fasstrack

Er, (clears throat) SETTLE DOWN, CLASS. Talk about this on your OWN TIME!! Mr. Sangrey, since you seem to know so much about hanging judges NOT to pay attention in class, there will be a TEST. And SPELLING COUNTS!! Is that clear, young man, or must I call your mother to school? Speaking of which it's your lucky day, young man. If mom can bring a friend, under 50, unattached and well-situated, no major issues...perhaps I could see my way clear to do some horse trading. Er, WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE? YOU'RE DISMISSED!! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, LITTLE PUNK, BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!! Shit, kids...

Weird that the OP seemed to do a 'drive-by'. Whatever. Let's the rest of this look into it more. We need places lhke that, especially a 5-story building where artists can self-produce. $50 is a small price for freedom. I figure if your vision is that strong why not go the extra mile to get $50 worth of asses in seats? That way everyone wins, nobody gets punched. Plus, if you line up a gig it ain't a bad idea to know the policy. If they don't tell, ask. That's on you. Just my 2c, and of course no excuse for the puncher. Hope they can move past it and make up though.

BOSS HIJACK STRIKES AGAIN!! That's alright. Never heard that drummer, though. Hell, what kind of jazzman am I anyways? Not even hip enough for my own pillaged thread. That's it. Done with the Jazz Life. Look for me at the next Ken Chesney show. I'll be the guy with gray pais stick out the sides of my black ten-gallon hat...

Pt. 2: just a guitar player-composer trying to be a decent human being. That's hard enough. But, for myself, I think every action, even every thought radiates out and has influence. So a look in the mirror once in a while can't hurt. I was given many gifts, not the least of which were the jazz musicians who took me in the tribe as one of theirs for whatever reason. If they treated me like a winner I figure I damn well ought to act like one and make their investment good. But it's the music that's the winner, a bigger one than any one person at the top, middle, or bottom of the food chain. So when I see people acting in a way that kicks the music in the ass when they should know better and we're ALREADY dealing with a stacked deck, fuck yeah, that's depressing. So shoot me.

This is to Allen. (I'm limited by a broken laptop to using my cell and scroll far enough to reply directly): No one's telling anyone to be a cheerleader or bore everyone being perky all day. And if a friend or a thing fucks up you're doing them a favor calling him on it b/c you care enough to speak up. That's constructive. It's the other stuff, the fat-mouthing, that ain't shit. I can be plenty dark, in fact years of my life I'll never see again were lost to that altar. I like myself much better the other way, and so does everyone else. People here are adults and can do what they want. I'm not the fucking Mosaich,...

Also, it's not mainly criticism. It's pretty easy to figure out how seriously to take someone by what they say and how consistently over time. It's the pettiness of sniping and snap-judging that does real damage to us all IMO. It's pointing the gun at your foot and hitting your temple. Or everyone's, actually.

I worked with Jaki Byard 1984-5. He taught me many lessons about life, and what it means to be a jazz musician. Being an elder of the tribe and understanding the role, he put up with a lot from my young, dumb, immature ass. I hope didn't think his breath was wasted, and I regret never thanking him. Anyway, one thing he told me worth its weight in gold: I was fat-mouthing some musician, like young players who think they know something and can play do. Jaki gave me a hard look and said 'everybody's a big-time critic, but nobody plays shit'. It took years to get that, and only now am I really trying to live in a way of talking less, playing more let's maybe take all critcism from where and whom it comes. And with a huge grain of salt...

3:...hobbled music we love, already declared dead by the media. Can we not help shovel dirt on the grave? Can we have more topics on how to promote and uplift jazz and its practitioners and fans? Pretty please? Cherries on top?

Pt 2 (using a cell phone allowing limited character use per post): ...or for the door myself). But I also know the cost and risk for venues to puton music for limited audiences. Let's not be so quick to judge or hang. I also was very put off by a thread by 2 members (OP and 'choir leader') I otherwise greatly respect on the sexual preferences of dead musicians. How this claptrap and privacy invasion of defenseless dead jazz greats helps either jazz or live gay people someone please explain, as I don't get it. And another poster I basically really like, and vice-versa, slammed a great player who's made it economically as a sell-out while being drug about a stellar review of a less-than-great one. I can dig some of the sentiment but viewing the big picture wish people would consider that if one makes it we all make it. Differences of opinion are cool, and I am NOT applying for a gig as O censor. But, quoting Rodney King, 'can we get along?' We're all we have, so why not unite instead and help the

This forum is self-described as the best on the web. And so it is. The regulars here are knowledgeable, thoughtful, and caring. That's why I'm disappointed in the non-starter and judgmental nature of much of what I read here lately. My main concern is like everyone else's: love for this art form and its continued growth in tough times and so many cards already stacked against us. Those more interested in things political than myself ought to know about 'divide and conquer'. Boy, is it ever working with jazz...The most recent transgression IMO was a guy--with good intentions, no doubt, mis-describing an innovative space that's put on music and plays you won't see elsewhere as a 'club' and the owners of the building as 'promoters' based on a beef of a disgruntled player who might be right but also could've maybe prevented an ugly incident had either accepted the place's policy of deducting bread-possibly to defray overhead costs and hustled to get asses in seats to cover it or stayed home. (I won't pay to play

Don't believe everything you read. And please do not post hearsay as fact on a publicly viewed forum for jazz supporters. From personal experience: 1. the University is NOT a 'club', but a 5-story building with NYC expenses. Whoever said that is either purposely misleading or doesn't know shit from Shinola. The bldg. was owned by a very sweet individual named Mohammed. He was a devout Muslim who loved jazz and provided a home for musicians. He was a visionary. I played a gig for a while in '98. A musician was very strung out, a problem. No one else would hire him, but Mohammed made sure he had a gig and some hot food. Mohammed died and I don't know who-all owns the bldg. Don't know what went down w/the drummer, but this sounds like po' and well-meaning folks driven to each others' throats again. So methinks perhaps 'you've been bamboozled' a bit. Let's not be hanging judges sans facts

(Posted from cell phone so options limited and brevity key). Alico, beautifully said. Epist: I hear you, and keep it up, from a jazz musician older than yourself who still believes. Although, let's face it, that's probably why I'm too fucking broke to fix my computer...

Who could blame him?

Anyone ever read the poem Miniver Cheevy (Edward Arlington Robinson)? It's been on my mind a lot lately, and I haven't read it since HS, back in the Age Of Steam. That's how I've been feeling lately, identifying as a wounded romantic like Miniver. Another good title was Brian Wilson's I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.

That's because New Yorkers move too unhealthily fast to have time to notice beauty. Sad, but true. Please, please take me to the English Countryside. I promise to be good. OK, I'll settle for Woodstock. Er, Poughkeepsie?................

If this isn't 100% beauty, I quit. From Tudo Bem (Pablo) with a great Brasilian cast. Check out how Oscar Castro-Neves picks up Joe's rhythmic idea at around 2:40. A great moment. Nice images of rain, too. Usually I like to hear or play this one slower. This sure made a believer out of me, though.

Hey, didn't I hear that about her on 'Seinfeld'?

Like Steve Johns told me years ago when his son was very young 'there's my best chorus'. Good for you. I don't have kids. Can barely afford myself, even with Spartan tastes. I use my songs as stand-ins. They're my children and I try to protect them and help find their way into the world. Then it's up to them. Like I said, my children.

I dismissed her b/c she's a marketing coup, not a musician. I shouldn't even waste energy noticing such idiocy, I might take it seriously and get depressed. Natalie Cole is a musician. Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, on and on. When I see somebody dressed in lightbulbs it makes me think................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Liberace!

He's interesting as hell, that's for sure. And a real improvisor.

On second thought Lee had some great ideas in there, especially at the beginning and end. A graceful beginning and end is half the battle. That ending is a MF. Lee thinks out loud and it's intriguing and controversial. I'm usually slow to warm up to him b/c he thinks so much you can hear him judging himself and not committing. He gets so behind the beat thinking so much it's sort of killjoyish to the spirit (of the rhythm, which in this case Art brought to a certain joyful bounce). Maybe he felt intimidated b/c Art sounded particularly good and he had to follow him.Happens all the time and it's easy for an artist to lock himself and lose confidence. I feel bad for him b/c he's a great and original player and I don't want to see him in pain! And I hope he gets well soon.

Things aren't better than they are b/c most people seem to believe that might makes right and it's better to have your foot on someone's neck (ass?) than vice versa. And it's up to dummies like us who don't to ignore the majority opinion and survive healthily so we can have our own small victories as per these values.

Certainly can't argue that, but the other side of that coin is that you can't expect everybody's foot to pat and everybody's movilator buttons to be pushed by the same thing (or for the results to be manifested in exactly the same way), so with that in mind, there's more than one "swing" to be considered at any given time, at least objectively. But then again, such reactions are intrinsically anti-subjective, so...there you go! Never said I did expect that. Everyone functions in their own rhythm and at their own pace. But it's sort of magical when the performers and audience reach that plane where they feel it together. It happens a lot in professional jazz, but musicians don't talk about it b/c it's mother's milk. It used to be to audiences too. I guess trends change and people bow to them. Again, I wouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater b/c something's not up my particular alley. Better to listen, try to understand, find the good. If it's good it'll last anyway.

Why is that tired? What endeavor in art or life can get anywhere or be worth a damn without the basics? It's tired because it's almost always applied incorrectly. It's often argued that these traits need to be foregrounded. I subscribe to the radical notion that swing and blues qualities can be implicit. Does George E. Lewis always "swing"? No. Is he "swinging"? Always. To jump to the present: does Taylor Ho Bynum always play the blues? No. But the blues is the root of his craft and I know this. What use would either of these players be to me or to the music if they just rehashed JJ Johnson and Kenny Dorham? But do they know and appreciate the music of these forebears? Again, I have no doubt. This is not a game of absolutes. If no one learned that from Bird or from Cecil or from Braxton or from John Zorn then I don't know what to say. And you're right who knows if KR was talking about the avant garde or not. But their very existence disproved his point, scant and incoherent as it is. So does, you know, the equally great mainstream jazz being made too. With all due respect those are a lot of nice words. If music makes me pat my foot and want to move, whether I'm in the band or listening, it swings. If not, it doesn't. Not that there aren't other worthy qualities in a musician. Of course there are. But a musician, informed listener, and most of all average person call tell right away. They just have to stop reading and listening to 'experts' and trust their hearts and ears. As far as Rosenwinkel, he's still a little green to be making sweeping statements. I say green b/c his ego is so enormous in his attitude toward music, and I've seen it again and again with him, and I'll stop there. I don't think he knows nearly as much as he or his acolytes think. Egotistic infantilism is hurting jazz more than anything else ever could. I'm not slamming his talent, BTW. He's plenty talented and plays and writes well. I like a lot of his stuff, though it's all about Kurt. I still hear the creativity. I guess I was lucky and learned the value of community and other things early in the game from very generous jazz musicians, generous in art and spirit. So I can only take guys like that so seriously, and he should be called on his bullshit attitude. People would be doing him a favor, and he'd realize it in some years, after he grows up a little. Best to shut up and play. Show me you care about more than your solo and I'll listen.

Any other comments, Jim? From one fellow weirdo to another....