Robert Ballard Apr 20th, 2006 Link
How sad is that!
WBEZ Drops All Jazz
When large NPR stations completely drop Jazz from their programming, you know it’s a dying art.
Written By: Gabe
6 Comments
mike May 2nd, 2006 Link
In some ways you are correct sir. What is marketed as “Jazz” these days sucks . It has gone from the improvised expressions of genius to a bunch of self-absorbed rich spoiled brats showing off their music lessons. Jazz used to swing. Now it’s a crashing bore. I’m a jazz musician and I’m saying this! Wynton Marsalis’s arrogance and covert racial hatred isn’t doing much for jazzs popularity either! WBEZs decision ,however,is a shining example of the disrespect for the arts and for tradition that is so rampent in 21st century capitalist America.
Robert Ballard May 4th, 2006 Link
A jazz musician friend calls new jazz music Fusak.
The Smooth Jazz Stations that play Kenny G and the likes are a bit tough to swallow for me but my wife likes them over the, as she calls it, jittery stuff.
As a teenager back in the 1960’s a friend and I used to go to places like Shelly Mann’s The Mann Hole, Howard Rumsey’s LightHouse & Concerts by the Sea The Parisian Room and the Hollywood Bowl, this was before the Playboy thing.
Being teenagers we had to beg our way in sometimes and other times they just looked the other way.
We saw Charlie Byrd, Wes Montgomery, Gabor Szabo, Hugh Masekela, Arthur Prysock, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, MJQ, Miles and so on.
Even back them none of our friends saw it, none. I was so lucky that my mom loved all music, well maybe no Hendrix, but most. We always had KKGO, I think it was called, on the radio and she would allow me to listen to KRLA/KHJ, at times, on the big radio in the front room.
One nite we had gotten into see Arthur Prysock at the Parisian Room. They even served us Rum & Cokes, at a dollar a hit, and were the only white faces in the place. On our way out, around 1 am, the security guy suggested this, “White boys, you had betta be a running fo the car!” we did.
Although I dearly love “Straight Ahead Jazz” I can’t totally say Fuzak is bad. Weather Report, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul and of course Jaco Pastorius did some spanking stuff when they left the straight ahead stuff behind with works like Corner Pocket.
I stopped going to the clubs in the early seventies as I became more involved with rock music. I still did go to some clubs in San Francisco and still collected the music but the Fillmore and the Rose Palace, in Pasadena, took over as my main interest.
When I hear young people speak of Kenny G as that jazz guy I cringe. Big Band music moved on but I never thought Jazz would.
My thoughts……… :¬}
Robert Ballard May 8th, 2006 Link
I think you were a little hard on Winton, not my favorite either, but I do enjoy his dad.
Paul May 9th, 2006 Link
I used to subscribe to WBEZ but now my radio money now goes to XM. I can catch jazz, blues, and Bob Edwards in addition to NPR (Car Talk, etc) and BBC when I want where ever I’m at.
For those west of Chicago who still want some good commercial free jazz and blues, try WDCB.
Robert Ballard May 9th, 2006 Link
I have two MINI iPods. One with Jazz and the other with a hodge podge of rock, pop, funk etc. My wife likes her Sirius.
