[Dixielandjazz] Another laughing record

[Roy (Bud) Taylor]

Laughing soundtracks work because the listener is trying to get the joke and
it triggers the laughing response.  I think TV show developers realized this
a long time ago and situation comedies like Lucille Ball had laughing
coordinated with the punch line.

On the recent America's Got Talent show there was a comedian who made it
through all stages that the judges could decide on until it reached the
voting of public only step.  This guys jokes were too intellectually
oriented for today's watchers who were predominately young teenagers, in my
opinion.  The studio audience was not as astute as the judges either, so his
performance went flat.  Meanwhile, the contestant whose talent was building
cascading rows of blocks, balls, and other paraphernalia got great leughs at
the end of each performance by throwng his hands up and hopping....acting
like a 4 year old delighted with a clown's balloon show.  He went further
than the comedian in the show series.   There was a fantastic magician from
Alaska who also got cut.   Should you like to watch the final acts, here's a
link:

http://www.mjsbigblog.com/americas-got-talent-the-finale-3.htm

You may want to search around for Tony Bennett in his appearance on
America's Got Talent.  In terms of the rules of the show and the target
audience, unfortunately he would have been toast as soon as the show reached
the audience voting only rounds.

We as musicians who have years of earning our keep by constantly practicing,
learning new tunes, trying to better our performance, etc. may be dismayed
at the America's Got Talent show, but the show plays into the realm of
popular demand more than what "deserves" to win.  I have yet to see a good
instrumentally oriented band even enter the show.  What predominates is
vocalists, dancing teams, stunt acts, magicians.  Earlier this year the
American Idol show which has a similar format had a vocalist Casey Abrams
who accompanied himself on several instruments on different shows.  His
upright bass playing was outstanding.  I have never seen a player that
articulate on both playing bass and singing simultaneously.  This
performance is available for viewing on YouTube

Of course, the premise of America's Got Talent was to award one million
dollars to the act that would best make it in Las Vegas.  We know that
dixieland once was a hot ticket in Vegas, but probably couldn't draw a crowd
in a back alley bar there now.  A fantastic band like Jim Cullum's would
fall the same fate as good old Tony Bennett....too old fogey stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THPUXLckM-s



-- 
Roy (Bud) Taylor
Smugtown Stompers Jazz Band
Rochester, New York
Traditional Jazz since 1958
"we ain't just whistling dixie!"