Why are "covers" looked down on?

[JoeWPgh]

You would have to have a hole in your soul to look down on this cover band. It's the greatest cover band in the whole world because...well... it is the whole world. Playing For Change

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqqWfsIxbPo

 

[bswag]

... and don't forget, ol' man Bach was a coffee-house musician. Yeah, that's right; the counterpoint crowd used to have fugue throwdowns at the local java joint; he who improvised the funkiest fugue wins!
That's right again- classical musicians/composers IMPROVISING, imagine that!

I'm inclined to think that if Muddy met Mozart on musical territory, they'd have an almighty jam session (and steal a buncha each other's licks). Little Walter used to swipe stuff from jazz horn players on the harmonica; think he couldn't have done likewise with Beethoven? Sure he could! (They call it a "Mississippi saxophone" for a reason.)

NB: Paganini was also an awesome guitarist. Once read an account (was it in Guitar Player?) by a contemporary who'd gone to whatever city to see the Maestro fiddle; strolling about the town the day of the show, he encounters a wandering minstrel playing his guitar with such skill as to have a growing crowd following him about. Eventually, the Mystery Picker gave them all the slip... That evening, when the curtain goes up, the great Paganini steps forth, and- guess who?
So Charlie Daniels would have his hands full, you betcha.

 

[ShoeManiac]

My personal preference is to perform original material. And it's related to a few different aspect that come along with the original scene.

A lot of that has to do with the attachment to the material. In original situations there's the potential to see the material from an initial idea through rehearsals and arrangements. You find what works, and it comes across in the collective voices of the songwriter, singer(s) and instrumentalists.

There's also the recording studio. A big part of the original scene is selling your product. And a big part of that product is recorded music. The recording studio experience gives you that opportunity to immortalize your material in a recorded medium. And that process of making a recording can be a seperate type of artistic expression from your live performances.

Last, but certainly not least, are the gigs and your audience. My experience on the original scene is that the gigs are pretty different from the cover circuit. Your audience tends to be more engaged with the band than on having a night out. That higher level of focus and attention is great because you have a better opportunity to connect with the audience. The venues also tend to be different as well, because most of them try to keep the focus on the stage. Many of the cover gigs I've played over the years were in bars that had TV's running with whatever sporting event happened to be on at the time.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

... and don't forget, ol' man Bach was a coffee-house musician. Yeah, that's right; the counterpoint crowd used to have fugue throwdowns at the local java joint; he who improvised the funkiest fugue wins!
That's right again- classical musicians/composers IMPROVISING, imagine that!

I'm inclined to think that if Muddy met Mozart on musical territory, they'd have an almighty jam session (and steal a buncha each other's licks). Little Walter used to swipe stuff from jazz horn players on the harmonica; think he couldn't have done likewise with Beethoven? Sure he could! (They call it a "Mississippi saxophone" for a reason.)

NB: Paganini was also an awesome guitarist. Once read an account (was it in Guitar Player?) by a contemporary who'd gone to whatever city to see the Maestro fiddle; strolling about the town the day of the show, he encounters a wandering minstrel playing his guitar with such skill as to have a growing crowd following him about. Eventually, the Mystery Picker gave them all the slip... That evening, when the curtain goes up, the great Paganini steps forth, and- guess who?
So Charlie Daniels would have his hands full, you betcha.

yep the almighty "Chromatic Fantasy" is improvised ... quite feat compare to what we tend to do now

 

[nukes_da_bass]

My bet is Paganinni used lute, not guitar. Guitar was a folk instrument in Paganinni's day- lute was the go to string instrument from early through the baroque and into the classical periods.
Classical guitar didn't even exist before the 20th century as.we know it- closest instrument was a Flamenco guitar.