[Dixielandjazz] realistic future for Dixieland jazz

[Jazzjerry at aol.com]

In a message dated 30/7/03 12:04:48 am, jazzboard at hotmail.com writes:


> But (this is "but" number 2) there is no way anyone can INCREASE the public
> desire to tool around in a horse and buggy!
> 

How about increasing the tax on gasoline to a level whereby the Americans 
will have to stop being the worlds greatest generators of greenhouse gases?

But in the case of Dixieland or Traditional jazz there is a way which the 
audience could be increased. Firstly younger musicians. Most of the bands, 
particularly in the States but also in the UK are old enough to be grandparents, but 
in some parts of Europe and also in the UK there are bands of young players 
who play 'the old stuff' with verve and drive. This is what happened 50 years 
ago when 'dixieland' and 'trad' jazz was thought to be dead in the face of the 
onslaught of big bands and 'popular' singers and we had a 'boom' with bands in 
the hit parade in the UK and large audiences. I admit that the chances are 
slim of this happening again but it is possible. 

>From what I have read it was thought that bluegrass music was finished but a 
new generation of musicians have taken it on board and it is again popular.

I do not thing that jazz, particularly the sort we like, will ever be 'top of 
the pops' unless some major entertainment corporation thinks that a eight 
piece band playing "Mabel's Dream" a la KOCJB with added vocal is worth plugging 
or a young glamorous female Sidney Bechet 'sound-a-like' wins one of these 
awful TV 'find a star' progrqammes but thast is not to say that the music cannot 
become more popular than it is now. 

Cheers,

Jerry,
Norwich,
U.K.