[Dixielandjazz] Is Miles Davis Jazz?

Wed, 1 Jan 2003 18:25:38 EST

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In a message dated 1/1/03 4:06:28 PM Central Standard Time, 
barbonestreet@earthlink.net writes:

> What is important, is that his album, "Kind of Blue", cut in 1959 or so
> has been the top selling JAZZ album (as categorized by whomever else
> exists besides us in the world of jazz) for many, if not all of the
> years since then. It is certainly, I think, the top selling jazz record
> for the period 1959 to 2003. In spite of that, many might quote the
> opening song from that album and say "So What".
> 
> So What, indeed.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone

   Right...I'll come in with my, "So what."   Let me ask the gallery...how 
many people will be buying Miles Davis recordings 50 years from today.  I'll 
venture to say, not many.  Many of them are trite and boring.
One the other hand all of Louis Armstrong's recordings are out there and 
available.  More and more people are buying Armstrong's recordings.  Why? 
...because every one of them is a gem.  Every one swings and is very musical. 
They are full of joy and good feelings while at the same time expressing the 
deeper angst of life. They transcend time and period.

If Miles Davis's recording "Kind of blue" is the top selling jazz recording 
of all time, does this indicate anything of an artistic accomplishment, given 
the increasing moronification of american society?  I don't think so.  Take a 
look at the top selling records in general over the years.  Most of them are 
horrid crap.  Especially so in the more recent years.

I'm not making these statements to knock MIles Davis. He was an accomplished 
musician and I have a certain respect for him from something he told me 
during one brief encounter when I happened to meet him once in 1952-53.  But 
the relentless promotion from Miles himself, his record company and the 
brainwashed jazz media have placed him on a pedestal he doesn't deserve.

Jim Beebe

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<HTML>In a message dated 1/1/03 4:06:28 PM Central Standard Time, barbonestreet@earthlink.net writes: 
 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">What is important, is that his album, "Kind of Blue", cut in 1959 or so 
has been the top selling JAZZ album (as categorized by whomever else 
exists besides us in the world of jazz) for many, if not all of the 
years since then. It is certainly, I think, the top selling jazz record 
for the period 1959 to 2003. In spite of that, many might quote the 
opening song from that album and say "So What". 
 
So What, indeed. 
 
Cheers, 
Steve Barbone</BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; Right...I'll come in with my, "So what."&nbsp;&nbsp; Let me ask the gallery...how many people will be buying Miles Davis recordings 50 years from today.&nbsp; I'll venture to say, not many.&nbsp; Many of them are trite and boring. 
One the other hand all of Louis Armstrong's recordings are out there and available.&nbsp; More and more people are buying Armstrong's recordings.&nbsp; Why? ...because every one of them is a gem.&nbsp; Every one swings and is very musical. They are full of joy and good feelings while at the same time expressing the deeper angst of life. They transcend time and period. 
 
If Miles Davis's recording "Kind of blue" is the top selling jazz recording of all time, does this indicate anything of an artistic accomplishment, given the increasing moronification of american society?&nbsp; I don't think so.&nbsp; Take a look at the top selling records in general over the years.&nbsp; Most of them are horrid crap.&nbsp; Especially so in the more recent years. 
 
I'm not making these statements to knock MIles Davis. He was an accomplished musician and I have a certain respect for him from something he told me during one brief encounter when I happened to meet him once in 1952-53.&nbsp; But the relentless promotion from Miles himself, his record company and the brainwashed jazz media have placed him on a pedestal he doesn't deserve. 
 
Jim Beebe</HTML>

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