Free / Avant-Garde Jazz Forum

[Guest Chaney]

I'm just wondering if, as wonderful a gathering place as this is, it could be made even more attractive with the addition of a forum dedicated to free / avant-garde / euro / etc. jazz forms.

Necessary?

Unnecessary?

Or is the obese Funny Rat thread a better fit?

Opinions?

Edited October 1, 2004 by Chaney

[Clunky]

Unnecessary?

this is my view , otherwise we'd get lobbyist for a Smooth jazz forum etc

the appropriate forum is New releases

[J.A.W.]

the appropriate forum is New releases

That would exclude discussions about older albums/recordings.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

To avoid pigeonholing, stereotyping, categorizing, ghetto-izing, etc., all of which are problematic exercises, I think segregating by "style" shouldn't be done.

The best description of Albert Ayler's music is "Albert Ayler Music"; the best description of Don Cherry's music is "Don Cherry Music" - so the Artists area covers that very nicely. What are you going to do about the borderline artists that I love so much? Discussion of Henry Grimes will be in the Avant Garde section unless it's about him playing tunes with chord changes or working with Billy Taylor, Gerry Mulligan, or Benny Goodman? Futile.

If there's a new release of ANY style, talk about it in the New Release area. If there's a discographical question about ANY style, put it in the Discography area. The Ayler box? Boxed sets (or new releases).

I haven't really checked out this Funny Rat thread, but if it's talking about a number of different things, perhaps those should have been made into separate threads.

Mike

[John B]

I haven't really checked out this Funny Rat thread, but if it's talking about a number of different things, perhaps those should have been made into separate threads.

For the most part I agree with Mike, but I wouldn't want to do away with the Funny Rat thread, either. I really enjoy the "conversation" we are having there.

[Dr. Rat]

I'm with Mr. Fitzgerald.

--eric

[couw]

Unnecessary. You folks mingle for chissakes!

The "conversation" component can certainly be very nice, but by throwing everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) into one thread, it tends to become cluttered and cliquish. The rat thread could really do with a little opening up IMO and the discussions there could use a little spreading across several threads and topics. I doubt whether much of the "conversation" would be lost that way. Besides collective moaning on the unavailability of certain titles, it usually amounts to little more than plugging one album after another and nodding in agreement or not.

A bit of a drastic "outside" take on an otherwise fun to read thread, I know you can take it

[Brad]

Totally unnecessary. If that's the case, then I'll be lobbying for a Bop and a hard bop thread, not to mention a swing and traditional jazz forum.

[king ubu]

I haven't really checked out this Funny Rat thread, but if it's talking about a number of different things, perhaps those should have been made into separate threads.

For the most part I agree with Mike, but I wouldn't want to do away with the Funny Rat thread, either. I really enjoy the "conversation" we are having there.

Voted yes, but I'd miss the rat, for sure!

[RDK]

No, hate to label genres any more than they already get labeled.

Re: Funny Rat thread. My only regret is that it wasn't more clearly labeled a a-g/free jazz thread from the start as I overlooked it for months before I decided to see just what it was all about. I missed a lot as a result...

[Alon Marcus]

If there is an avant-garde forum there should be: hard bop, swing, fusion etc.

Not a bad idea but it means rebuilding the big "O" forums by styles.

There are few more ideas!

Alphabetical rebuilding: A, B, C…Z sub forums, talking about artists with names beginning on these letters.

Annual rebuilding: 2004, 2003, 2001 …1920 sub forums, talking about records released in appropriate years.

AMG rating rebuilding: sub forums named one star, two stars, three stars (you can guess the drill)

[JSngry]

It's all music/

Why make it easier to ignore by segregating it?

[couw]

I'll drop Kenny G a note that he don a new artist name for his next album. Maybe he can rent the name of someone well loved in the truly hip jazz circles.

[RainyDay]

It's all music/

Why make it easier to ignore by segregating it?

Why make it easier to ignore by calling it something that to an outsider doesn't appear to be relevant? Funny Rat may mean something to some folks but to me, it was a thread I had no interest in looking at.

I think an AG/Free thread is probably better than a forum. Same for any other genre. If the thread gets too fat and diverse within the genre, then maybe start a forum.

[SEK]

No.

"Free" and "Avante-Guard" are among the many long-established elements of the often eclectic and idiomatic "jazz" musical tradition, which can be incorporated at will. Furthermore, those terms mean different things to different people. I think that the current organization of the Board accomodates the music efficiently and quite unambiguously.

[catesta]

I don't see the need.

[EKE BBB]

I don't see the need.

Ditto

[7/4]

It's all music/

Why make it easier to ignore by segregating it?

I agree. Many is the time I've dropped in to find an interesting discussion about something that deserved it's own thread.

[catesta]

Constipated smilies thread being one of them, I'm sure.

Edited October 1, 2004 by catesta

[RDK]

It's all music/

Why make it easier to ignore by segregating it?

I agree.

So can we please have a Kenny G thread?

[Noj]

I say yes. We need a place for those people. Avante garde weirdos! They're all alike.

[7/4]

It's all music/

Why make it easier to ignore by segregating it?

I agree. Many is the time I've dropped in to find an interesting discussion about something that deserved it's own thread.

That Capt. Beefheart discussion from last weekend, for example.

[couw]

or those many dialogues with self

you mean there were any?

yes, plenty

[Leeway]

Doesn't the Funny Rat thread serve that purpose already?

[Spontooneous]

Say no to segregation.