[Dixielandjazz] The problem with listeners (was Louis, Duke and BeBop)

[Beth Schweitzer]

You may be surprised to find that there are plenty of listeners out
there who do have the ears, the training, the background, and the
musical understanding to find comprehension and communication in the
music. They 
HAVE had music in school. They HAVE played instruments. They HAVE grown
up with an understanding and interest in what is being done. They just
don't happen to be jazz musicians. Or they might even be that too but
are of the rare breed that also likes to listen to other jazz bands
playing once in awhile.

And yet they still get bored to tears when a jazz musician plays a solo
that goes on ad nauseum and is neither innovative nor particularly
musically pleasing. 

Also, it surprised me to learn, after attending many jazz concerts and
festivals, that many (maybe even most!) trad jazz musicians are not
improvising at all, but are playing a memorized solo which they always
play the exact same way, including the brief references to some tv show
or commercial theme. If it's a good one, I still enjoy it. If not, it
gets old quickly.

Sorry but I had to stick up for those of us listeners who aren't
complete musical idiots.

:-)

Beth


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Louis, Duke and BeBop
From: "macjazz" <macjazz at comcast.net>


As the majority of participants on this list are musicians, we tend to 
address the problem of listenership/fans as a problem with the solos or
the 
music played.

I would suggest that rather the problem is with the listeners,
particularly 
young listeners.

They do not have the ears, the training, the background or the musical 
understanding to find any comprehension or communication in the music.
They 
have not had music in school. They have not played instruments. They
have 
not grown up with understanding or interest in what is being done. Above
and 
beyond that, if it lasts more than a very few minutes (seconds?) they
are 
not longer interested in paying any attention and would prefer to move
ono 
to something (anything) else.

etc.