[Dixielandjazz] Stereotyping

[Stephen G Barbone]

>
> eupher dude <eupher61 at hotmail.com> wrote (Polite Snip)
>
>
> I've often read on DJML that it's a shame more African American  
> musicians don't play OKOM.  No wonder.  Yes, the current crop of  
> "artists" (using the term loosely) have no problem with using slang,  
> vernacular, and rhetoric that would draw a lawsuit against most non- 
> black people.  That's fine.  They have no respect for themselves,  
> tough, but I won't go down that road too.

Folks, shouldn't put too much credence in DJML posts that blacks do  
not play OKOM. Nor should they stereotype "the current crop of artists".

The concert our 6 piece Dixieland band played, with Jonathan Russell  
as our guest last Sunday, had 3 black OKOM players. The concert I did  
Monday had 4 black OKOM players. They are gentlemen as well as  
excellent jazz musicians; don't use "slang vernacular and rhetoric  
that would draw a lawsuit against most non black people" but probably  
would not be surprised such an unfair characterization by a white  
Dixielander.

Sometimes I front a band version where all the other players are  
black. Same story.

Point being, there are idiot musicians of every color, race, creed.  
And there are wonderful musicians of every color, race and creed. As a  
working jazz musician, with a network of both black and white jazz  
musicians, working every one of my 160 gigs this year with blacks in  
my band, I speak from actual experience, not some theory of pre  
determined opinion.


Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband