[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Fans

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/2/04 10:50:16 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> 
> Here is what trumpeter Max Kaminski said about the state of jazz so 50
> years ago: (QUOTE)
> 
> "It came out of the raw stuff of life but Jazz, like Dr. Frankenstein,
> had all unwittingly created a monster in its own image. . . the jazz
> addict . . . who, in becoming all hopped up about . . . its significance
> as an art form very nearly snuffed the life out of it. . . Jazz no
> longer belonged to the musicians and the dancers. It was taken over lock
> stock and barrel by the fans, the addicts, the record collectors, the
> amateur critics, the promoters . . . the lecturers, the writers. These
> were the people who now decided what was jazz and what wasn't, who
> dictated how it should be played and upon what instrument, and specified
> who could or could not play jazz."
> 
> Perhaps that is why most jazz fans today are not particularly OKOM jazz
> fans.
> 
> 

He was correct then and the words still ring true today.  

These folks all got together and talked to each other and left out the most 
important people in the Pie, the ticket buyers and the musicians they were 
buying tickets to hear and see.

They poisoned the public's opinion as to what Jazz IS as we want it to be.  
The promoters started catering to the self appointed critics to get press and 
media attention for their events, and the critics and the addicts of the mutual 
admiration authority society that they formed took over the Jazz world and 
what the public was fed and still is fed.    These folks took over promting Jazz 
and it's events and put forth only what they wanted to hear and nurtured 
while ignoring the Golden Goose that had been laying the golden eggs.   The 
eventually starved the Goose almost to death.

The musicians started following their advise and changed the sounds of Jazz 
and consequently took a viable business industry spiraling downwards to where 
it today represents less than 2% of all music sold, just below the Other 
Category and Spoken Word.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins