Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re:WHERE DO WE DRAW THE OKOM LINE?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/18/04 1:07:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time, DWSI at aol.com 
writes:
All comments appreciated.

Dan (piano fingers)  Spink
___________________________
(Impolite Snip I am sure)____________________
> Listmates:
> 
> Somehow we have gotten off the original  track but it's probably my fault.

Yep, and so glad to see you step up and take the blame :)  
 I 
> 
> first asked the question, (where do we  draw the OKOM line?), 

And you immediately got the reply that we draw it at DIXIELAND because there 
simply ain't no other kind of music worth listenting to.  
That of course started the keyboard  world  musical war  #9754867645 and 
counting, :) 

thinking we > might agree  ( Ha Ha Agree, Have you lost your ever lovin Jazz 
> Mind?) on a time period or  range of artists to include or exclude. I see now 
> that was foolish of  me.

 I cansee the grin on your face all the way to Cali for Nye A, :)

> 
> The real issue I see more clearly now  is what do audiences EXPECT when we 
> use the terms, "jazz," or "Dixieland  jazz," or any other variation of a 
> jazz 
> term. 

I would step out onthat perverbial limb here and say that the audience 
EXPECTS to hear pretty much whatever they grew up hearing and believing was JAZZ, 
especially those unwashed ears that have not much idea of the different genres 
of Jazz that even exist.

We often keep forgetting that most of  the audience does not eat sleep and 
drink music like we do, many of them just go to Jazz festivals to see and be 
seen and because somebody told them it was a cool thing to do.  If they actually 
find and like some of the music they get exposed to they then will relate that 
to Jazz the next time they hear the word.

Their expectations of the  music they will hear obviously decides their > 
> interest in listening or attending  or not. In New York, the term "jazz" 
> almost 
> always comes down to an expectation  of cool jazz or a Bebop style.

That is because that is the kind of Jazz that has been predominately thrust 
upon the New York audiences for several generations.   All the older Dixieland 
Audience retired and moved to Florida many years ago, or that odius 
alternative which caused them to cease to with us on this planet.

 Yes, there > are exceptions but apparently the only  way to generate 
> interest in more 
> traditional jazz is to hold those festivals to  Hell and gone in Gulliford 
> CT 
> (which is not New York City.)

Nope, To Generate some interest in New York City, SOMBODY has to organize 
such a Festival in New York City, or get whoever is promoting Jazz in New York to 
re-introduce OKOM to their audience and expand it's base as well.  Don't Look 
for Clear Channel to do it.

> 
> My question should have been: How can we  influence more people to listen to 
> 
> OKOM based on what we call it? What terms would open their collective hearts 
> 
> and minds?

Now you bring out the trick question:  :)

Well not to beat a dead horse, especially in Barbone country, but "WE"  each 
and every one of us has to get out and find ways to take the music to ANY 
AUDIENCE we can put it in front of, and trust that they will like what they hear 
and embrace it, and a good many of them will if it is performed well.

I believe Louis and Buddy and Jelly had much the same problem when they 
brought along this new music, they found a large hungry audience looking for 
something new, and all the decendants of those audiences are still doing the same 
thing folks, we gotta go find them and show em where it's AT.

They can't come to Dixieland Festivals, because they don't know what it is 
and have no idea where to find it for the most part, Heck most of them can't 
even Spell it.   It has to be Mass marketed again to catch on and replace Rap.

Go get em gang.
> 
> Cheers,

Tom Wiggins
Dan is such a trouble maker,   I think that's his day gig, :)