Noj

A personalized take is just about the only way to achieve anything "original" in any of the arts. Take something that's been done, but hasn't been done "your way." It seems to me that it is the only path to originality or innovation, and it naturally grows out of the exploration of things that have already been done.

Hey Jim, make some room in your PM inbox!

We see the same popular backlash in the visual arts, where people who were accustomed to and knew the language of representational art are put off and even a little pissed off by non-representational/abstract art. The traditional tools of mimicking reality in a painting or a sculpture were abandoned by many artists in order to do what the camera could not, and in order to continue to grow and push the boundaries and add new definitions to their collective "language." At the same time, this left people who weren't following the new movement(s) twisting in the wind a bit, and if those people weren't willing to learn the new language or adapt their tastes to include the new thing that was happening it ceased being relevant/interesting/entertaining for them. Of course, those people were oblivious to the point, but still entitled to their tastes. There's many examples of even the most controversial and widely rejected artwork becoming as common as graphics on coffee cups at Starbucks. Sometimes it takes a while for the appeal to sink in and become a part of the collective unconscious. In jazz, perhaps the likelihood of that happening is reduced since it was always the art establishment which stood by its most controversial creators and gave them the stage--whereas the Lincoln Center folks and cats like Wynton Marsalis appear more interested in hoisting up the traditions which cutting edge artists sought to go beyond. Back on the visual arts front, what's happened is the fine art world has allowed itself to splinter and not be held to any one movement. Eclecticism has won. There's room for the cutting edge art, and room for exploring traditional techniques. So long as the viewers are entertained, anything goes. If it can be contextualized, it can be art. If it has an audience, it is art. Even if it's complete crap by any one person's take on things. In fact, if it adds to the dialogue and gets people talking, it's accomplished a goal.

"Serious listener" is unintentionally complimentary, when what I meant by it is the listeners who are looking to listen for the latest cutting edge development in jazz as an art form--as opposed to the listener whose interests are not dedicated to that and who just want to hear catchy tunes. I agree it's wrong to imply that taste determines "seriousness," but I'll stand by the idea that the pursuit of jazz musicians has increasingly alienated more and more of the general listening audience.

I think it's as simple as jazz musicians wanting to pursue avenues which don't focus on danceable rhythm and memorable melody. As artists, jazz musicians have sought to explore music in a much more intellectual context than an easily accessible, played-for-the-masses context. They have and always will create their own definition of beauty, which is totally legitimate in terms of artistic expression. However, where once the highest creations of their art aligned with the interests of the general populace, increasingly their interests have only aligned with the serious listener which is obviously a much more narrow market. At the same time the popular music interests of the general populace have increasingly splintered in their own right, coinciding with the means by which people listen to music. Pop radio stations have become the exclusive territory of a very particular dance club sound, where as recently as the early 90s there was more variety. Satellite radio stations enable listeners to completely focus their listening on their favorite genre, without even so much as a commercial interruption. iPods and mp3s are loaded up for free with only favorite songs sans deviation. American Idol has made music into a karaoke contest and snagged the listeners who really only dig singing anyway (common phenomenon) and made its own "stars" as popular as television sitcoms (with practically the same audience, methinks), eliminating the need to come up with hit songs that stand up on their own right (video killed the radio star)...

Well, Varitek is the only catcher in MLB history to have caught 4 no-hitters, so it's safe to say he calls a pretty good game. It's not his fault the pitcher left the slider up in Texeira's wheelhouse. Maybe he should have known his pitcher was leaving breaking balls up...I was never a catcher so I don't know. It's nitpicking, you're pretty much assessing the slump for what's wrong with how your boys are playing. For the Dodgers, who are now 17-16 since the return of Manny Ramirez, the problem has been the lack of run production. I don't have the stats but I'd bet dollars to donuts the RISP numbers are way down in that stretch, seems like they're stranding baserunners at the same rate they were plating them early in the season. The pitchers are overworked and are getting shelled more often. It's adding up to a late season slide. Torre called a team meeting after yesterday's loss, maybe he can fire up the troops.

The Dodgers' bats have been very quiet lately, it's got me worried. Doesn't look like they'll get past the Phillies or the Cards.

Wow, this guy is amazing. Thanks for the link, Jim R.

Wow. That guy is seriously not all there.

Marbury's webcast was high comedy. Put it this way: everything that's happened in his career made perfect sense to me after watching about ten minutes of it.

Watched it on Facebook, and will be cleaning the greeeeaaazzzze off myself for a week.

Welcome aboard! Despite any gruff newbie hazing, the members here possess a wealth of information and are generally friendly.

Dan should just co-anchor this guy's show.

That was fantastic.

^^^ Hahaha, I was just about to comment that Ubu's mum is one hip lady.

First I'd heard of anything with Ortiz. Oh well. I really don't care about any of it since I think so many players were juicing that it is a moot point.

Not to rub salt in Dan's wounds, but...

My favorites are "Springtime In Alaska" and "Long Black Veil."

A few pictures from the Colorado River, just south of Lake Havasu on the California/Arizona border, 4th of July weekend...

The Skull Snaps album has some really cool music on it.

Yeah, the "album only" tracks are particularly lame.

You guys aren't old, you just have good taste. Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players are two of my favorites as well.

James Brown's music: Jacko's:

If they give the corpse of JKidd that much money, the Knickerbockers deserve to stink. Haven't they been watching him play? He's done. Stuckey is a solid player, the Pistons can build around him--but why get another shooting guard? Gordon must have agreed to come off the bench, or they're going to have the same situation they had with Iverson in trying to figure out how to balance playing time between Hamilton and Gordon. The signing of Villanueva must mean they're going to let Sheed go, and if he ends up a Celtic I don't see anyone beating Boston. If the Lakers can't get Ariza and Odom back, I don't think they have even the slimmest chance of repeating. Ariza was not happy with the Lakers first offer for just over $5 million per, and is being courted by Houston, Portland, Cleveland, and the Clippers. Kobe should take a pay cut to keep his supporting cast, if he wants to win.

Me three.