|  | | 
09-01-2009, 04:29 AM
| | | | allaboutjazz.com article
Sign in to disble this ad
Last edited by Seoul : 09-01-2009 at 04:33 AM.
|
09-01-2009, 04:33 AM
|  | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | I liked this part :
Gig Whores are the largest class within the jazz community, and are the easiest to find. They ply their wares in hotel lobbies, restaurants, private parties of all types, and anywhere else that jazz is degraded to an artless commodity and sold to the highest bidder. This is done knowingly and willfully, but not without self-pity; while a Gig Whore may claim to be working "in the trenches," the jazz musician within knows that he's really plumbing untreated musical sewage. 
__________________
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
Charles Mingus |
09-01-2009, 10:13 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Chicago | |
Sorry pal, with that attitude we all might as well slit our wrists. That cat has way too much time on his hands...
Seriously, I just like to play music. |
09-01-2009, 10:17 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chicago | |
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehochberg 
Seriously, I just like to play music.
| +1 |
09-01-2009, 01:52 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Albuquerque | | FYI, there is also another thread about this article over here. Quote:
Originally Posted by ehochberg Seriously, I just like to play music. | Personally, I kind of take this as the unwritten positive note of this piece. That is, we all have to go through all the bs Bill mentions, but in the end we do it anyway, because we love it so much. |
09-01-2009, 02:07 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | | | Who is the guy who wrote that? |
09-01-2009, 03:00 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maui | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case Who is the guy who wrote that? | http://www.billanschell.com |
09-01-2009, 04:59 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City area | | | I just took a trio gig in a hotel lobby with a sax player that barely knows which end to blow. $75 and I wear a tux.
Call me a whore all you want but I have bills to pay and I can't pay them sitting at home.
__________________
You forget sometimes that you are playing music, not just playing jazz. ....Charlie Haden
|
09-01-2009, 07:24 PM
|  | Registered User
Maker of HPF-Pre upright bass preamp | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Madison WI | | | I read it as a comedy piece. |
09-01-2009, 07:29 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | | | I hope he was being comical, how can any jazz player write that seriously? We all have to earn our dinner some way. |
09-02-2009, 03:18 AM
| | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case I hope he was being comical, how can any jazz player write that seriously? We all have to earn our dinner some way. | Well I think there are two ways to look at this and I can see both!
So you are talking about the practical view of the musician, who needs to make a living.
But I can also see this from the point of view of the Jazz fan or audience member who loves Jazz as an Art Form, that has value,meaning and is a big part of 20/21st Century culture.
I can see some Jazz as works of art on a par with Da Vinci,Michelangelo,Mozart,Beethoven etc. etc.
So when I see classical music used to advertise products on TV it feels "debased" and I can see a similar view of Jazz used as "musical wallpaper" ....it's taking something I love and respect and removing the meaning and value ... 
__________________
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
Charles Mingus |
09-02-2009, 06:38 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield Well I think there are two ways to look at this and I can see both!
So you are talking about the practical view of the musician, who needs to make a living.
But I can also see this from the point of view of the Jazz fan or audience member who loves Jazz as an Art Form, that has value,meaning and is a big part of 20/21st Century culture.
I can see some Jazz as works of art on a par with Da Vinci,Michelangelo,Mozart,Beethoven etc. etc.
So when I see classical music used to advertise products on TV it feels "debased" and I can see a similar view of Jazz used as "musical wallpaper" ....it's taking something I love and respect and removing the meaning and value ... | I see what you're saying, but IME I have never treated a jazz gig, or any gig as anything less than art. Even if I'm playing the crappiest "aural wallpaper" gig I still give 100% of myself to it. Most musicians I've played with do too.
I understand what a privilege and honor it is to have the opportunity and ability to play music.
As far as music being debased, well I don't agree. If people are getting some exposure to great music even if it's to sell a car or some other item, they are still being reached. I think keeping the art away from the "common folk" is part of the reason everybody thinks "art" music is losing it's audience.
Just enjoy the music and get over the rest.
Last edited by Michael Case : 09-02-2009 at 06:41 AM.
|
09-02-2009, 06:49 AM
| | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | | Well if you do that - that's fine - but the suspicion is that if nobody is really listening, then why should it be treated seriously or with 100% concentration...?
__________________
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
Charles Mingus |
09-02-2009, 08:28 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Chicago | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case I see what you're saying, but IME I have never treated a jazz gig, or any gig as anything less than art. Even if I'm playing the crappiest "aural wallpaper" gig I still give 100% of myself to it. Most musicians I've played with do too.
I understand what a privilege and honor it is to have the opportunity and ability to play music.
As far as music being debased, well I don't agree. If people are getting some exposure to great music even if it's to sell a car or some other item, they are still being reached. I think keeping the art away from the "common folk" is part of the reason everybody thinks "art" music is losing it's audience.
Just enjoy the music and get over the rest. | +1, well said, although I'm not thrilled with the idea of using music that wasn't originally created for advertising purposes to sell something. |
09-02-2009, 08:53 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chicago | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case
As far as music being debased, well I don't agree. If people are getting some exposure to great music even if it's to sell a car or some other item, they are still being reached.
|
kinda like when they used Take 5 to sell Infinity?
ya know, for the common folk... |
09-02-2009, 08:56 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Albuquerque | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case I hope he was being comical, how can any jazz player write that seriously? We all have to earn our dinner some way. | He's definitely joking. He has a great (if dark) sense of humor. He wrote that famous jazz jam session rules piece a while back. There's more on his website. I like the Jazz Math piece. Here are a couple of examples:
4 + 4.125 + 4 + 3.875 + 4 + (4.667) + 4 + (x, where x is unknown) = 1 chorus trading with drummer.
Jam session + eighth-note rest = missed opportunity. |
09-02-2009, 09:07 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield Well if you do that - that's fine - but the suspicion is that if nobody is really listening, then why should it be treated seriously or with 100% concentration...? | Well, for me and most of the people I have had the pleasure to play with we use the fact that people may not be listening to take chances and have fun. Whenever we decided to just have fun while playing it usually turns a few heads. I had made a choice to avoid the folks who don't share this attitude, it makes for a miserable gig. |
09-02-2009, 09:14 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chicago | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case Well, for me and most of the people I have had the pleasure to play with we use the fact that people may not be listening to take chances and have fun. Whenever we decided to just have fun while playing it usually turns a few heads. I had made a choice to avoid the folks who don't share this attitude, it makes for a miserable gig. | +1 |
09-02-2009, 09:20 AM
|  | Student of Life Forum Administrator | | Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisville, KY | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Case Well, for me and most of the people I have had the pleasure to play with we use the fact that people may not be listening to take chances and have fun. Whenever we decided to just have fun while playing it usually turns a few heads. I had made a choice to avoid the folks who don't share this attitude, it makes for a miserable gig. | +2 |
09-02-2009, 09:22 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maui | | | Same here. To me, playing at less than 100% only results in short changing yourself and those around you. Nobody I play with does that, thankfully. It would be like trying to save up your energy for later, to be spent only when it really counts. The process is what energizes you, and it is self-generated and infinitely renewable. If it's not, I think it's time to look at another line of work.
IMHO. |  | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
