[Dixielandjazz] "Why Americans Don't Like Jazz"- Jim Kashishian and Brad Terry respond

[Norman Vickers]

To: Musicians and Jazzfans list & DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

From: Jim Kashishian [mailto:jim at kashprod.com] 
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2012 11:06 AM




Jazz trombonist and sound engineer Jim Kashishian, US expatriate now
residing many years in Madrid, Spain comments:  

From: Howard Mandel [mailto:jazzmandel at gmail.com] 
 >  But I do think many Americans are attentive to lyrics with no thought of
the music, as the original essay suggested.  

 

I haven't responded to these posts as I don't reside/perform in the U.S.,
however, the above comment shouldn't be limited to American listeners.  I
have noticed that everyone can enjoy a singer, as everyone can sing (maybe
poorly, but at least they CAN do it!).  However, not everyone plays an
instrument, and although they might have an idea that that one or the other
one is particularly good, they can't really be sure as they have nothing to
go by as a guide.

 

Therefore, a singer will normally gain more acceptance with an audience than
an instrumentalist unless the player is a particularly unusual
performer/entertainer.  And, of course some singers gain fame due to their
lyrics, not their voices.  Look at Bob Dylan!

 

Does that mean everyone should put a vocalist in their band to gain
acceptance?  Many have done just that!

 

Jim Kashishian

 

 

Brad Terry, Jazz clarinetist and whistler of Bath, ME writes:

 

Hi Norman,

 

I agree 100% with, "listeners in the front talkers in the back". Too many
times the table set for 12 for Aunt Gertie's 90th was front & center. She
was deaf as a post...You know where this is going. 

Re: lyrics.

 I think I'm right  . . . that  two of the players who have had the greatest
influence on me, Bill Evans & Stan Getz both knew the lyrics to the tunes
they played. To me it's interesting that they both recorded ," My Funny
Valentine" at a medium / fast tempo. It's not a serious romantic love song!
The girl has all sorts of problems and the guy loves her anyway; the lyrics
are a hoot.

Recently I played  at a beautiful wedding. (Father of the bride a serious
Lenny Breau fan and friend of 40 years) People came in, sat down and
listened!   I just played tunes for about 45 minutes before the ceremony
with a young exciting guitar player who has a lot of Lenny's "stuff" really
down. He also has lots of his own ideas. We played, "Fly Me to The Moon"
(Bride's choice) as the principals came in and, "Autumn Leaves  (Father's
choice) as they went out.

Later during some toasts the father read the beautiful lyrics  to, "Autumn
Leaves"  as I played the melody behind him. Very effective!

They hired a good wedding band;  I don't do weddings any more but they
played mostly jazz and I ended up sitting in. 

Oh, something else... There was a table set up with a sign, "BAND" and they
were served lobster with all the trimmings before they played a note. That's
the way to do it! No chicken-a-la-king out of a can in the kitchen!

I can't claim to know all the lyrics of  the tunes I play but I do know
generally what the songs are about and adjust the tempos accordingly. 

Brad

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