[Dixielandjazz] Boring The Audience

[jsbarque at netscape.net]

Dear Steve

Thank you for your kind observations. Yes, I think we generally agree.

I refuse to budge, however on my aversion to modern jazz of the "fire in a 
pet shop" variety. Then, that is my personal view.  Sure, music will evolve 
but, how far can it go and still come under the umbrella of Jazz? I have 
heard "Jazz" played in clubs in Capetown which could only be termed hip-hop 
by us. Because they call it jazz, it IS jazz to them and they wouldn't know 
what they were hearing if we put on an Oscar Celestin or Sam Morgan 78.

My OKOM umbrella seems to have a few panels missing on the contemporary side 
of jazz but, not on the traditional side. It does the job for me.

cheerio

CE

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Cholmondeley Edkins" <chom1ey at yahoo.co.uk>; "DJML" 
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2006 12:12 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Boring The Audience


> Dear Cholmondeley:
>
> I appreciate your post and readily accommodate an opinion other than my 
> own.
> And yours is a very very valid opinion. In fact it agrees with what I have
> been saying/preaching for years. Namely that Dixielanders need to break 
> out
> from the old folks venues and start performing more in those public places
> where the bulk of the audience is.
>
> Perhaps some of the supposed opinion differences result from where we draw
> our experience. e.g. UK and USA venues. The performance of Dixieland is 
> very
> different between them.
>
> Actually your opinions are very much like mine. Your 3rd paragraph is
> exactly what I have said for about 5 years on the DJML and ever since I
> started performing again circa 1990. after a 28 year lay off.
>
> It is also exactly what Branford Marsalis is saying. The charisma, and/or
> stage persona is just as important, if not more so, than the musicianship.
> Since he used the term "jazz", my opinion is that it includes all genres 
> of
> jazz. He is "historically" developed as a musician and knows OKOM as well 
> as
> most of us and I don't think he meant to exclude any form of jazz.
>
> Please permit me to have one disagreement with you. Namely that we should
> "bury" modern jazz. I agree with the guy that said "Jazz is a big tent.
> There is room for all under it." Why should you or I attempt to deny
> enjoyment of a jazz genre we don't like, to folks that do?
>
> Bottom line. Here in the USA, unlike your next to last paragraph statement
> about the UK, we are not "too busy going to live performances and having a
> good time." Simply because there are not enough live performances to go 
> to,
> and/or (as a general rule) the existing audience to too old to go out at
> night to a club. (yes there are a few people that do, but too damn few) 
> The
> other point of my post was that too many OKOM bands are totally devoid of
> charisma, energy and stage personae. Yet they bitch about folks not liking
> OKOM? It is not OKOM they don't like, it is the band.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone