[Dixielandjazz] jazz tunes

[Marvin Ipswich]

Steve Barbone wrote (snip):


>Point being, we are talking past each other. We have, on one hand,
>the old schoolers talking about mostly dead musicians/composers and
>older forms of jazz. And on the other, we have those from the school
>of what's happening NOW in jazz. Unless we've heard the music and
>understood both sides of the issue, we cannot possibly say "on paper
>it is not jazz". Bill Evans opinion included.

>This brings us back to definitions of jazz. We can argue all we want
>about whether certain songs are jazz of not and still not reach a
>universal conclusion. For there are those among us who live in denial
>about certain forms of modern jazz (bop, avant garde, fusion etc) or
>live in denial about certain players (Coltrane, Ornette Coleman
>etc.,). Those forms or players are to them "Not Jazz". And to them,
>the totally written out music being played by the young maestros would
>not be jazz either.

I personally don't like Coltrane or Ornette, but I have heard their music.
It doesn't mean I "live in denial." What a strange thing to write. I don't
like hip hop or rap. I know it's out there, I don't deny that, but I could
care less who likes it, how popular it is, or how important other people
think it is. I don't subscribe to the mass mentality. Do people who don't
listen to early jazz, classical music, country western, "live in denial?" I
don't think so. Maybe they're never had a chance to hear any of these forms
of music. How many people have knowledge of or like Greek music? Music from
the Middle East? Bulgarian folk music? I wonder how many Americans have
actually heard any of these types of music? Doesn't mean they deny they
exist.

You or anyone else can wag your finger at me, tell me I'm a "moldy fig"
because I don't like "modern jazz," and my response is "so what?" Because I
prefer Bechet to Coltrane, Armstrong to Miles Davis, Morton to Cecil Taylor,
I know what I like and could care less whether I am or not "hip." It's the
same stance I've had since I was in high school. Believe it or not, people
can actually live their lives without having a vested interest in what their
neighbors, colleagues, friends, etc. like or dislike.

To me, the term "modern jazz" is totally useless, since more than likely it
refers to something that hasn't been "modern" for a long time. Coltrane died
in 1967, and all the styles you mentioned (bebop, avant garde, fusion), were
modern before 1980, which was 30 years ago. So all the modern jazz styles
you mention are 30 years or more older, and 30 years before bebop was the
era of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, and they certainly weren't calling
that "modern jazz" in 1950! For me, the term "modern jazz" is even more
misleading than the term "dixieland"!

Regards,
Marvin (not living in denial)