• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Why isn't Jazz that popular? (DB forum thread)

#462
Eight_Stringer said:
Of modern Jazz, nothing like being a minority in a minority, clinging to one another for support. Played bass for 40 years, nothing in modern Jazz gets me dancing, on or off stage. If you enjoy your modern Jazz, great. Spare the rest of us, that for many modern jazz players, we appear not to understand, we do understand well, we do not care for modern jazz, just has no pleasure to the ear. Enjoy your jazz at home or rare venues, as opposed many modern venues have jazz as muzac backround, the punters could care less. Regards.
Click to expand...

And what exactly is modern Jazz? Is it Jazz you can't dance to?
Is modern Jazz crap because you can't dance to it?
To me good music is medicin for the soul and not for exercise my leg muscles:hyper:!
95% of Jazz music is crap anyway and you can dance to most of it one way or another!!
Cheers
 
#467
lidesnowi said:
I have no problem dancing to this Jan Hammer - Twenty One - YouTube
But i rarely dance!
Click to expand...

I don't see that one has to dance and I don't see you necessarily need to actively listen 100%. An album I have by Basie just transforms the ambience of a room. Having it in background is great, and you can zoom in and concentrate from time to time.

I think it is possible to have background music that is not musk.
 
#468
fingerbun said:
I don't see that one has to dance and I don't see you necessarily need to actively listen 100%. An album I have by Basie just transforms the ambience of a room. Having it in background is great, and you can zoom in and concentrate from time to time.

I think it is possible to have background music that is not musk.
Click to expand...

Background music is only annoying in my opinion!
I can't listen to music passively, its impossible to me!
 
#470
fingerbun said:
Sir, the fact that your profile says you have played with Anita O'Day means I will let you say anything you want.

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous of that.
Click to expand...

he does say anything he wants! ;) yeah, that's pretty cool alright. don't waste time being jealous, the musical climate as it was in the time of Anita O'Day's career just doesn't exist anymore. pretty tragic really. it was a different era, and big time established/popular bandleaders rarely (if ever) hire players on based raw musical talent now. it's more about networking than it's ever been. it's an overcrowded profession. marketing, statistics, higher education ($$$$), social status (proper breeding), polite lifestyles, figure heavily in filling of every chair in that slick band you see on the tube. it just is.
 
#473
Out of the simple fact that Jazz is not Pop music!
Real Jazz music (and improvisation-based music in general, not Kenny G) comes from the depths of one's soul!
But as many know, today's music business is totally soulless!
Today it is all about what the music looks like and to make quick cash, sick but true!
Real music is not for the masses!
 
#478
A. Munk said:
Why more people don't like jazz?
Let's see.. How about we play the head, then the front line can all takes solos. After that the piano or guitar then the bass. Then we can trade fours with the drummer. Then we can take the head out.
Really? Every tune? Really?
Click to expand...

Even if that were the case (and it clearly isn't), so what? There's a lot of room in that structure. How many films have you seen that don't follow, essentially to the letter, Aristotelian principles of plot structure, for example?
 
#479
been following this thread for days now, it's pretty interesting.

Remember the swing revival of the 90s? Squirell Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy...It was popular, but I remember people saying "that's not real swing...why, way back in the day..."

The definition of Jazz, by its nature, is always open for debate. I read an article where Ben Allison even questioned whether his music could be accepted as "jazz."

Ad to this the diminishing role of live music, in general. You don't have to be a jazz musician to see all the clubs reverting to Djs at the expense of live music, in the last decade.

Jazz is more technical and more demanding, for the average musician. A world class jazz musician, however, is probably on par with a world class musician from other style, be it rock, folk, Indian Classical, or whatever. 10K hours, you know...

But this hierarchy of musical styles is also a bit absurd. Music is music. It is the least important thing in life. It is the most important thing in life.

I have studied jazz and music theory since high school, and have continued studies into college, despite having another major and master's. I have played in college Jazz ensembles, a pro jazz quartet, and a critically recognized "acid jazz" band in the 90s (opening for Karl Denson, Galactic, etc.) I recently came out of a 5+ year period where I listened to and played nothing but Jazz...

Now I play in a "jam band" (ebg) and a " bluegrass/county" band (urb). Do I consider Jazz to be the ultimate? It is pretty cool. If I could find the right band, perhaps that would be my focus. I could dig playing with a group like MMW, The Bad Plus, or Jessica Lurie Ensemble....but I really enjoy and bring my artistry and technique into these other projects.

Jazz requires a better skill set than folk or rock. Is it better music? I don't know. I do believe that world class is world class, no matter the genre (and I am not world class).
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back