Assassins Get Paid REALLY Well These Days!

[JSngry]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?...&orgid=3922

No, I don't begrudge anybody a successful/financially rewarding career, even this clown.

But DAMN.

There you have it, right there, the whole thing. This is what it's now all about.

It's over people, it's fucking over.

[kh1958]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?...&orgid=3922

No, I don't begrudge anybody a successful/financially rewarding career, even this clown.

But DAMN.

There you have it, right there, the whole thing. This is what it's now all about.

It's over people, it's fucking over.

On the bright side, if he lives in New York City, he probably has an effective tax rate of around 50%.

[John Tapscott]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?...&orgid=3922

No, I don't begrudge anybody a successful/financially rewarding career, even this clown.

But DAMN.

There you have it, right there, the whole thing. This is what it's now all about.

It's over people, it's fucking over.

On the bright side, if he lives in New York City, he probably has an effective tax rate of around 50%.

That's essentially what our total tax rate is up here in Canada. But now I know how Wynton affords all those nice suits. Come to think of it, he probably doesn't have to buy them himself. It's probably part of his 'benefit' package with J@LC. I was watching a Phil Woods DVD last night in which Phil talks about "the people who have died for this music..." Wynton sure isn't one of them. Nice work if you can get it, though.

Edited August 15, 2007 by John Tapscott

[MoGrubb]

It's a small price to pay for the joy and happiness he brings.

[RDK]

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?...&orgid=3922

No, I don't begrudge anybody a successful/financially rewarding career, even this clown.

But DAMN.

There you have it, right there, the whole thing. This is what it's now all about.

It's over people, it's fucking over.

On the bright side, if he lives in New York City, he probably has an effective tax rate of around 50%.

That's essentially what our total tax rate is up here in Canada. But now I know how Wynton affords all those nice suits. Come to think of it, he probably doesn't have to buy them himself. It's probably part of his 'benefit' package with J@LC. I was watching a Phil Woods DVD last night in which Phil talks about "the people who have died for this music..." Wynton sure isn't one of them. Nice work if you can get it, though.

I would suspect (hope?) that Phil was referring to musicians who died from drug abuse as much as old age and tough circumstances. As much as i don't personally care for Marsallis' playing, I don't begrudge him getting what he can and of at least portraying an image of being "clean." Would we really want someone like Art Pepper as jazz's spokesperson?

[Big Al]

Hey, he's gotta make some kinda living since his records don't sell....

[Larry Kart]

Would we really want someone like Art Pepper as jazz's spokesperson?

It would be worth it for a hot minute, just to see and hear those first few press conferences and public service announcements.

[Christiern]

What a waste!

[danasgoodstuff]

The shame here is not the $, or that it's going to Wynton, but that there's someting in our culture that says jazz has to have a single spokesperson and then forget about it...let a million flowers bloom!

[JSngry]

Would we really want someone like Art Pepper as jazz's spokesperson?

Ok, lessee...would I rather lose my left foot or my right eye....hmmmmm.....can I have a few seconds to think about it?

I mean, hell, why does jazz need a "spokesperson" anyway? To get more people to "like" it? And then what?

No man, you only need a "spokesman" when what you got can't speak for itself in a language that can be understood by whom you're attempting to speak to. Never had no "spokesman" back in the day, we just had players that people dug, players that people didn't dig, and players that people talked about trying to decide if they liked 'em or not.

No man. No no no NO. Barring any miraculous miraclosity, it's over (cue Nancy Wilson for BizarroLand Big Chill dramatic affect). We used to have players, now we got a freakin' "spokesman", a ventriloquist's dummy talking to the boys and girls as they walk past on their way to The Magic Kingdom.

And he gets paid a mil per no less!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Twelve fucking million operating surplus for 2004/05!!!!!

TWO HUNDRED FUCKING MILLION assets!!!!! (OK, it owns a big building in NY. But...)

And the next but is

ALL CHARITIES ARE LIKE THIS

MG Scrooge

[Larry Kart]

(cue Nancy Wilson for BizarroLand Big Chill dramatic effect).

[RDK]

Would we really want someone like Art Pepper as jazz's spokesperson?

It would be worth it for a hot minute, just to see and hear those first few press conferences and public service announcements.

I hear you. After I wrote that I thought about it for a second and said "yeah."

[RDK]

The shame here is not the $, or that it's going to Wynton, but that there's someting in our culture that says jazz has to have a single spokesperson and then forget about it...let a million flowers bloom!

Yeah, exactly. That's one of the reasons I can't blame Wynton all that much. He may have run with it once he got it, but he didn't poison the king to steal the crown. The crown was handed to him through some combination of record company strategizing, a certain portion of the jazz public's need (at the time) for a "savior," and i think general apathy on the part of the rest of us who never needed a spokesman in the first place.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

These numbers are pretty typical. Look at the peers. Several of them pay just as much or more for their president. I'm sure that the others pay less to their artistic director because they don't perform as often. Marsalis plays weekly there. Besides, check the revenues! JALC made $12.8 million last year. Some of the others lost money.

All these numbers show is that Wynton's part of corporate America. He's getting a lot less than some of the VPs at companies making $12 million and a whole lot less than most presidents at those companies.

[Christiern]

Sounds like someone wants a job at J@LC.

[Chuck Nessa]

Sounds like someone wants a job at J@LC.

I'll take one.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Sounds like someone wants a job at J@LC.

Hell yeah!

[Big Al]

If nothing else, this thread gets my vote for The Best And Most Appropriate Thread Title Ever, Given The Subject Nature Of The Thread Award.

[Ted O'Reilly]

$1,069,366. The vast majority of jazz musicians the world over would LOVE to earn as much as the last 5 numbers, never mind all 7. They'll likely never make that much in their entire careers...

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Check this article out: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/ar...conductor_in_us

If these conductors, many of whom simply stand up there swinging a baton and don't play a note, can get paid as much as $3.5 million, why the hell shouldn't Marsalis, who actually writes music and plays an instrument, get $1 million?

I've seen the Boston Pops several times. I was always amazed at how Keith Lockhart's baton never seemed to be on the beat, nor did the band seem to follow any of his cues. His baton "swooosh" is flamboyantly wacky, often getting the crowd to laugh. And he gets $739,894 for that?

I'm sorry, but you guys are off base here. The "stars" of the top orchestras, and JALC is a top orchestra making plenty of money, get paid well. Why shouldn't Wynton Marsalis?

[JSngry]

Why should shit of any nature get renumerated so extravagantly?

[JSngry]

Ok, it's really not about bullshit getting all the bread. That's par for the course and has been damn near forever.

It's about how this ain't jazz no more. This is now "America's Classical Music" in the worst possible way at every possible level.

And FUCK THAT.

End of story.

Edited August 17, 2007 by JSngry

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Jim, this Charity Navigator website is pretty cool. Thanks for the link. Looking at The New York Philharmonic, which that Boston Globe article says paid Lorin Maazel $2.6 million in 2005, made only $8 million last year. Maybe they need a new conductor? I bet a lot of us here would do it for half price.

[JSngry]

And still be overpaid!