Scott Dolan

I don't think he really put it that way. I listened to the 31 minute interview twice. It's clear that the problems he saw with it go further than ignorance. He sure as hell did put it that way. Go back and watch the first three minutes that uli posted. Pay particularly close attention to the last minute when he says that what hurt him was that people thought it was true.

Sonny was hurt by the fact that there are people out there stupid enough to have believed it was genuine. Said as much in his opening statement during the interview.

Can you explain to me how someone becomes a "great" or a "legend" at what they do who didn't take what they did seriously? Can you give me any examples? Can you name any examples of someone engaging in a pursuit for 60 years who didn't love it or take it seriously? I respect what you're saying, but not buying a word of it. Once again, if you're not into Jazz enough to know who Sonny Rollins is, you're not going to care about this article even a little bit. It's like being a baseball fan and not knowing anything about Babe Ruth. And, I don't believe that anyone out there thinking about getting into Jazz is simply going to say forget it, just because of this silly article.

All real artists universally hate Norah Jones. So, I'm wondering where that leaves you? Do you have any commitment to your craft, or not? You seem far too content with the existence of the plague of Norah Jones to take you seriously. Where's Musicboy when we need him? Wow. I couldn't make it through any of his rambling and senseless posts. I did click on the link to his message board, but the account is suspended.

I'm not sure there is help for a closed mind.

More, in a long line of, disappointments. BTW, since that thread seems to have finally died, you gotta love how folks defended Allen in all of his artistic condescension, yet failed to acknowledge pretty much everything you said there. But hey, you don't play Jazz! Shame on you...

I'm terribly sorry to hear that you don't take your craft seriously. Stiff hands? Arm injury? Excuses! You, sir, are the Norah Jones of microtonal guitarists! Though not quite as hot.

All real artists universally hate Norah Jones. So, I'm wondering where that leaves you? Do you have any commitment to your craft, or not? You seem far too content with the existence of the plague of Norah Jones to take you seriously.

Same as it ever was, right? How soon we forget, for the sake of manufactured outrage. Yes, Google.

And that's the worst part, craw. Sonny said the exact same thing. See, I don't understand your whole online only rebuttal. I'd be willing to bet the majority of New Yorker readers ONLY read the magazine online. That's the way all publications, and their readership, have gone. So you'd cancel your subscription if it were printed on paper, but it's OK if it's only online? Can you explain that line of reasoning?

Well, both of those could be explained by things that were popular at the time. Fusion was pretty big back in the 70's which would have been a gateway other Jazz forms. And Stevie Ray Vaughan hit it HUGE on mainstream radio in the 80's (Crossfire reached number one on Billboard), which would have lead folks to explore other Blues artists. It's easy to get a little nervous that once something is no longer popular it's going to completely dry up and blow away, but it won't. The blue hairs will continue to be the predominant audience, but it doesn't really matter, does it?

Yep, and we can start here: "It was so ridiculous, I had no idea that anybody could conceive of it being true". The End

"Jikes" How soon does that happen after one first got in touch with the music? I'm not much into labeling myself, so I do not mind her singing country or jazz or both. I like country myself and sometimes I sing and play some on my guitar. According to what she did in the past I really liked her cooperation with the Charlie Hunter Quartet and covered their "Day is done" (orginally a Nick Drake song) with my band. I do not really look at her as a jazz singer but when do you verify exactly as one? And who, besides yourself, gets to decide which influence you want to bring into your music? For some bizarre reason I missed the HP quote you posted here. I don't see older audiences for those genres as anything alarming. I think getting into those genres IS a matter of age. What I mean is that when were younger we tend to lean towards music that is easier to digest on the fly, or in the background because we haven't settled down at that point in our lives. But as we mature we take the time to "stop and smell the roses". Most people when they're younger aren't looking to invest the time and focus needed to appreciate these art forms. And it IS an investment of time and focus. Just my two cents. It's mostly older folks who listen to Mozart, but it's not like they were around when he was composing.

Mike, few here play as rough as Allen does. I may be the only other one now that Christiern and Johnny E no longer come around. If he can't take the same rough housing that he dishes out, that should set HIM to thinking.

Happy B-Day, brother! You finally caught up to me.

Quoted because this entire post bears repeating...

Right, but whose at fault in that regard? Nobody said anything that should have forced a rational human being to say fuck it. I certainly understand where he's coming from, but it is misplaced and condescending for reasons that have already been expounded on. As a fan of the genre, I do not condone any language that turns Jazz into some kind of exclusive club. I'll be the first to admit that I have heard much of Allen's stuff online, and thinks his shit don't stink. Be that as it may, I also don't think Norah Jones' shit is shit. Either way, Allen is reading all of this, and probably feeling a little better about himself right about now. And if he's anything like me when I would "voluntarily ban" myself from message boards, is probably feeling a little silly or embarrassed. Hey, I'm man enough to admit it. Been there far more times than I care to remember, as many of you know. If he's truly gone for good, it's his loss as much as it is ours.

Well, here's the problem with this particular line of thinking. If you know who Sonny Rollins is, then you are obviously familiar with Jazz. Non Jazz fans may recognize the names Miles Davis*, Duke Ellington, maybe Dizzy Gillespie because it's such an odd name (and perhaps Coltrane because of the name drops he's received in more popular genres over the years). But only true fans of the genre are going to know who Sonny Rollins is, IMO. And actual fans of Jazz would have their bullshit meters in the red just a line or two into this piece. Those who aren't Jazz fans are likely going to skip over the piece. Even if they do read it, they'll be asleep before the halfway point, and it won't change their opinion of Jazz, and whoever that Jazz musician is in the picture, one iota. To think any differently would be for me to somehow feel I'm simply smarter than most everyone else (since Jazz fans are a relatively small demographic). And that would be complete and utter bullshit. I'm no dummy, but for christ's sake... What this really boils down to is a small, fiercely loyal fanbase of a "long dead" genre of popular music digging in their heels and manufacturing outrage. Because we realize our "kind" is dwindling. And even the most microscopic slight against our genre and the heroes that solidified its place in our history is to be looked upon, and retaliated against, as though it were a surprise nuclear attack. It wasn't. It was an incredibly lame attempt at humor amplifying negative stereotypes of the genre into absurdity ad infinitum. Should we find that offensive? Perhaps. But, I figured as passive stewards of the art form we had gotten past the outrage for outrage sake portion of our journey. *when I had my Sedlik poster of Miles framed, the lady who helped us pick everything out politely exclaimed, "oh yeah, he's a singer, right?!" Yeah, she knew his name... Not the genre he played in... Nor the fact that she amused the living shit out of me suggesting he was a singer. Can you imagine?! Careless Whisper, indeed...

As do I. No matter whether we get along online, or not, I still completely respect the path and the task you have taken on in this life. Hey, who knows? We at least found some common ground recently. Maybe someday we'll sit down and crank some Norah Jones through a cheap boom box over some cheap bar whiskey, and drunkenly argue about tubes vs. transistors! Happy B-Day, brother.

They should yank the article, post a clumsy apology, and move on.

Psychic powers. That's pretty much the only option, right?

How do we deduce that an artist is less devoted to their craft?

Ah, I get you now. If you like it, it's a style. If you don't it's a schtick. Eh, that's human nature, I suppose. Still doesn't make it right.

You forget Keith Jarrett and his mumbling. If they were only mumbles it wouldn't be a hot button topic. I love Keith, and have a healthy collection of his trio, but I do at least understand those annoyed by the vocal embellishments. Yeah. Like that Eric Dolphy schtick to play as many notes as he could as quickly as he could.

BTW, if you're going to keep touting her, it'd probably help if you learned how to spell her name properly. You've now mentioned her twice, and misspelled her name both times. First...and last.