[Dixielandjazz] Michael Jackson mania on the BBC

[John Petters]

Jim Kashishian wrote:

> However, your mention of Quincy Jones & "Thriller" needs to be clarified.
>>From a studio professional's view, the recording is exceptional.  Quality &
> innovation is outstanding!  Most of Quincy's recordings show the utmost of
> quality, as do the recordings from Prince.  Not our kind of music?  Maybe
> not.  But it shouldn't be written off so easily just because it isn't.

Hi Jim,
 From a technical recording standpoint you are correct.

I'm concerned with content, however.

You can have the best equipped studio and the most talented technicians 
in the world and get a first class sound - but that is all it will be.

No doubt, Jackson could sing in tune - but so could many others. Stand 
him up against a later example than I quoted, say Ray Charles and where 
is he?

Yes it it is subjective to a large degree, but can you in all honesty 
say that Jackson's 'Thriller' is, on a purely musical basis, of the same 
standard as Goodman's Carnegie Hall Concert, or Ellington's,'Black Brown 
and Beige', let alone any Louis Armstrong recording.

Without doubt in my opinion, music reached a peak in the first half of 
the 20th century, which for a while coincided with a mass popularity.

Then the jazzers - the new ones that is - became too clever and lost 
their audience. BeBop was never the mass music that swing had been.

In the UK we had British Trad in the pop charts alongside Rock'n'Roll.
 From then on, the creative content in terms of melody and composition 
declined. There are exceptions of course.

Continue to move further away from the source, which was the Blues and 
Jazz and the content becomes diluted until there is virtually nothing 
left, excet a relentless, in your face beat with little in the way of 
content and dynamics.

Those born later of course, only get to hear what the media care to 
deliver.

Forty years ago pirate radio stations churned out 24 hours of 'pop'. The 
Government  caved in and re-organised the BBC, which had, up to that 
time, been pretty catholic in its output. They set up Radio One, which 
would provide what the piartes offered.

Radio Two was the old 'Light' programme which played a lot of live 
music, including a good helping of jazz.

Nowadays if you listen to Radio Two, you will hear nothing earlier than 
about 1957 in terms of musical style, with a heravy bias to 60s, 70s, 
80s and 90s music.

Local radio, both commercial and the BBC are the same - so listeners get 
no choice and no chance to hear other music, hence the mass hysteria 
over Mr Jackson's demise.

If the media ignored when music was recorded and just allowed it to 
speak for itself, then maybe, given that exposure, the confidence trick 
of rock and pop would be exposed for the sham that it is and those 20, 
30, 40 and 50 year olds going off to Glastonbury just might decide to go 
to Upton instead.

HAGW

John Petters
www.traditional-jazz.com
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ