheers,

Tom Wiggins
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band