obama on jazz

[alocispepraluger102]

from the late graham collier site---

http://www.jazzcontinuum.com/Writings/Identity%20Crisis/IdentMisc/index.html

Obama on jazz January 2009

President Obama’s decision to give his first television interview on jazz to NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) was greeted with dismay by the Marsalis party. ‘Although our stance on jazz being purely African American may appear to have lessened lately, we still feel that it’s too early to recognise Norwegian Jazz as being a worthy descendant of the music of Louis or Duke. We also protest the sponsorship of the broadcast by the German record company ECM.’

Historically the Marsalis party has been a strong supporter of the idea that jazz belongs only to African Americans. When asked ‘What do you think about European jazz?’ leader Wynton’s comment ‘If it is swinging and has some blues in it, I love it’, was greeted with derision by most European leaders, with Norway threatening to withdraw its ambassador from Washington.

Only last year deputy leader Branford took this further saying that ‘only those who have internalised the culture and way of life of African Americans can become jazz musicians. A prerequisite for this is to live in the US.’ And, In a recent interview with Wynton, the pianist Ethan Iverson said that ‘Jazz culture wasn’t part of my upbringing’, to which Wynton replied ‘Yes, it was. You’re an American’.

In these times of bi-partisanship these remarks could be seen as signs of a lessening of the Marsalis stance on race and origin. However the jazz website Destination Out chose to see it another way: ‘Here is Wynton at his best, his most magnanimous, his most Whitmanesque. Here’s the Dean of The One True Path of Real Jazz implicitly telling a white guy from Wisconsin that by taking the craft seriously and studying the past masters, that this is his birthright just as much as a third-generation musician from New Orleans. It’s a wonderful moment.’

President Obama’s address to the jazz world – made partially in Norwegian as a gesture to his hosts, forgetting perhaps, in a rare slip more reminiscent of his predecessor, that they speak better English than most Americans - made reference to both statements. He said that the change he was looking for was a much bigger one ‘We need to recognise that good jazz can come from anywhere in the world, be it Norway, Australia, even Kenya, ‘where my father came from, as I think I may have told you, and where they’ve named a road – or is it a town? – after me’.

In his closing remarks the President said ‘my party’s motto – it ain’t who you are it’s the way that you do it’ - is more relevant to jazz today than the Marsalis party could ever have imagined. The first order I have given to newly appointed special jazz envoy Jan Garbarek, is that he go to Kenya to find that road – or town - and establish the first Barak Obama jazz college there. The Norwegian government has agreed to fund the scheme to have such colleges everywhere in the world on the condition that student’s originality would be encouraged (no more Coltrane-esque clones), and jazz standards would be barred. I realise that the decisions not to allow soloists to play long streams of meaningless scales, and to prevent ‘Autumn Leaves’ from being played anywhere ever again won’t be popular with the Marsalis party. But in this time of the credit crunch and global warming I have to think of all the CO2 we will save by cutting out unnecessary notes, and the forests we’ll save by not having to print hundreds of fake books.’

As Obama was leaving a member of the press asked where all the students would find work after they graduated. Pausing in mid-stride the President said he was working on that and it would be a priority of his some time during February.

[Christiern]

At least, make it readable...

Obama on jazz January 2009

President Obama’s decision to give his first television interview on jazz to NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) was greeted with dismay by the Marsalis party. ‘Although our stance on jazz being purely African American may appear to have lessened lately, we still feel that it’s too early to recognise Norwegian Jazz as being a worthy descendant of the music of Louis or Duke. We also protest the sponsorship of the broadcast by the German record company ECM.’

Historically the Marsalis party has been a strong supporter of the idea that jazz belongs only to African Americans. When asked ‘What do you think about European jazz?’ leader Wynton’s comment ‘If it is swinging and has some blues in it, I love it’, was greeted with derision by most European leaders, with Norway threatening to withdraw its ambassador from Washington.

Only last year deputy leader Branford took this further saying that ‘only those who have internalised the culture and way of life of African Americans can become jazz musicians. A prerequisite for this is to live in the US.’ And, In a recent interview with Wynton, the pianist Ethan Iverson said that ‘Jazz culture wasn’t part of my upbringing’, to which Wynton replied ‘Yes, it was. You’re an American’.

In these times of bi-partisanship these remarks could be seen as signs of a lessening of the Marsalis stance on race and origin. However the jazz website Destination Out chose to see it another way: ‘Here is Wynton at his best, his most magnanimous, his most Whitmanesque. Here’s the Dean of The One True Path of Real Jazz implicitly telling a white guy from Wisconsin that by taking the craft seriously and studying the past masters, that this is his birthright just as much as a third-generation musician from New Orleans. It’s a wonderful moment.’

President Obama’s address to the jazz world – made partially in Norwegian as a gesture to his hosts, forgetting perhaps, in a rare slip more reminiscent of his predecessor, that they speak better English than most Americans - made reference to both statements. He said that the change he was looking for was a much bigger one ‘We need to recognise that good jazz can come from anywhere in the world, be it Norway, Australia, even Kenya, ‘where my father came from, as I think I may have told you, and where they’ve named a road – or is it a town? – after me’.

In his closing remarks the President said ‘my party’s motto – it ain’t who you are it’s the way that you do it’ - is more relevant to jazz today than the Marsalis party could ever have imagined. The first order I have given to newly appointed special jazz envoy Jan Garbarek, is that he go to Kenya to find that road – or town - and establish the first Barak Obama jazz college there. The Norwegian government has agreed to fund the scheme to have such colleges everywhere in the world on the condition that student’s originality would be encouraged (no more Coltrane-esque clones), and jazz standards would be barred. I realise that the decisions not to allow soloists to play long streams of meaningless scales, and to prevent ‘Autumn Leaves’ from being played anywhere ever again won’t be popular with the Marsalis party. But in this time of the credit crunch and global warming I have to think of all the CO2 we will save by cutting out unnecessary notes, and the forests we’ll save by not having to print hundreds of fake books.’

As Obama was leaving a member of the press asked where all the students would find work after they graduated. Pausing in mid-stride the President said he was working on that and it would be a priority of his some time during February.

[Leeway]

QUOTE: At least, make it readable...

Why?

[MartyJazz]

QUOTE from above article: "However the jazz website Destination Out chose to see it another way: ‘Here is Wynton at his best, his most magnanimous, his most Whitmanesque. Here’s the Dean of The One True Path of Real Jazz implicitly telling a white guy from Wisconsin that by taking the craft seriously and studying the past masters, that this is his birthright just as much as a third-generation musician from New Orleans. It’s a wonderful moment.’"

One doesn't have to be too cerebral to detect a ton of sarcasm from Destination Out.

[Adam]

I'll go further. One doesn't have to be too cerebral to realize the whole thing is a wry joke, with all the quotes faked.

[Late]

We also protest the sponsorship of the broadcast by the German record company ECM.

...

Historically the Marsalis party has been a strong supporter of the idea that jazz belongs only to African Americans.

...

Only last year deputy leader Branford took this further saying that ‘only those who have internalised the culture and way of life of African Americans can become jazz musicians.

And now Branford is an ECM recording artist.

[fasstrack]

I'll go further. One doesn't have to be too cerebral to realize the whole thing is a wry joke, with all the quotes faked.

And a juvenile one at that. (Goes back into temporary retirement as promised)