[Dixielandjazz] EMI to cut One Third of its employees.

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

<<Frankly, these big guys can't go fast enough for   me>>

I am sure that there is a lot in what you say but what about  the charge that 
artists haven`t been working very hard, don`t do enough work  etc.
Such comments have brought outrage her in the UK with comments about  
`creativity doesn`t run to a time table and so forth`

That may be  true but when you think of the Big Bands playing a gig all 
evening, going to  a recording session and cutting a a couple of side and 
then scrambling into  the bus to get to another gig 500 miles away for the 
next nights gig   it does seem a bit extreme when a group takes a couple of 
years, or more to  produce an album. That doesn`t seem like very hard work to 
me. Perhaps some  of them DO need a shake up.

Cheers

Pat >>
 
I don't think it's the big bands they're talking about when they cite  
someone as not working very hard. In fact, it's probably not jazz musicians at  all.
 
The media, talk shows, etc., is filled with high-paid prima donnas . .  . and 
"artistes" who need to be in the mood and "find themselves" before  they can 
make a release every couple of years.
 
The big media companies, fame & fortune, and computer fixing, both  visual 
and audio, fosters that crap. It's called manufacturing stars.
 
All I have to do is bring out the discographies of Ella, Buddy, and Frank,  
and Hal Blaine :-), to show what talent truly is, and what hard work really  is.
 
And it should be said there's another HUGE underlying thing here that MOST  
people, including all big media miss. It's the difference between perfection 
and  excellence. 
 
One reason why it takes today's artists a year or more to produce one  album, 
is because everyone's waiting until the "perfect" situation and  
circumstances . . . then they work it to death to get everything perfect . . .  then they 
take the remaining flaws and Pro-Tool them to perfect. In photography  they 
airbrush them to perfect.
 
Ella, Buddy, and Frank didn't wait for perfect. They went with excellence  
and their best shot. Over time, that best shot got better due to striving for  
excellence and not waiting for perfect.
 
Because of this they grew their talent, their audience, their body of work,  
their legacy, their place in history. They epitomized greatness.
 
They didn't need airbrushing. They didn't need fancy lighting, special  
effects, and choreography to cover up for their music being lame as today's  
"stars" do.
 
They had actually practiced by doing, and doing daily and being in the  
studio as often as they could and getting better as each day went by. Why?  Because 
is was THEM that was the product . . . not some perfectified version of  
themselves that they could lean on.
 
Yes, big labels, at one time, served a purpose. Now all they do is damage  to 
the industry and our culture and society.
 
Ramblin' on . . . .
 
Bill
414-777-0100
BillSargentBands.com

Just released:  "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"

Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm








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