[Dixielandjazz] "Trad" Jazz in the UK

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/27/04 4:39:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
arnieday at optonline.net writes:

> My question is, why is it so different in the USA, where it is hard to name 
> even one New Orleans/Chicago/ Dixieland/ Trad (whatever one wants to call 
> OKOM) which is well-known and plays all over the country, especially to packed 
> audiences in the same theatres which "pack them in" with opera, rock, country 
> music, Symphony Orchestras and Shakespeare companies?
> 
> Any thoughts?
> Arn
> 

Hi Arn:

In my opinion it is mostly because the so called Jazz societies secreted away 
the genre of music into private organizations for years, which contributed to 
the decline in attendance at nightclubs that had previously presented the 
music.  The results was great dissipation of the places to work and support the 
bands.    

Following this situation came the idea of reducing the budgets even further 
by organizing All-stars groups with only the star or featured players from many 
of the other formerly established acts that were being faced with fewer 
places to work as groups and less money available to support an entire band to tour 
etc.

Finally it got to the point that the Professional Promoters at the theaters 
and Dance Halls etc. could no longer draw a large enough audience to even 
promote the genre anymore due in part to the ever increasing costs for radio time, 
newspaper advertising posters etc.   combine this with the greater promotion 
of Rock and Country  music and the USA audiences began to diversify in larger 
and larger numbers as folks moved from one genre of music to the next NEW 
sound.   

We became a Radio driven controlled and manipulated society and the 
Traditional folks kept moving further into the suburbs and forming even more small 
groups and societies of their friends for private parties.  Eventually the mass 
audiences and media lost interest in the genre altogether and went where the 
masses and the advertising money was.

Most of the jazz societies adopted this private elitist attitude of only 
inviting their own membership and friends rather than continuing to pound the 
sidewalks to promote the music and attract new audiences.  By becoming specialist 
in the genre they actually segregated their own audiences and potential 
audiences by either driving them away or not even trying to entice them into 
becoming fans and members.

Now many of them are crying the blues for lack of memberships and attendance 
at their festivals and events, and it is a pretty simple situation, they did 
not and refused to change with the times as the rest of the culture did.  Hence 
so many folks stuck in the 1920s era and steadfastly refusing to believe that 
there was any music worth listening to since that era.

I am spending the evening watching a video of the Best of Spike Jones, weird 
for a kid who grew up on Rock & Roll.  I'll report my thoughts on it later 
this week.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins