[Dixielandjazz] Re: "Jazz" Festivals

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/2/03 8:41:33 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
rakmccallum at hotmail.com writes:

> I wonder if there may be something to the idea that a big yearly
> festival diminishes the potential throughout the rest of the year.  I don't
> really buy that argument, but it's certainly been made.
> 
> 

Hi Rob:

I don't think so at all, but it should act as a grand climax to many smaller 
events and situations to continually promote the music and the Big Festival 
all year long, everyone involved needs to CO-promote each other and keep the 
message in front of the ever-changing minds of the very Fickle public.  Even if 
they present a broader based variety of music, we must also attempt to embrace 
it for what it is and understand that the youth of every generation is going 
to want to do it their way.   

By constantly exposing new audiences to OKOM of all styles it will eventually 
influence those who embrace it, but will not force the older OKOM crowd to 
embrace Hip Hop or Rap by any means.  Just put them at opposite ends of the 
event and let em happen.  However putting Rap and total youth pop music on the 
same event as Jazz and other serious music forms is not the optimum solution.  
Primarily because the Rap audience will indeed draw a definite unwanted element 
of society that will never mix with the so called Establishment, therefore 
they should have their own events and promoters who are brave enough to deal with 
that medium.   

It is more trouble than it is worth and the risk of life and the pursuit of 
profit and sanity is beyond redemption. :)   Kind of like walking into a den of 
Rattlesnakes barefoot and trusting that  one will not bite you.

Detroit has long been famous for it's Motown sound and Blues, so I can 
understand the lack of Jazz and OKOM around that market.  You definitely have a 
tough way to go to promote it up to profitable levels.  Since Detroit has been a 
Blue Collar working class kind of market for as long as I can remember it 
stands to reason that the musical tastes of the masses tends to lean towards dance 
music and Blues, R&B and pop.  Berry Gordy brought the world a lot of great 
Black music from those streets, and two of my former deceased acts came from 
Detroit, John Lee Hooker, and Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, along with Martha 
and The Vandellas, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, 
The Temptations and countless others.

   Nothing to be ashamed of by any means the city has a very rich history of 
musical contributions embraced by the World, and you can bet that these acts 
at one time or another were influenced by OKOM, they just did it their way and 
changed it as they went.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins