[Fwd: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Jamie Cullum or Rob McCallum?]

[Len Nielsen]

Dear Steve

I'm sitting here shaking my head. Your first 2 paragraphs boggle my
mind. You are the only one who is concerned about and discusses the
quality of your music and your line about not caring how OKOM people
view your music indicates that you did not even comprehend my statement.

In reference to "kids like Cullum" you say "Yet you and others disparage
them". We were discussing what effect his performance may have on
Dixieland Jazz not the quality of his performance. Presumably you did
not comprehend this either or maybe accuracy is not a priority in your
posts.

In my original post I made it quite clear that I was pleased with many
things that had to do with OKOM festivals and their music and your reply
was "Yes, totally agree". It hasn't taken you but a few days to forget
this statement and go right back to your usual rhetoric on this subject.

My personal observation of the festival scene is this. The Sun Valley,
Idaho festival is thriving, the Seaside, Oregon festival is thriving,
the Port Angeles Wash. festival attendance figures this year indicate
that it should be in great shape, the Penticton British Columbia
festival is growing each year and the people behind the Victoria BC
festival are working hard to reestablish the festival here, a festival
that has had 1 bad year in the last 23 years. All these festivals with
the exception of Port Angeles, which is totally Trad, play a variety of
OKOM and have done so for many years.

Unless you submit some meaningful statistics to support your doom and
gloom preaching I remain unconvinced. In other words, put up or shut up.

These are my last words on the subject.

It has been a slice.

Len Nielsen





Steve barbone wrote:
>  Len Nielsen <lennielsen at telus.net> wrote (polite snip)
> 
> 
>>I guess in future when you do an analysis of your group
>>and the quality of your performance and report your findings to the list
>>you will use Jamie Cullum as a comparative reference instead of OKOM
>>festivals and bands.
> 
> 
> Dear Len:
> 
> No, I will use my own good judgement and point you to list mate Rob McCallum
> who saw our group tonight (Aug 21) in a Buck's County Park Concert near
> Philadelphia. Rob is from Detroit and was visiting the area.
> 
> He would, no doubt, be pleased to report to you on the "quality of our
> performance." (or lack thereof) His email is <solarjazz at wideopenwest.com>
> and he'll be back home in a week or so. Other than that, I could care less
> how OKOM Festivals and bands view my music for I am not doing it for them.
> 
> Barbone Street has a written Mission Statement: "To Increase The Audience
> For Dixieland". The least productive place to accomplish that is at an OKOM
> Festival as most are presently operated.
> 
> It would also help you to figure out why and how Cullum helps jazz as I
> originally posted, if you read a little about him, and the audience that he
> is reaching. As for Dixieland audiences, there may be few left if not for
> kids like Cullum  and the others who seem to attract the young to JAZZ,
> OKOM, or AMERICAN SONGBOOK. Yet you and others disparage them. Why? Fear of
> the future, fear of change, or insecurity?
> 
> Plain & Simple. OKOM festivals, like many other musical offerings are dying
> in their present form. Some, like Sacramento, or the Baltimore Symphony are
> trying different approaches to reverse that trend. That is what my posts are
> all about. And whatever helps jazz, will also help our kind of jazz. It
> seems as if you still fail to grasp that.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve 
> 
> 
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