[Dixielandjazz] Jazz amputees

[Jazzjerry@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/1/03 7:18:30 PM, drjz@bealenet.com writes:

<< "Jazz and Death, Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats", >>

Fred,

You mean to say this book exists! I thought the thing was a sick joke. What 
the hell does it matter how a jazz musician died except that you ain't gonna 
hear his or her play again! If a musician gets killled in a car crash, drinks 
themselves to death, throws themselves out of a hotel bedroom in Amsterdam or 
simply dies peacefully in bed at the age of 104 then this might have some 
interest to the insanely morbid but death only affects musicianship in one 
way - it ends.  

What happens to someone when they are alive happens to be more important and 
to a certain extent I can see more sense in the article and discussion which 
your original message evoked. Anything which helps or encourages people with 
any form of disability to follow a particular chosen career is to be 
applauded. Maybe someone should have changed the subject heading to 'Jazz 
musicians with disabilities'?

Interesting enough I detect more than a hint of homophobia in your following 
quotation, ""Perverse Sexual Habits of Well-known Classical Composers" is 
already being met in part--Tchaikovsky's homosexuality is now well known. You 
may be interested in a book by John
Gill--"Queer Noises. Male and Female Homosexuality in Twentieth Century 
Music".

Are you suggesting that homosexuality is a 'perverse sexual habit'? 

Cheers,

Jerry,
Norwich,
U.K.