[Tradjazz] Boring The Audience

[Bruce McNichols]

Bill Barnes's message really does hit the nail on the head.  I suspect that most of us folks agree that Jazz is supposed to be happy.  That's fersure!

My long-time band-mate, Herb Gardner (trombone & piano) made a profound statement, at the end of a gig, years ago.  Many of us are very critical of drummers and often don't even use drums.  Herb, while shaking his head, said "That guy (the drummer) came here to play drums, not to play music!"  Ain't it the truth?

That goes the basic concept that we (or at least I) don't want a music recital, demonstrating fantastic technical prowess.  We simply want MUSIC!  What's so damned hard about that?

~~~
I suppose that it was in the 1940's or thereabouts, when jazz players started to try to be oh so hip and oh so cool.  I bristle at the idea that an audience should shut up and listen.  Ours is a party music, so by all means, let loose.  Being a hopeless ham, I love the audience to pay attention to us, but I really do want all of us to have fun.

McN


      To: <tradjazz at list.okom.com>  
      Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Boring The Audience  
      Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 17:06:56 -0700  
      From: "Bill Barnes" <cleanhead77 at earthlink.net>   
     
I once read in a novel, I don't recall the name or author but it was about 
tennis, where the guy and his girlfriend go to a jazz club and hear modern 
jazz - this was back in the late 1950's - and he didn't like it because "it 
wasn't happy or sad the way jazz was supposed to be." Good point .
                                                Bill Barnes

     



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