[Dixielandjazz] Re: You think OKOM has a problem?

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/4/05 1:03:36 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
bhaesler at bigpond.net.au writes:

> Hey, hey, hey there Tom baby,
> You young blokes can be so arrogant about the music of your youth.
> And how dare you criticise Australia's Head of State!

I thought it came with the title and territory mate,  it's OK you blokes and 
burn our Bush in return, at least about 53 million of the criminals that came 
here from Merry Old England eons ago would chuckle and agree with you.   
Michael Moore might even include the dialog in one of his movies. :))

As an older person (born on 21 April 1926) she most certainly wouldn't know,
or give a toss, about the rock music of the 1970s. Although a little younger
than Her Majesty, I (20 April 1931) too have never heard of Brian May, Jimmy
Page or Jeff Beck. Nor need or want to.

That is kind of sad, since one would think that she would want to actually be 
informed and kept abreast of what has been happening in her Queendom since 
she is getting blamed for it all anyway :))
 
Taking this into proper perspective on a joking but serious level, I would 
say that the kids of today around the world have exactly the same attitude about 
OKOM (Never heard, nor need or want to).  About many of the stars we older 
kids enjoy.  I would venture to say however that Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Brian 
May and the others mentioned sure know who Louis Armstrong is and a great 
many other Jazz legends even though they may have like me discovered that they 
liked them and actually enjoyed their music after their fiftieth birthdays.  I 
think sometimes we older folks do indeed pass musical judgment on some of the 
rockers without really knowing them and or what influences they drew from to 
create "Their kind of Music" Some of those cats can play some great Jazz if they 
want to, and no doubt as they get older they will more than likely reach back 
and do so, just like I do.    

Being middle aged musicians is not a cool thing, We are too old for the 
Younger generations to embrace seriously, and too young to be accepted by the older 
generations especially if they find out we came from the world of Rock & 
Roll.  After all they are the ones that said it would never last as I recall.

Some OKOM acts like Steve Barbone and I are making some headway in playing to 
younger audiences, but you can bet it is not an easy task to get onto some of 
those shows, but once we get the Eye patches off the young Music Promoters 
magic happens and they find that the kids of today actually will and do embrace 
OKOM.  But like we keep saying we got to take it to them, and if they won't 
open the door right away, beat it down with a battering ram.  :))

OK. The name Eric Clapton rings a bell and I have heard OF Queen and Led
Zeppelin but can confidently say that I have never knowingly HEARD them.
But then, as most on the DJML already know, so far as 1920s-30s jazz and
blues are concerned, I am one-eyed - and have a patch over the other. Or so
they say here in Oz.

We don't hold that against you mate, because you are certainly entitled to 
like what ever tickles your own fancy, turns your crank or rings your bell.  
Some of us kids actually like and appreciate much of the same stuff, there is 
just so much of it that we have not yet discovered, and no doubt there were 
periods in our lives when we were or are just as one eyed about other genres of 
music.  Thankfully we have great folks like you and others on this list to keep 
the doors of musical appreciation education open wide so we can learn more 
about what we were not taught in our earlier days by many of your  generation's 
peers who had been entrusted to do so.  :))   I don't know what happened, 
perhaps it was because someone allowed RETIREMENT to become an occupation.

As for the Queen asking the aging rockers: "And what do you do?".
What a great put-down line!
8>)
Kind regards ole mate,
Bill. 


Now yes, I agree, probably the Best one she could ever think of and deliver 
with that dry Brit sense of humor.  ( was she kidding ? or was she not kidding) 
 Was there a twinkle in her eye as she asked?    :))

I see visions of one of us opening the door as our 17 year old daughter comes 
home and seeing her date (a 250 LB. 40 year old Hells Angel Motorcycle Gang 
member) Or worse Ozzy Osborne, and the only thing we can think of to be nice is 
to ask him and what do you do?  :))   


Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

P.S. I am having a new eye patch custom made for ye mate with a hole in the 
middle of it,
8>)