[Dixielandjazz] Where is the music going?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Well, guys and Gals:

This is indeed a very good question: Where is it Going??

I say it is going where ever we decide to take it, and the decision is 
entirely ours and should not be left up to anyone else.

Why?  Because the idiots in charge of hiring it and presenting it don't know 
their asses from a hole in the ground.

I just came back from a So called Smooth Jazz Concert at a local Shopping 
Mall presented by a major radio Station here in the San Francisco Bay Area 
purporting to be "THE SMOOTH JAZZ STATION" of the market.  

The headline act was an old friend of mine from the sixties, who I found 
strange to be playing a Smooth Jazz Show.  He did not play Smooth jazz at all but 
old rock songs from groups like Blue Cheer, Cream and Iron Butterfly, and the 
dumb ass from the radio station was standing beside me getting his groove on 
even if he was clapping off the beat, ha ha.

This clown would not know a jazz chord if it bit him in the ass, but he sold 
the bill of goods to the dumb twit shopping mall director who knows even less 
than he does about music of any kind and she was there trying to impress all 
her family and friends that she invited and introducing them to her famous 
Radio Station friend and jumping up and down to get an autograph from the artist.

I could be wrong but I don't think Inna Goda Davida and Sunshine of your Love 
 played at half volume from the original versions are Smooth Jazz Hits.  My 
friend whom I booked many a Rock show for back in the sixties was laughing all 
the way to the bank, and said if they want to call it Smooth Jazz it's OK with 
me I got a fat check and did my gig.

A short discussion with him and his current manager who used to work for me 
when we sold real music shows enjoyed a beer and lamented about how it used to 
be when we were in the music business and what a drag it is now to have to be 
in the advertising business to get a gig.

Worse yet was that the audience who came there expecting to hear Smooth Jazz 
did not know the difference either and gave the group a standing ovation, and 
that was not for elevator music I assure you.

So I guess the moral of the story is just book the gig and tell them it is 
whatever they think they want it to be and then show up and play OKOM, if it is 
good the audience will love it and henceforth call it Smooth Jazz.

Tonight's show was good for what it was, but sort of like serving doggie poop 
on graham crackers rather than the promised peanut butter.

Damned I feel old, been out to a concert and to dinner and got back home 
before 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, holy crud I must be a Senior Citizen.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins