[Dixielandjazz] politically correct?

[Stan Brager]

Great answer, Tom. If we were to be politically correct at all times, I
don't know if there would be any song which could be played with the
possible exception of "Chickery Chick". But, then again, a chicken rancher
might be upset.

When I had my own show on radio, I didn't consider the racial content of the
music and no one ever took offense with songs as diverse as "Snowball", "Red
Wing", "Black Girl" and "Love For Sale".

Stan
Stan Brager
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: <Cebuisle2 at aol.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] politically correct?


> Having played professionally for forty plus years I pride myself as a
> bandleader in being able to program any given gig with the appropriate
> songs suitable for all audiences and if there is some Johnny come
> lately wannabe politically correct twit in the audience who is too
> ignorant to understand the historical and Traditional values of a great
> song then as far as I am concerned they can just be offended.  As they
> are obviously politically incorrect in being at the event in the first
> place.
>
>   I also have an almost all Black ( not African) American Band and I
> have never had a problem form one of them regarding not wanting to play
> a song.    However I have not asked them to play DIXIE yet, :))   That
> one might raise a stink.   To not play a beautiful tune like Black and
> Blue would be a great disservice to the songwriter, and the same with
> Darktown Strutters Ball which I believe was written for Hookers, and
> not racial at all.  If one Black person in the audience complained
> about us playing Black and Blue I would follow it up with "We Shall
> Overcome" and dedicate it to my new found offended fan, and save
> "Mammy" for the encore.  :))
>
> As I said it is only a twit that has to try and be politically correct,
> people of all races are funny and the cultural differences make it that
> way, I have often been in the company of some so called high brow
> highly educated politically correct affirmative action PHDs at Black
> social events, and witnessed them slip right into the Ghetto
> communication mode calling each other MF and using  the N word freely
> amongst themselves.   Political correctness is mainly trotted out when
> someone wants to call extra attention to themselves and play the RACE
> CARD.  Happens all the time, and quite often these same folks are
> irritating to the others in the room who do not subscribe to such
> nonsense.    "Nigger is not a Color"   it is an attitude, and disease
> which can and does afflict all manner of folks.  :))   African is not a
> color, but "Black" is and so is White, Yellow, and Red, Pink and Brown,
> and people come in all colors, I have even seen Blue Men on television.
> :))
>
> Now the ugliest word know is "Politician"
>
> Musical content:  "Don't Scandalize my Name"  and, "Play that Funky
> Music White Boy"
>
> cheers,
>
> Tom Wiggins
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cebuisle2 at aol.com
> To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Sent: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 22:23:17 EDT
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] politically correct?
>
>    Hello I
>
> How does one keep political correctness out of jazz performances today?
> I
> enjoyed Rick Knittel's description of a jazz funeral he played. The
> deceased had
>
>   a special fondness for the "Darktown Strutters Ball"  which is one of
> my
> favorites also. Our occasion was a "freebie" for the United Way
> banquet.  (more
> on "freebies" later)   I suggested playing the "Strutters"  (heck, I
> had put
> the group together a year earlier) and the clarinetist  immediately
> objected as
> there was an African-American in the room. We weren't  planning to sing
> it-just play it. I scratched the song from the set.
>
> How do you active musicians handle this? Do you toss all tunes that
> have any
> racial connotation "Black and Blue": comes to mind - along with a whole
>  host
> of jazz standards used by Bessie Smith et.al.
>
> Just wondering------
>
>
>
> Tradjazz
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