L'affaire de Sandke

[ghost of miles]

Patrick Jarenwattananon at NPR's A Blog Supreme has a round-up of the many posts and commentaries that have appeared in the past few days about Randy Sandke's recent book Where the Dark and the Light Folks Meet:

Can white cats play jazz?

[AllenLowe]

I've hesitated to wade into this whole thing, but I admire Randy and I agree with much of what I've read that he's written - I have to get to Ethan's blog for more detail.

[AllenLowe]

I just posted some things on Howard Mandel's site; and on my wall at Facebook.

[Joe]

Interesting. What not aware of this, ahem, "controversy."

Not much to say, given as I've not read Sandke's book, but this comment from Mandel's review did give me pause:

Without the efforts of white writers who Sandke accuses of having been overly laudatory to black musicians – and also the enthusiasm of listeners of all stripes – the music of Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the other greats may never have been heard by the majority of white America at all.

Yes, of course, there is much truth to this statement, certainly as far it refers to the promotional efforts (not 100% altruisitc, of course) of figures like John Hammond... those "Spirituals To Swing" concerts at Carnegie Hall were signal events in the music. But the patrician attitude lurking behind this claim is, to me, part of the whole "race problem" inasmuch as it persists in jazz. And I just find it a little surprising (and sad, and thus not all THAT surprising) to find that attitude still operative in 2011.

Edited February 2, 2011 by Joe

[JSngry]

I've just gotten the new Ursula Rucker album (DL only!), and I gotta say that it's much more engaging and relevant to things in general than either Howard Mandel or Randy Sandke.

[Joe]

I've just gotten the new Ursula Rucker album (DL only!), and I gotta say that it's much more engaging and relevant to things in general than either Howard Mandel or Randy Sandke.

Word.

[paul secor]

Just speaking for myself - I've got a lot of better things to do than to waste my time on this "controversy".