[Dixielandjazz] Living In Denial about Jazz or OKOM

[Craig Johnson]

?I find it interesting and puzzling that so much time is spent trying to puzzle out
what is jazz and what is OKOM.

As to both of those questions I recognize no other authority than the person
asking the question -- base upon the multiplicity of varying answers in our reponses.

Just as OKOM (OUR KIND OF MUSIc) to me seems to have almost nothing excluded
based on the wide variety of even somtimes conflicting answers that the likes and
dislikes of the members of this list and the intensity of those preferences -- it is useless
to ask questions like "is skiffle, country, etc. OKOM,  The answer is more varied than
that to the question, is rock, modern jazz, writen music, rehearsed and replayed chorus 
-- "jazz", or "trad". or "dixieland". = jazz?
- I, for one don't care what your answer is.

I know what pleases me and that is what MYCOM is whether or not someone else
considers it to be his/her version of :THEIRCOM" and thus, by his/her membership
in this mailing list, a part of OKOM that doesn't particularly appeal to me. It is categorically
part of OKOM, but who cares?

I for one find that question meaningless.

Further if I play for an audience which considers a certain set of songs, or our attempts  to 
replicate certain voicings or certain classic renditions of a specific tune "jazz" then
for that particular performance I and my colleagues will consider for that night we
are playing "jazz" as that group thinks of it and all that counts is that the audience
enjoys it and either they pay well enough for us to feel good about that evening, OR
it was sufficiently enjoyable that the band is glad they took the gig regardless of whether
they feel sufficiently well payed  enough to do it again.

I actually can't get excited over endless discussions on these questions of classification.
and it seems we have gotten into a rut where we beat the hell out or these two deceased equine beings.

Just my 25 mils (which used to be worth two cents)

Craig Johnson