[Dixielandjazz] Marsalis & Clapton

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Dec 24, 2011, at 6:49 PM, Louis Lince wrote:

> Hi Steve,
>
> I must be slipping again. I totally agree with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Interesting that Rick thinks the clarinet is out of tune and Bob  
> didn't raise it, but thought the piano was not too good.
>
> I just love the DVD and the CD (in the car when I can't watch) I  
> have also read Eric's biog and I don't find him to be a prig...but  
> that's my opinion.
>
> Loosen up folks and just enjoy the fact that the concert occured and  
> was recorded and then released.
>
> Happy festive season to all
>
> Louis
>
> Steve said <polite snip>
> I have the DVD and I think it is WONDERFUL.
>
>

Hey Louis:

Quit that, lest you get a bad rap. VBG

Couple of things I admire about the DVD, Wynton Marsalis, Eric  
Clapton, the Lincoln Center Jazz Band and others who dare to breathe  
LIFE into a tired old genre.:

1) They do more for "Jazz" than all of us tired old farts put together.

2) The gather in more audience for jazz than all of us OKOMers put  
together. The Clapton/Marsalis DVD/CD already has more sales and  
viewers than we will have over the rest of our lives, combined. To say  
nothing of the tremendous success WM has had since he came upon the  
jazz scene. Whether he plays New Orleans, Bop, or Post Bop genres

3) It is good music. Different from all the tired, old crappy copies  
of what a bunch of dead guys did during the past century. It is the  
very definition of jazz. DIFFERENT.

We seem to be stuck in starving artist mode. Insisting that only  
"trad" jazz is jazz art. Folks just don't appreciate it, blah, blah,  
blah. ad nauseum. Meanwhile our trad festivals are losing audience.  
Then along comes Wynton, the LCJB and golly gee, he draws an enormous  
audience. So the old garbage comes out. He's popular therefore he must  
be no good. It's not jazz. It doesn't sound like New Orleans, but  
rather, like Yazoo City. Come on, folks, give us a break.

Want to breathe some life into your festival? Hire Marsalis and LCJB.  
They play jazz with the best of them, and it's a treat when they add  
Eric Clapton. It's NEW, it's FRESH, it SELLS & it's ART. What else  
could folks possibly want?

Yeah, I know, they'll want to run down the 5 day LCJB presentation of  
the music of Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver coming up right after  
Christmas. Critics all, none of whom can either play or draw audience  
anywhere near as well. Go figure.

Maybe it's like the Republican candidate history. As soon as a guy or  
gal gets to be on top, they tear them down. Human nature, or a feeding  
frenzy?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband