[Dixielandjazz] NEA To Cancel Jazz Masters program--Howard Mandel responds

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML and Musicians and Jazzfans lists

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Howard Mandel, president of the Jazz Journalists association, and listmate
on M&JF  started this thread with his post on the Jazz Journalists list. He
responds to Steve Gilmore's post.  I have left Steve Gilmore's  previous
post attached in case you wish to review. 

fnv

From: Howard Mandel [mailto:jazzmandel at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 11:51 AM
To: Norman Vickers
Subject: Re: Bassist Steve Gilmore responds-- NEA To Cancel Jazz Masters
program

 

Steve's point is well-taken, and the suggestion that the gov't direct funds
on a project-submission basis (as it used to do) has been bruited around. It
seems unlikely to me this NEA is going to re-institute such a program
anytime soon, but remember when we used to have NEA supporting jazz
musicians (and other artists) based on their applications to do particular
projects? 

 

That said, a few of the Jazz Masters have indeed needed the $. But most of
them I think would be happy just to be acknowledged by an "official" body
representative of the United States, not merely the somewhat insular jazz
world. And the $25,000 given to each of 5 Jazz Masters last year (Ellis
Marsalis was given the financial honorarium, as I understand his sons who
also were named Jazz Masters did not each receive money) amounted to
$125,000, a small sum in the governmental scheme of things (which I believe
is worth spending simply as good public relations for American culture). 

 

Howard

 

Of course getting $ to everybody worthy in jazz, all musicians and music
"in the trenches" is 

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:35 AM, Norman Vickers <nvickers1 at cox.net> wrote:

To DJML & Musicians and Jazzfans lists

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Bassist Steve Gilmore- longtime member of Phil Woods jazz group-responds to
Howard Mandel's note about NEA plans.  Steve now resides in Panama City, FL
when not traveling.  Steve writes:

 

I'm not a member of the JJA and just a simple jazz musician trying to
scratch out a living in this increasingly technological based world. I think
all of the award receivers are wonderful artists - many friends and
acquaintances of mine and deserving of the afore mentioned accolades.
However none of them that I know of really need the money and I wish that
somehow a vehicle could be established that would funnel some of those funds
to those who could really use it. The guys and gals who are out there in the
" trenches " so to speaks playing this music and the ones who are really
keeping it alive. I don't know what the answer is or even what the question
is but this viewpoint might merit a little thought. Perhaps shave just a
little from our multi trillion military budget?

              Steve Gilmore

 

                                          --end--