Happy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton

[ValerieB]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

[Larry Kart]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise.

[CJ Shearn]

Roy Hargrove, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, all of whom have gone far beyond Wynton's scope.

[clifford_thornton]

Other birthdays:

Anita O'Day (1919)

Bill Stewart (1966)

Bobby Troup (1918)

Myron Walden (1972)

Chuck Berry (1926)

Bent Jaedig (1935)

J.C. Moses (1936)

[ValerieB]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise.

Esperanza has been a Professor at Berklee College of Music for years now! youngest professor ever there. and i guess you also aren't aware of all the education programs that Wynton has for young kids which have been in effect for years at JALC, aside from his teaching travels around the country and world. and the programs in New Orleans as well. just an observation but i think your "needle is stuck"!!

Edited October 18, 2012 by ValerieB

[sonnymax]

Given his lack of originality, perhaps it's better to think of Wynton being reissued, rather than born, today.

[J.A.W.]

Given his lack of originality, perhaps it's better to think of Wynton being reissued, rather than born, today.

[king ubu]

love Wynton Kelly indeed, but have no idea if it's his birthday ...

[Mark Stryker]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise.

You could add James Carter and Rodney Whitaker to the list, but, really, the education activities are not about a list of other well-known pros who have come up under his wing. It's about the thousands upon thousands of kids, from elementary schools to colleges, he's reached through clinics, school visits, post-concert talks or encouraged and helped in many other ways (paying for instruments, sending music, buy a meal, etc), the Essentially Ellington initiative at JaLC, the JaLC school curriculums that get jazz into classrooms in ways that non-music teachers can use and more. I've seen all of this at work in Detroit and environs, including seeing him take time in the poorest neighborhoods you can imagine for elementary school kids who desperately need role models and the like. I've also seen him bend the ear of administrators, politicians and philanthropists stumping for music education in ways that do in fact make a difference on the front lines, or at least they have here.

I'm not entering the debate here on aesthetic issues, the future of jazz questions or the is-WM-good-for-jazz argument or anything else. Leaving all of that aside, on the education front, my own view is that there is no argument to be had. If more powerful artists across the spectrum -- I'm talking classical, jazz, theater, visual artists, writers, etc. -- put their money and time into these kind of endeavors the way he has, we'd be a lot better off.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[ValerieB]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise.

You could add James Carter and Rodney Whitaker to the list, but, really, the education activities are not about a list of other pros who have come up under his wing. It's about the thousands upon thousands of kids he's reached through clinics and encouraged in many other ways (paying for instruments, sending music, etc) the Essentially Ellington initiative, the JaLC school curriculums that get jazz into classrooms in ways that non-music teachers can use and more. I've seen all of this at work in Detroit and environs, including seeing him take time in the poorest neighborhoods you can imagine for elementary school kids. I've also seen him bend the ear of administrators, politicians and philanthropists stumping for music education in ways that do in fact make a difference on the front lines, or at least they have here.

I'm not entering the debate here on aesthetic issues, the future of jazz questions or the is-WM-good-for-jazz argument or anything else. Leaving all of that aside, on the education front, my own view is that there is no argument to be had. If more powerful artists across the spectrum -- I'm talking classical, jazz, theater, visual artists, writers, etc. -- put their money and time into these kind of endeavors that way he has, we'd be better off.

Mark Stryker speaks the truth, y'all!! you guys better listen up and get educated to what Wynton has been doing and continues to do! thanks, Mark, for being far more specific than i could be.

[Larry Kart]

my thanks and appreciation go out to both of these wonderful artists. and one of the things they have in common, aside from their talent, is their interest, devotion and commitment to educating youngsters. Bravo!

Happy, Healthy Birthday to Esperanza and Wynton, and many more to come.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise.

You could add James Carter and Rodney Whitaker to the list, but, really, the education activities are not about a list of other pros who have come up under his wing. It's about the thousands upon thousands of kids he's reached through clinics and encouraged in many other ways (paying for instruments, sending music, etc) the Essentially Ellington initiative, the JaLC school curriculums that get jazz into classrooms in ways that non-music teachers can use and more. I've seen all of this at work in Detroit and environs, including seeing him take time in the poorest neighborhoods you can imagine for elementary school kids. I've also seen him bend the ear of administrators, politicians and philanthropists stumping for music education in ways that do in fact make a difference on the front lines, or at least they have here.

I'm not entering the debate here on aesthetic issues, the future of jazz questions or the is-WM-good-for-jazz argument or anything else. Leaving all of that aside, on the education front, my own view is that there is no argument to be had. If more powerful artists across the spectrum -- I'm talking classical, jazz, theater, visual artists, writers, etc. -- put their money and time into these kind of endeavors that way he has, we'd be better off.

Mark Stryker speaks the truth, y'all!! you guys better listen up and get educated to what Wynton has been doing and continues to do! thanks, Mark, for being far more specific than i could be.

OK -- point made.

[JSngry]

I kinda know a local band director whose high school has been the beneficiary of some of Wynton's outreach. He's a slavish, almost-militant, definitely irrational Wynton Defender, his band is doing nothing to even remotely to get excited about musically, but - it's a poor school in an economically and socially challenged neighborhood, and you know, it's a thread of hope for kids who don't have much hope anywhere else. And enough kids latch on to it to make it worthwhile, and that's why he does what he does - to give his kids hope instead of just letting them give up and get beat down before they have a chance to even get up.

In a perfect world, none of it would be as it is, kids would have solid families with solid jobs and good schools to go to that gave them all kinds of good options, and jazz would make Wynton Marsalis irrelevant and unnecessary as a performer and, especially, an "important figure". But it's not a perfect world, it's a fucked up world, it's a fucked up America, and I don't see it getting any better any time soon. So I still say fuck Wynton Marsalis, but I can never say fuck giving kids hope. Never.

Quite the conundrum. I take comfort in knowing that some day, one way or the other, it will come to an end, all of this mess, whether I'm alive to see it or not.

[jlhoots]

Happy Birthday

Controversy even in a birthday thread.

[BeBop]

Happy Birthday

Controversy even in a birthday thread.

I'm with you there. Everyone short of, say, Hitler, gets a non-judgmental "happy birthday" (or silence) from me. So, to possibly the two most prominent/household names in jazz, "all the best"

[J.A.W.]

Happy Birthday

Controversy even in a birthday thread.

Well, what do you expect when the name Wynton Marsalis crops up here... (I can think of a few other names as well)

[fasstrack]

Happy Birthday

Controversy even in a birthday thread.

Amen. Ain't that a bitch? What a fractious 'family' we've come to be. Good points, Mark. I quote my friend the late and brilliant Chuck Clark: 'he sure got a lot of young cats playing'. Happy birthday to EVERYONE having one today. May it be peaceful and productive. And GO GET 'EM, VALERIE!!!

[marcello]

I kinda know a local band director whose high school has been the beneficiary of some of Wynton's outreach. He's a slavish, almost-militant, definitely irrational Wynton Defender, his band is doing nothing to even remotely to get excited about musically, but - it's a poor school in an economically and socially challenged neighborhood, and you know, it's a thread of hope for kids who don't have much hope anywhere else. And enough kids latch on to it to make it worthwhile, and that's why he does what he does - to give his kids hope instead of just letting them give up and get beat down before they have a chance to even get up.

In a perfect world, none of it would be as it is, kids would have solid families with solid jobs and good schools to go to that gave them all kinds of good options, and jazz would make Wynton Marsalis irrelevant and unnecessary as a performer and, especially, an "important figure". But it's not a perfect world, it's a fucked up world, it's a fucked up America, and I don't see it getting any better any time soon. So I still say fuck Wynton Marsalis, but I can never say fuck giving kids hope. Never.

Quite the conundrum. I take comfort in knowing that some day, one way or the other, it will come to an end, all of this mess, whether I'm alive to see it or not.

[ValerieB]

and not really off the point: JALC is streaming the most wonderful evenings! just finished watching Charles McPherson, Tom Harrell, Willie Jones III, Jeb Patton and Dean Johnson. people from all over the world were watching and listening. it was very cool.

[jlhoots]

and not really off the point: JALC is streaming the most wonderful evenings! just finished watching Charles McPherson, Tom Harrell, Willie Jones III, Jeb Patton and Dean Johnson. people from all over the world were watching and listening. it was very cool.

Nice group!

[fasstrack]

I figured out what to do about those threads-not this one, people are behaving quite nicely-where a controversial or successful musician gets hammered and people, including myself, say the same predictable things crankily: stay away. I find it doesn't help anything and will leave it at that.

[jlhoots]

I figured out what to do about those threads-not this one, people are behaving quite nicely-where a controversial or successful musician gets hammered and people, including myself, say the same predictable things crankily: stay away. I find it doesn't help anything and will leave it at that.

There's always the infamous ignore function - but you know that.

[fasstrack]

I know it well. And use it with glee...

[AllenLowe]

yes, Wynton, who personally saved the jazz world after it's 1970s decline (rot in your grave, Julius Hemphill) has overseen jazz's greatest post-war growth in popularity -

to paraphrase Groucho, jazz has gone from nothing to a state of extreme poverty,

be aware, also, that Wynton in his professional relationships demands absolute sycophancy; I have felt the wrath of W. It's not really bad, just proof of his outsized ego.

he is sort of the Stephen King of jazz, if they had made King the head of a large English department - while he's making tons of money, his acolytes fight for marginal access.

Edited October 22, 2012 by AllenLowe

[clifford_thornton]

he is sort of the Stephen King of jazz, if they had made King the head of a large English department - while he's making tons of money, his acolytes fight for marginal access.

well put.

[fasstrack]

The King is dead. Long live the King (;