[Dixielandjazz] Likes & Dislikes in Jazz

[Stephen G Barbone]

I am with my namesake, Steve Voce about folks dissing certain  
musicians like Zoot or Trane. And then piously quoting someone out of  
context to reinforce an indefensible viewpoint. Especially when the  
person quoted, Miles in this instance, has also been accused by the  
quoter as playing trash, not jazz.

Critics, especially those who have no right to be critical, should  
learn to keep their mouths shut lest they be exposed as imperious fools.

If we want to quote someone, it should be someone like Ellington who  
in context had something to say about Jazz:

" The listener may like things that are pretty, what we consider  
pretty or schmaltzy. Another may like a graceful melodic line, with  
agreeable harmony under it. A third may like subtle dissonance, while  
a forth may go for far out dissonance. A fifth may have a broad  
appreciation and enjoy all kinds. But what is really involved here, I  
think, is personal taste."

"Now let me put this right. Music can sound good to somebody who likes  
nothing but cacophony, but doesn't necessarily have to sound good to  
the man sitting next to him. There are quite a few people who dig  
distortion. Everybody in the world doesn't like pretty. Everybody in  
the world doesn't like sweet. There are some people who didn't like  
either one ever, BUT THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR LIKES AND  
DISLIKES." (emphasis mine)

IMO, it is very tiresome to keep hearing about what is jazz, what is  
not, what is good music, what is not, or to hear over and over again  
about some guy who listened to Trane for years and considered it trash.

WHY THEN DID YOU LISTEN? No one put a gun to your head. Only a  
masochist would keep torturing oneself.

John Coltrane is one of the greats in Jazz. It is up to the listener  
to appreciate his genius, or not. But for heaven's sake, lets not keep  
dissing how and what he and other modern jazzers played, and then  
plead ignorance as to why OKOM is so unappreciated. THINK.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband