This is a tricky one. Some players play anything that works. A few view their mission as one with an element of education.


What do you think?


Russ

I will throw in trivia and tidbits about songs or artists, but more for entertainment than education. Makes me look smart. Well, not THAT smart.
For example, did you know that Kris Kristopherson wrote Sunday Morning Coming Down. He wanted to get it to Johnny Cash, but couldn't. So he rented a helicopter, landed it on John's lawn and handed him the tape. John recorded it the next week and they both lived happily ever after. For a while.
DonM

I'm talking about the Winton Marsalis approach. That is using performance venues to introduce more complicated structures...to play obscure but historically significant pieces...concentrate on bookings for Jazz Arts Societies, Philharmonics, conduct workshops for younger players, etc.

You pay the price, in terms of less work and less pay, but a small contingent of players think that this is their mission.

I am involved in these and similar "awareness" efforts.


Question # 1: Anyone else?
Question # 2: See any value to this effort/approach to performance?


Russ

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 05-17-2010).]

Well, I played Body and Soul in a Nashville honkytonk on lower broadway. Any of the normal jazz guys in town could have never stood up there and pulled it off, but because I have such a unique way of playing guitar, and because I'd played a few country tunes prior, the folks actually accepted it quite well.

Whenever I get church gigs, they're gonna hear some flat 9 sharp 11 chords on Amazing Grace whether they know it or not. LOL.

A country/bluegrass-ish record I produced for a client last month really never got more complex than a major 7th chord, but I did introduce a cellist and violinist into one of the balads. The client loved the idea, though he would have never thought to do it himself. So yeah, I try to put some level of artistic sophistication into everything I do.

Rory, wouldn't have expected anything else.


R.

I've pondered this before, and don't really know that I have an answer. Is it OK to dumb down the art in order to try to make it accessible to people? I mean, some folks think what I do is artsy fartsy, but others probably think I'm bastardizing the true art of jazz or classical music by trying to inject elements of it into what I do.

Is weather channel music educating people? It's certainly more harmonicly interesting than Lady Gaga, but true purest jazz guys loath it. The general public probably doesn't give it a thought at all; so is it serving any purpose as far as raising the musical awareness?

Strictly speaking, no, I don't...

But, I will routinely perform a tune that might not be in the top 100 for Retirement Communities or Animal Clubs.

It has to fit the audience of course, but beyond that, I just have to perform it well for the song to sell itself.

They aren't usually very sophisticated songs but usually no one else in this area plays them, so they work for me nicely.

Its kind of a trust thing, I've been told. Both NH and dance people have said they know that I'm not going to through something unsuitable out there, so they just go with it.

Examples would be Waltz of the Angels, Bella Notte, Fools Rush In, How's the World Treating You, etc.

Again, I don't claim that no one's playing these, but at least in this area, I'm not aware of anyone else doing them.

I hear quite often from people at my performances that other acts rarely add new material and plays the same stuff over and over again...

So in some lower brow way, I suppose my audiences get to hear and appreciate material they don't usually get to hear.

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Bill in Dayton

I never really thought about it but I usually add jazz sensibilities to just about everthing I do. I play the same stuff as everyone else but every so often some one will tell me something like "I never heard that tune played like that before"
I guess that's a good thing. I would hate to play just like the recording. Not sure if I'm educating or not...

Well I reckon I'm not educating, just entertaining.
Seriously, as a rule I'm not interested in someone trying to educate me into enjoying a certain musical niche. Now Professor Russ, would be the exception. I'll sign up for your class any time my friend!
I used to go to a Jazz Club, The Rubiot, in Tulsa, when I was college age. But I was there because I thought it was the thing to do, not because I particularly liked it.
Even then, I could truly appreciate the talent level required, but I got really bored after about three songs, each lasting 9 or 10 minutes!
Gimme old Hank anytime. He will educate you about life it's ownself. (That's an obscure literary reference by the way, not just bad grammar!)
DonM Billy Clyde

[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 05-17-2010).]

I guess it depends if you are in a concert or a dance gig situation...

I'm sure Wynton didn't interrupt the dance floor (back when he MIGHT have been playing dance gigs!) to give a short lecture on Jazz History!

I just figure, if you are in a jazz club situation, the audience probably knows as much as you do, and really would prefer to hear music rather than a dissertation Me, I tend to feel trying to 'teach' the masses at a dance gig like the old saying... "Never try to teach a pig to sing- it wastes your time and annoys the pig"