[Dixielandjazz] Top 10 Reasons--decline of Dixieland Jazz

[John Farrell]

I'm with Bill Gunter on this - no matter which way you slice it the
Dixieland genre does not have the mass appeal enjoyed by pop music. That is
an incontrovertible fact. It has been suggested that this state of affairs
could be changed by employing a professional publicist to win the hearts and
minds of the public, I do not believe that for one moment, it is wishful
thinking.

When I first read the book entitled "They All Played Ragtime" I came across
a chapter heading which read "Convince a man against his will, he's of the
same opinion still". That statement is also an undeniable fact. No amount of
coaxing, persuading, bullying or cajoling is going to make a person embrace
music which does not appeal to him. This is particularly true of the young
who like to be part of the herd, to listen to all the latest pop music and
to wear the current trendy clothes and haircuts.

It has been pointed out that bands such as Steve Barbone's get plenty of
work because he hustles for it, the inference being that if all other OKOM
bands followed Steve's example the popularity of jazz would revive. With the
greatest of respect to Steve, he has told us many times of how his audience
enjoy his bead-throwing, jokiness and other assorted hoopla none of which
have any bearing at all on the quality of music played by his band. We have
also heard how much in demand his band is in the Philadelphia area - but how
many people in San Francisco have heard of it? Or Seattle? Or New Orleans?
Or Dallas? etc. etc. It might be true that Steve has popularised his type of
presentation in his own backyard but he has certainly not popularised jazz
per se widely.

Jazz music, without the funny hats and striped vests and all,  has to be
accepted for what it is by a significant percentage of the CD buying public
before it can be described as being popular. I cannot see that happening in
the foreseeable future.

Running for cover,

John Farrell
stridepiano at tesco.net
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>
To: <csuhor at zebra.net>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 5:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Top 10 Reasons--decline of Dixieland Jazz


> Hi Charles,
>
> You offered:
>
> >Top 10 Reasons for the Decline of Dixieland Jazz
>
> No need to fret about why Dixieland has declined.
>
> There is but 1 reason . . . it ain't popular.
>
> I recognize that there are little enclaves around the world where
dixieland
> is played and appreciated but the truth is that Dixieland is no longer
> popular.
>
> Rap is popular
> Country is popular
> Hard rock and roll is popular
> trad jazz is not.
>
> There are jazz clubs all over the country which hold monthly meetings and
> little jazz bands go and play for a few bucks at the Sunday sessions and
the
> club members get to enjoy another dose of the music that was popular in
> their youth.
>
> They are now slowly but surely dying and there is nobody to replace them
> BECAUSE THE MUSIC IS NOT CURRENTLY POPULAR. That's why jazz clubs keep
> running into deeper and deeper financial problems. The people who pay the
> dues to support the monthly activities are diminishing. Not a month goes
by
> that one of 'em doesn't head for the big jam in the sky.
>
> Say what you will about youth scholarships and jazz camps. Point to youth
> bands and say "There's the hope for dixieland in the future."  Alas, it is
> all for naught. As soon as the jazz camp is over and the kids are home
with
> their peers it's back to Eminem and P. Diddy.  Point to the kids that pile
> into the microbrewery in great numbers to listen to your band play and say
> "There's the hope for dixieland." Sorry, that's what is called an anomaly
> and you can be sure that none of them will go to a jazz society session to
> hear more of the same. Look at the CDs in their recording collections and
> see how much trad jazz is there (I'll wager "zero" - except for the CD of
> yours they bought at the microbrewery and to which they never listen).
>
> The ONLY way dixieland can reverse the tide and start expanding instead of
> diminishing is for it to become POPULAR.  What are the odds that's gonna
> happen (less than the odds of winning the state lottery).
>
> There is no denying the reality - we play and listen to the music we love.
> When we die there's nobody to replace us with the enthusiasm, drive, and
> compulsions to seek out jazz dives and infuse the youth of today with a
> desire to embrace the genre.
>
> Unless you can somehow push a magic button and suddenly make the music a
> representation of youthful rebellion against old mouldy outmoded musical
> forms dixieland will go nowhere!
>
> Enjoy it while you can . . . time is running out.
>
> Actually we're all extremely fortunate. We've managed to keep "OUR MUSIC"
> alive for us far longer than most youth today will be able to keep their
> music alive for them in their old age.
>
> As a side observation on this phenomenon, if you have a business that has
> become plagued with groups of youthful punks hanging around and driving
away
> customers, start playing dixieland on your P.A. system and the young punks
> willl leave instantly.  Is that pathetic or what!!!
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Bill "Not immortal" Gunter
> jazzboard at hotmail.com
>
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