Slobodan Blazeski
gmail.com> wrote:
> So if the market is buying it I don't see what's the problem.
I don't see a problem either.
> You want to be a star go mainstream.
No thanks.
> If that includes mumbling while standing on your head with female
> wrestlers in the background
Well, on second thought... :-)
> Else stop whining, you choosed to play something that's music for you
> but the masses aren't accepting it.
No I'm not gonna stop whining. I'm only human and I have the right to
be sensitive on some subjects. Who's not ?[1] You know, it's actually a
good thing to be really /involved/ in one or two things in your life.
But you seem to misunderstand the things I'm ranting about. Although I'm
forced to admit that seeing under-talented teenagers playing crap and
people actually enjoying it is a bit upsetting, I don't really care
about that. What I do care about is the industry misleading people.
Like:
Oh, you're a Jazz musician... cool. I like Jazz /too/. What do you think
of Norah Jones ?[2]
What I do care about is when important Jazz festivals start to feature
Manu Dibango or Cesaria Evora because it brings more audience. What I do
care about, is the radio playing 99%% crap because it's safer on the
economic level, whereas studies have shown that if you push something
else, less mainstream, just a bit, people actually start to enjoy it as
well (not talking about Jazz in particular).
But then again, that's just my sensitive point because I'm a musician
investing a lot of effort in my art and I know better on that subject.
On the other hand, I like a good crappy mainstream Hollywood thriller
from time to time. Only I'm well aware that it's crap. And I leave the
burden of getting upset and trying to educate people to somebody else.
I've got enough on my hands already :-)
> Aren't people surprised when they found out that Armstrong was
> actually a jazz icon.
In fact, no. But they're really puzzled to discover the real Bobby
McFerrin (see The Voice and Spontaneous Inventions) after having only
heard of him through "Don't worry, be crappy" on the radio.
> They only heard of him because of what a wondeful world? And I doubt
> you're better jazzer than Satchmo.
Sure. What was the point of this last sentence? Oh, I know!
Funny, when people try to show off and pretend they know something about
Jazz, they inevitably cite Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and then
refer to him by his nickname. The next step is to know Charlie Parker
and refer to him as "Bird", but that takes another university degree...
Footnotes:
[1] Hint: you're a lisper right? Suppose somebody tries to show you
how cool C++ is and all the things you can do with it and
that-s-really-the-best-language-ever. Doesn't that upsets you just
a wee bit?
[2] The answer is here:
http://didierverna.com/jazzblog/index.php?entry=entry070122-154257
--
Resistance is futile. You will be jazzimilated.
Scientific site:
http://www.lrde.epita.fr/~didier
Music (Jazz) site:
http://www.didierverna.com
EPITA/LRDE, 14-16 rue Voltaire, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
Tel. +33 (0)1 44 08 01 85 Fax. +33 (0)1 53 14 59 22
