[Dixielandjazz] The Joey Morant Critiques

[Steve Barbone]

It is good to remember that Tamas also said, the audience at Pori responded
favorably to Joey Morant.

Whether or not one person likes a performance or not, is really immaterial.
If the audience liked the guy, then he was successful in communicating to
that audience. And that's what jazz is . . . communication. It would appear
that what Morant played at Pori was in a language the audience understood.

I have heard Morant and the band. I liked it and understood what his notes
meant. Others may not. But I have to agree with Harold Smith on this one.
There is an unwritten rule among most jazz musicians, that you do not trash
another jazz musician's performance and or expertise in a public forum.

Morant? Probably 50% of the DJML would like him and 50% would not. That's
about par for the course. I went to hear that band a few years ago because
they were a living link to the original swing musicians. To me, that's
reason enough to hear what they have to say.

It is good to remember that when you listen to a jazz musician, you are
listening to him giving you a little piece of his soul.

It is also good to remember that Tamas is honest and direct in his opinion,
but then he also trashed Jonathan Russell on the DJML several years ago. If
that prevented anyone from listening to "J" back then, mores the pity.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone