[Dixielandjazz] "Smooth Jazz', etc.
Harold Smith
s3856lpa at webtv.net
Thu Aug 10 17:41:04 PDT 2006
Listmastes,
Messrs. Ringwald, Edgerton, and Barbone have brought in the topic of "Elevator Music" and/or "Smooth Jazz". I think everyone just about agrees that we "real jazz" lovers are basically purists who do not respect and easily tolerate the phonyness of junk that is distilled into so-called (but quite ersatz) "jazz". It's kinda like the sewage treatment systems in our respective towns.
To paraphrase a famous observer, H. L. Mencken,
nobody ever went broke underestimating American musical intelligence, and thus we have the popularity of such music, and other related types, such as Nashvilee Country, Rock & Roll, and its progeny, Grunge, Punk, Rap, blah, blah.
People today simply do not comprehend a swinging beat, artistic creativity, instrumental virtuosity, harmonic inventiveness, lovely orchestrations, etc. And, folks, if they don't get, they lock it out or put it down.
Of course, to understand my pessimism, you have to also understand that I live in an area that is a musical Dodo-land. To most of the gentle folks around here, Karaoke is state-of-the- art, and humming along to the awful music piped in to the Supermarket is about equal to a concert at Lincoln Center.
Who, I ask, will save us? Well, it ain't gonna be American Idol.
Regards.
Harold
-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 7:20 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 44, Issue 16
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Today's Topics:
1. RE: Chris Botti (Hal Vickery)
2. Elevator Music - Jazz? (Steve Barbone)
3. Bix Festival (Lowell Busching)
4. Re: Chris Botti (pat ladd)
5. RE: Chris Botti (Ron L'Herault)
6. Re: New Hot Jazz Channel radio show (Bob Shoring)
7. Re: Elevator Music - Jazz? (Robert S. Ringwald)
8. Re: Chris Botti (Steve Barbone)
9. Re: Bix Festival -- Miles & bix (Robert S. Ringwald)
10. RE: Elevator Music - Jazz? (Edgerton, Paul A)
11. Re: Chris Botti (Gluetje1 at aol.com)
12. Re: Elevator Music - Jazz? (Robert S. Ringwald)
13. WINE and JAZZ (Janie McCue Lynch)
14. ok boys, let's settle this fussin' (billsharp)
15. Re: Bix Festival (Mike)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:20:34 -0500
From: "Hal Vickery" <hvickery at svs.com>
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <000601c6bcb2$0e04bd30$61a00f18 at half3c5e1da4be>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Is this the guy who did the PBS pledge drive special where they showed a
bunch of ocean scenes etc. with his music in the background (although I
remember seeing him playing, so I may be thinking of two different shows.
Whatever the case, I've heard him on TV, and he's a sure cure for insomnia.
Hal Vickery
-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Robert S.
Ringwald
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 1:46 PM
To: DJML
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
In my opinion, so called Smooth Jazz is nothing more than elevator music.
Like Rock & so-called modern day C&W (which is nothing more than early
rock), it is foisted on the American public. They hear it so much
everywhere that they start thinking that it is good. It is not. It should
not even be called jazz as there is nothing creative about it.
I am not suggesting that you don't go to the concert as maybe you will like
it.
I suggest that you go ride some elevators for a while. If you like the
music in them, maybe "Smooth Jazz" is for you.
--Bob Ringwald
----- Original Message -----
From: <dixielandtom at comcast.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 2:17 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
>I am looking for suggestions. Chris Botti is bringing his smooth jazz to
>Northern California this month. My interest is mostly TRAD and OKUM but
>would hate to miss someone of exceptional ability. I enjoyed the technique
>of Arturo Sandoval but my ears were not in tune for his play list. Please
>give me your suggestions. Tom Bengtsson Pleasanton, California
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
_______________________________________________
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------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:36:58 -0400
From: Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Elevator Music - Jazz?
To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <C101031A.6A4F%barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Bob Ringwald's take on about elevator music and jazz is interesting. The
following article was written 3 years ago by a Japanese man, who has an
American girlfriend. If he is correct, then most Americans don't even really
hear elevator music. (or jazz in its pure forms) It is just a wash of
rhythmic background. Though written in 2003, this article brings more
questions than answers.
My take is that Mr. Suematsu is right in his contention that Americans have
trouble grasping abstracts like the current avant garde jazz, indeed, avant
garde music of any genre and/or very modern paintings etc. And that they do
not "hear" Chris Botti or Kenny G. What the hear is the rhythm pulse, or if
they see them live, they see the "presentation" music looks "jazzy".
So Chris, Kenny, David, and all the other smoothies make long green on
camera, but hopefully jam a bit on their own.
BTW, I also think that while much of the article is valid, I strongly
disagree with the last paragraph. IMO, The are many jazz musicians who bring
something "new" to the table even though they are playing an older musical
form.
Cheers,
Steve Barbone
Why Americans Don't Like Jazz: By Dyske Suematsu | Sep-17-03
The current market share of Jazz in America is mere 3 percent. And, that
includes all the great ones like John Coltrane and the terrible ones like
Kenny G. There are many organizations and individuals like Winton Marsalis
who are tirelessly trying to revive the genre, but it does not seem to be
working. Why is this? Is there some sort of bad chemistry between the
American culture and Jazz? As ironic as it may be, I happen to believe so.
The other day, I was having a conversation with my girlfriend about the new
TV commercial by eBay where a chubby lady sings and dances to an
appropriated version of "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. They entirely re-wrote
the lyrics, and, instead of "my way", she sings, "eBay". I said to my
girlfriend, "They did a really god job in adapting the original song." Then
she had a sudden revelation: "Ah, that's why I like it so much!" She
actually did not realize that it was based on Sinatra's song.
My girlfriend and I have always known how differently we listen to music. I
tend to entirely ignore lyrics, while she tends to entirely ignore music. We
are two opposite ends of the spectrum in this sense. I often would remark to
people how I like a particular song, and my friends would look at me like I
am crazy. After a careful listening of the same song again, I realize that
the lyrics are shamefully tacky. The opposite happens often too where many
of my friends love a particular song, and I can't understand what is good
about it until I pay attention to the lyrics.
The eBay example is an extreme case where, stripped of the lyrics, she had
nothing to recognize it by. Change the lyrics, it is an entirely different
song to her. But it would be the other way around with me. I would be less
likely to notice that the lyrics have been changed. With the eBay tune, I
only noticed it because she sings aloud, "eBay". If it weren't for that, I
probably wouldn't have noticed that the lyrics were rewritten.
My girlfriend and I represent convenient stereotypes of the Americans and
the Japanese in terms of our musical orientations. I know why the Japanese
love Jazz so much. Since we grew up listening to songs in various foreign
languages (especially English), in essence, half of what we hear commonly is
instrumental. When you don't understand what the singer is saying, he/she
might as well be just another musical instrument. Most Japanese people have
no idea what the songs are about when they are listening to Madonna, Michael
Jackson, or Britney Spears. Our ears are trained to listen to instrumental
music. This is in fact true with most other countries where they cannot
escape the dominance of American popular music.
On the other hand, especially with the advent of music videos, the American
ears are getting lazier and lazier. Not so long ago in Western history, most
people knew how to play a musical instrument or two. Now the vast majority
couldn't tell the difference between a saxophone and a trumpet. The American
culture is so visually dominant that given a piece of music without anything
visual associated with it, most people's eyes wander around nervously, just
like the way a nervous speaker doesn't know what to do with his hands. In
the USA, music cannot stand on its own. It must tag along with something
visual. Otherwise, people would not know what to do with it.
And, it is not just the visual dominance and the under-developed ears that
are problems. The American audience does not know what to do with the
concept of abstraction. They do not see or hear something for what it is;
they have to symbolically interpret it. The value lies only in the
interpretation, not in what it is. Even though aesthetically there are no
significant differences between a painting of, say, Mark Rothko and one of
Monet, the former is utterly unacceptable for many people while they
consider the latter to be a master. The difference is that in Monet's
paintings, you can still see things represented in them: rivers, trees,
mountains, houses, and so forth. The viewers interpret these objects, and
project the beauty of nature unto the paintings, which makes it easy to
appreciate them. Given a painting by Mark Rothko, there is nothing they can
mentally grasp on to. The minds that are incapable of grasping things beyond
interpretations, do not know what to do when nothing is represented in what
they see, i.e., when there is nothing to interpret. In Rothko's paintings,
there is nothing more to them than what they are. If you cannot accept them
as what they are, they completely elude you.
The same happens to instrumental music. If there are no lyrics, if there is
nothing for the minds to interpret, projecting of any emotional values
becomes rather difficult. On the other hand, as soon as the lyrics speak of
love, sex, racism, evil corporations, loneliness, cops, etc., suddenly all
sorts of emotions swell up. Jazz to most people is like a color on a wall;
unless you hung something on it, they don't even notice it.
On top of all these problems, Jazz has its own problems. The form of Jazz no
longer has anything compelling to offer. If you push the form too far, what
you get is Cecil Taylor. Although I love his music, I'm not sure if I would
call it Jazz. Other than the symbolic similarity of instruments and the fact
that it is improvisational, his music has nothing in common with the
stylistic structure of Jazz. (Also the fact that he is Black is another
superficial resemblance.) To call something Jazz just because it uses the
instruments commonly used in Jazz, and because it is improvised, would
broaden the definition of the term so much to the point that it would lose
its meaning. Jazz, in this sense, did not die. What died is not the musical
spirit of Jazz, but the word "Jazz", and nothing else. The word "Jazz"
should be dead, because we have already moved on. Those who insist on
playing "Jazz" in the traditional stylistic sense of the word are equivalent
to those who reenact Civil War as a recreation. There is nothing wrong with
having a little fun, but don't expect to make any compelling artistic
statement through it. Playing "Jazz" is not playing music; it's playing
musicology.
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:58:01 -0500
From: Lowell Busching <verbose at daktel.com>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bix Festival
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <44DB8FC9.4020408 at daktel.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
I enjoyed the music at this years Bix Festival especially with the All
Star mostly East Coast musicians brought in by Randy Sandke and Matt
Domber of Arbor Records. Both groups included a "host" of stellar
players, whatever that phrase means. Whatever it means, they were good.
The highlight of the weekend for me though was a question brought up to
the final symposium hosted by Randy himself with a number of Bix
experts. Among other questions, one of the younger members of the
audience present, asked the historians and other experts present on
stage if there was any evidence that Miles Davis was ever influenced by
Bix?
I forget what the answers were. The question was enough. I had to leave
about that time. :-)
Does anyone on the list want to handle that question?
Mad Dawg
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:58:27 +0100
From: "pat ladd" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
To: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Cc: jazz <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <001001c6bcb7$58b853f0$0c00a8c0 at Patpc>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
reply-type=original
BTW, great music to make love by when the lights are low, you've shared a
bottle of California Cabernet and your companion has dreamy eyes.>>
Great memory you have Steve. Pity about your taste in wine.
Heh! Heh!
Pat
--
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:25:12 -0400
From: "Ron L'Herault" <lherault at bu.edu>
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
To: "'pat ladd'" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
Cc: 'jazz' <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <002301c6bcbb$151239a0$14d4299b at busdm801ron>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Indeed, mes amis, to make ze real amour, you must have ze French wine,
no?
8-)
Ron L'Herault
-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of pat ladd
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 3:58 PM
To: Steve Barbone
Cc: jazz
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
BTW, great music to make love by when the lights are low, you've shared
a
bottle of California Cabernet and your companion has dreamy eyes.>>
Great memory you have Steve. Pity about your taste in wine.
Heh! Heh!
Pat
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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09/08/2006
_______________________________________________
Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:38:03 -0700
From: Bob Shoring <bobshoring at california.com>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: New Hot Jazz Channel radio show
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <44DB992B.8060008 at california.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Thanks Brian, for posting about the internet radio station at:
www.radiojazz.co.uk
I am lisening as we speak and it is great!
Regards,
Bob Shoring
San Francisco, California, USA
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:45:03 -0700
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Elevator Music - Jazz?
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <010601c6bcbd$e5dacb40$6402a8c0 at Bob>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Steve Barbone wrote that his take on Mr. Suematsu's comments (article below)
is that "Americans don't even really hear elevator music."
I believe this is true. I can be in a crowde of people and the only ones
that hear the background music are the musicians in the crowd.
I often question people as to the song that is being played in the
background at the particular mmoment, (that is unless it is so-called
"Smooth Jazz" which has no definable tune). The only ones who are aware of
is playing in the background are the musicians in the crowd.
Otherwise, the elevator music in the background is like an anoying hum or
buzz from a fan or refrigator. You don't notice that it is bothering you
until it goes off. Then you say, "Whew."
How about we come up with another name for "Smooth Jazz?" It is an
abomination to label it with the word Jazz.
--Bob Ringwald
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 12:36 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Elevator Music - Jazz?
> Bob Ringwald's take on about elevator music and jazz is interesting. The
> following article was written 3 years ago by a Japanese man, who has an
> American girlfriend. If he is correct, then most Americans don't even
> really
> hear elevator music. (or jazz in its pure forms) It is just a wash of
> rhythmic background. Though written in 2003, this article brings more
> questions than answers.
>
> My take is that Mr. Suematsu is right in his contention that Americans
> have
> trouble grasping abstracts like the current avant garde jazz, indeed,
> avant
> garde music of any genre and/or very modern paintings etc. And that they
> do
> not "hear" Chris Botti or Kenny G. What the hear is the rhythm pulse, or
> if
> they see them live, they see the "presentation" music looks "jazzy".
>
> So Chris, Kenny, David, and all the other smoothies make long green on
> camera, but hopefully jam a bit on their own.
>
> BTW, I also think that while much of the article is valid, I strongly
> disagree with the last paragraph. IMO, The are many jazz musicians who
> bring
> something "new" to the table even though they are playing an older musical
> form.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> Why Americans Don't Like Jazz: By Dyske Suematsu | Sep-17-03
>
> The current market share of Jazz in America is mere 3 percent. And, that
> includes all the great ones like John Coltrane and the terrible ones like
> Kenny G. There are many organizations and individuals like Winton Marsalis
> who are tirelessly trying to revive the genre, but it does not seem to be
> working. Why is this? Is there some sort of bad chemistry between the
> American culture and Jazz? As ironic as it may be, I happen to believe so.
>
> The other day, I was having a conversation with my girlfriend about the
> new
> TV commercial by eBay where a chubby lady sings and dances to an
> appropriated version of "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. They entirely re-wrote
> the lyrics, and, instead of "my way", she sings, "eBay". I said to my
> girlfriend, "They did a really god job in adapting the original song."
> Then
> she had a sudden revelation: "Ah, that's why I like it so much!" She
> actually did not realize that it was based on Sinatra's song.
>
> My girlfriend and I have always known how differently we listen to music.
> I
> tend to entirely ignore lyrics, while she tends to entirely ignore music.
> We
> are two opposite ends of the spectrum in this sense. I often would remark
> to
> people how I like a particular song, and my friends would look at me like
> I
> am crazy. After a careful listening of the same song again, I realize that
> the lyrics are shamefully tacky. The opposite happens often too where many
> of my friends love a particular song, and I can't understand what is good
> about it until I pay attention to the lyrics.
>
> The eBay example is an extreme case where, stripped of the lyrics, she had
> nothing to recognize it by. Change the lyrics, it is an entirely different
> song to her. But it would be the other way around with me. I would be less
> likely to notice that the lyrics have been changed. With the eBay tune, I
> only noticed it because she sings aloud, "eBay". If it weren't for that, I
> probably wouldn't have noticed that the lyrics were rewritten.
>
> My girlfriend and I represent convenient stereotypes of the Americans and
> the Japanese in terms of our musical orientations. I know why the Japanese
> love Jazz so much. Since we grew up listening to songs in various foreign
> languages (especially English), in essence, half of what we hear commonly
> is
> instrumental. When you don't understand what the singer is saying, he/she
> might as well be just another musical instrument. Most Japanese people
> have
> no idea what the songs are about when they are listening to Madonna,
> Michael
> Jackson, or Britney Spears. Our ears are trained to listen to instrumental
> music. This is in fact true with most other countries where they cannot
> escape the dominance of American popular music.
>
> On the other hand, especially with the advent of music videos, the
> American
> ears are getting lazier and lazier. Not so long ago in Western history,
> most
> people knew how to play a musical instrument or two. Now the vast majority
> couldn't tell the difference between a saxophone and a trumpet. The
> American
> culture is so visually dominant that given a piece of music without
> anything
> visual associated with it, most people's eyes wander around nervously,
> just
> like the way a nervous speaker doesn't know what to do with his hands. In
> the USA, music cannot stand on its own. It must tag along with something
> visual. Otherwise, people would not know what to do with it.
>
> And, it is not just the visual dominance and the under-developed ears that
> are problems. The American audience does not know what to do with the
> concept of abstraction. They do not see or hear something for what it is;
> they have to symbolically interpret it. The value lies only in the
> interpretation, not in what it is. Even though aesthetically there are no
> significant differences between a painting of, say, Mark Rothko and one of
> Monet, the former is utterly unacceptable for many people while they
> consider the latter to be a master. The difference is that in Monet's
> paintings, you can still see things represented in them: rivers, trees,
> mountains, houses, and so forth. The viewers interpret these objects, and
> project the beauty of nature unto the paintings, which makes it easy to
> appreciate them. Given a painting by Mark Rothko, there is nothing they
> can
> mentally grasp on to. The minds that are incapable of grasping things
> beyond
> interpretations, do not know what to do when nothing is represented in
> what
> they see, i.e., when there is nothing to interpret. In Rothko's paintings,
> there is nothing more to them than what they are. If you cannot accept
> them
> as what they are, they completely elude you.
>
> The same happens to instrumental music. If there are no lyrics, if there
> is
> nothing for the minds to interpret, projecting of any emotional values
> becomes rather difficult. On the other hand, as soon as the lyrics speak
> of
> love, sex, racism, evil corporations, loneliness, cops, etc., suddenly all
> sorts of emotions swell up. Jazz to most people is like a color on a wall;
> unless you hung something on it, they don't even notice it.
>
> On top of all these problems, Jazz has its own problems. The form of Jazz
> no
> longer has anything compelling to offer. If you push the form too far,
> what
> you get is Cecil Taylor. Although I love his music, I'm not sure if I
> would
> call it Jazz. Other than the symbolic similarity of instruments and the
> fact
> that it is improvisational, his music has nothing in common with the
> stylistic structure of Jazz. (Also the fact that he is Black is another
> superficial resemblance.) To call something Jazz just because it uses the
> instruments commonly used in Jazz, and because it is improvised, would
> broaden the definition of the term so much to the point that it would lose
> its meaning. Jazz, in this sense, did not die. What died is not the
> musical
> spirit of Jazz, but the word "Jazz", and nothing else. The word "Jazz"
> should be dead, because we have already moved on. Those who insist on
> playing "Jazz" in the traditional stylistic sense of the word are
> equivalent
> to those who reenact Civil War as a recreation. There is nothing wrong
> with
> having a little fun, but don't expect to make any compelling artistic
> statement through it. Playing "Jazz" is not playing music; it's playing
> musicology.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:54:12 -0400
From: Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
To: pat ladd <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
Cc: jazz <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <C1011533.6A56%barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
on 8/10/06 3:58 PM, pat ladd at pj.ladd at btinternet.com wrote:
> BTW, great music to make love by when the lights are low, you've shared a
> bottle of California Cabernet and your companion has dreamy eyes.>>
>
> Great memory you have Steve. Pity about your taste in wine.
>
> Heh! Heh!
>
> Pat
Ouch. You are sure to get some arguments from the Left Coasters on the list.
After all, with the way the French are these days, we're all drinking
California wine, loving California women and playing California OKOM. Some
of the best in the world. :-) VBG
Cheers,
Steve
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:54:35 -0700
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bix Festival -- Miles & bix
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <011001c6bcbf$5291cc60$6402a8c0 at Bob>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Mad Dawg poses the question:
"is there any evidence that Miles Davis was ever influenced by Bix?
IMHO- Of course he was. I am sure that there are experts (music historians)
who could show proof. However, any good musician has listened to everyone
who came before. Miles would probably denigh it but I am sure, even maybe
in some small way, that Bix influlenced him. Especially Bix's piano
compisitions as there harmonies were very modern for the time.
--Bob Ringwald
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:06:37 -0700
From: "Edgerton, Paul A" <paul.edgerton at eds.com>
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Elevator Music - Jazz?
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID:
<6B3E48693CB09A4AA2BD0F22DBA01754039944E6 at ussam232.amer.corp.eds.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> How about we come up with another name for "Smooth Jazz?"
How about my favorite: "Fuzak"
I think that smooth jazz is mainly homogenized fusion, which is itself a
mix of jazz, rock and possibly latin music. Some of it is merely
ear-candy; the instrumental music equivalent of a motivational poster.
And some of it is good, subtle music with extra attention to production
values. Most of it has more to do with instrumental pop music than with
jazz.
Improvisation is usually limited to the solo instrument and then only in
certain passages. Many of the artists are quite competent improvisers,
but that's not really what they are being paid to do.
Fuzak is today's Tijuana Brass.
-- Paul Edgerton
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:32:02 EDT
From: Gluetje1 at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Chris Botti
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <c23.cf354d.320cffd2 at aol.com>
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At least one person here in the Heartland is usually choosing Australian
Shiraz these days. I must not be the only one as it is turning up more and more
when I request it in various establishments. And shiraz goes quite well
with feelings of gratitude to the French, much of Europe, and yes, Australia,
etc. -- all those spots elsewhere that kept the love of jazz alive while we
short attention span Americans, including me bought Elvis records. And from
where does shiraz come? According to Winkipedia and a travelogue book I just
finished,
"It got its name from _Shiraz_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiraz) --the
city of flowers, wine and poetry in _Persia_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persia) /_Iran_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran) --in the heart of an ancient
winemaking region."
Ginny
In a message dated 8/10/2006 3:55:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:
Ouch. You are sure to get some arguments from the Left Coasters on the list.
After all, with the way the French are these days, we're all drinking
California wine, loving California women and playing California OKOM. Some
of the best in the world. :-) VBG
Cheers,
Steve
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:49:15 -0700
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Elevator Music - Jazz?
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <016101c6bcc6$ec2b3940$6402a8c0 at Bob>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
I asked:
> How about we come up with another name for "Smooth Jazz?"
Paul Edgerton replies:
How about my favorite: "Fuzak"
I think that smooth jazz is mainly homogenized fusion, which is itself a
mix of jazz, rock and possibly latin music. Some of it is merely
ear-candy; the instrumental music equivalent of a motivational poster.
And some of it is good, subtle music with extra attention to production
values. Most of it has more to do with instrumental pop music than with
jazz.
Improvisation is usually limited to the solo instrument and then only in
certain passages. Many of the artists are quite competent improvisers,
but that's not really what they are being paid to do.
Fuzak is today's Tijuana Brass.
(snip)
Good one Paul. I like it.
--Bob Ringwald
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:07:17 -0700
From: "Janie McCue Lynch" <janie39 at socal.rr.com>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] WINE and JAZZ
To: <Gluetje1 at aol.com>, <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <200608102207.k7AM7ICD010702 at ms-smtp-02.socal.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi, Ginny--
The Australian Shiraz is, indeed, pretty darn drinkable.
If you happen to be in California and plan on going to the Pismo Jazz
Festival (Jubilee By the Sea) towards the end of October, take a moment
either before or after the festival (not during!) and drive up the grade
towards Paso Robles. Stop at Wild Horse Winery in Templeton and check out
some of the best Rhones around....their Syrah, Negrette and Viognier are
marvelous.
In my mind, Pismo and Jazz and good Wines all go together.....The only
slight damper on the experience this year will be that the ShoreCliff has
chosen not to be a venue. In past years, sipping a glass of wine by the
tent at the Shorecliff, watching the ocean, and listening to that great
music...it just doesn't get much better than that.
My Best,
Jane Lynch
janie39 at socal.rr.com
Ginny writes:
At least one person here in the Heartland is usually choosing Australian
Shiraz these days..... And shiraz goes quite well
with feelings of gratitude to the French, much of Europe, and yes,
Australia,
etc. -- all those spots elsewhere that kept the love of jazz alive .......
Ginny
------------------------------
Message: 14
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:15:13 -0700
From: billsharp <sharp-b at clearwire.net>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] ok boys, let's settle this fussin'
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <6356ebbe3562393f418e2c9473157614 at clearwire.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Let's just settle your silly little arguments once and for all by
meeting getting all you guys together in a closed tent following a big
chili feed and have at it - -a real fartfest. It should be a blast.
Last one to leave wins and gets to say anything they want for the next
month on DJML, with no repercussions. Maybe we can get a major music
festival to sponsor the event. If held in Vegas, we could take bets on
who the winner might be. . . .could actually be one of them "old
farts", then we'd know why they're called that. (Hey, . . .it'll
probably end up being won by a woman, who not only has to get in the
last word, but also the last pfffssst) . .
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 18:19:49 -0600
From: Mike <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bix Festival
To: verbose at daktel.com
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <44DBCD25.7020603 at railroadstjazzwest.com>
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Miles Davis had always said that he was influenced by Dizzy
Gillespie(and Parker to a slightly lesser degree). I don't recall Bix
being an influence that he acknowledged. When he was a boy his mother
played him recording of Art Tatum & Duke Ellington.
Mike
Lowell Busching wrote:
Among other questions, one of the younger members of the
> audience present, asked the historians and other experts present on
> stage if there was any evidence that Miles Davis was ever influenced by
> Bix?
------------------------------
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