We've spent the last couple of nights at St. Pete Beach, Florida at the Don Cesar Hotel, it's a beautiful hotel on the Gulf. There's plenty of entertainment daily including a jazz quartet(piano, bass, drums and sax) Thursday thru Saturday evenings. The pianist gets to play the 7 foot Yamaha grand in house. Outdoors this afternoon at poolside and the beach bar there was an acoustic guitarist/vocalist singing and playing.

Some comments, there were about 5 of us in the lounge last night listening to the quartet. The remaining 25 or 30 people were at the bar watching baseball and/or football.applause for the quartet was practically non-existent. Earlier in the evening I spotted the drummer unloading his drum set from a circa 1997 Ford Aerostar van. Put new meaning to the following that has been posted here in the past

Musician is someone who loads $5000 worth of gear in a $500 car/van 100 miles to a $50 gig.

As far as the acoustic musician he played 4 hours on the pool deck all the songs sounded similar. He got more applause than the jazzers did.

Well I guess that proves it; all legit musicians should throw away their (legit) instruments, nail the 7ft Grand shut, and buy an arranger; that will surely make the (music) world a better place. And while we're at it, let's kill off all the 'jazzers'. After all, who likes that garbage anyway, with all those fancy chords and stuff; hell, they probably even read music.

BTW, you didn't mention anything about the QUALITY of the performers; ie. I'd rather hear a good guitarist/vocalist than a bad jazz quartet. Also, sometimes an audience's response to a performance says more about the audience than about the performer. JMO.

chas

Steve sounds like the Jazzers although a good act were in the wrong venue?...you really have to pick & choose your audience target these days, Unless you don't care and just need to make some money playing anywhere for anything. It's getting rougher in the trenches day by day for live acts, vs what's out there and the stiff competition, especially the "CLUB" musician,........suddenly sitting home and enjoy yourself playing, recording, etc, is becoming a personal solitary bliss these days.

Chas has a good point about applause and audiences. It brings to mind a gig I did last Wednesday, although different circumstances. The point is audiences may very well enjoy your music, but don't necessarily show it.

I was playing a variety of genre's for about two hundred patrons, and getting a smattering of applause, but there they were eating and talking. After my show, the MC got up and asked how the food was,small applaus. He then thanked me for playing, and the whole room stood up and applauded. Needless to say, I am playing there every week now.

People may not immediately react, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy what you are presenting.

The guitarist/vocalist every tune he played sounded the same IMO he was just so-so it was a pleasure when he took breaks and they piped in music to the pool area.

The jazzers were tight and played very well.

I think Donny might be on to something. One thing I noticed when we lived in Hawaii, for instance, was that EVERY SINGLE SUPER-EXCLUSIVE CLUB on the island featured JAZZ and Jazz alone. The rest (especially the tourist traps) featured local entertainers playing traditional Hawaiian music, karaoke, or (in the northern part of the island (cowboy country), Country/Western.

I think, as Donny pointed out, venue is important. I guess I probably do bristle a little when people imply or hint at the fact that jazz, which some consider more challenging to play and requires more from the listener, needs to be ridiculed and is somehow less acceptable than other (simpler) musical forms and feel a need to trot out examples to prove it. Sometimes we need to be reminded that it IS considered to be America's only true original art form. Like Classical music, Opera, Ballet, and other art forms that require a level of sophistication from the audience, it will never command the popularity enjoyed by pop music, but for those lucky enough to appreciate what goes into a great jazz performance, thank goodness it does seem to survive the generations. JMO.

chas

I agree Steve its like going out to eat at a Buffet that only has ONE THING TO EAT!

... sorry - had to reply, but my very passionate response belongs in the bar ... or maybe nowhere.

To me it's no mystery. The guitarist, as mediocre as he was probably played familiar songs and SANG ! The jazzers played unfamiliar tunes ( for a non jazz oriented audience ) and didn't sing .
Jazz only works for very specific venues or as light background music In a restaurant or elevator . Just kidding I'm a big jazz fan and play it incredibly mediocre compared to my favorite artists.

chas, I may have misread your reply, and if I did I apologize, but it sounded like you thought Steve was putting the jazz group down, and knowing him as I do, I KNOW he was not doing that, but just stating his experience ... after all, he WAS listening to the jazz group ...

I certainly agree with the comments about venue ... I love listening to good jazz groups ( I guess there may be a couple of bad ones around), but I will say that if I go to someplace like Hawaii, I am not going there to listen to jazz groups unless some venue is featuring someone special ... I am looking to be entertained by some of the good local musicians/singers/dancers, performing their traditional music ...

Tony, maybe I did misunderstand Steve's intent. I have to explain that I absolutely HATE the term 'jazzer/s' as though it's some weird cult of eccentrics who have no appreciation for any other musical forms.....or maybe I just don't like labels. I also felt like it implied that almost anything is preferable to even good jazz, even a mediocre solo guitarist/vocalist. What would YOU say the point of the post was other than to point out the unpopularity of jazz? My apologies to Steve if I misinterpreted his post.

chas

Hi Stephen
sounds like the poolside patrons had better manners than the crowd hanging out at the bar.

Rikki all I can figure there were more people with "jock" mentality at the bar and I''m not saying that's bad. We in America love baseball and football. Weird thing this was really an upscale hotel you'd think the clientele would have a greater appreciation of good music. Guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



Donny, I like that analogy!

Guitar, bass, piano, B-3...I'll find a way to play jazz until I physically can't anymore.

It'll cost me. There's less money, fewer jobs and harder to play, more complex material.

Can't see it any other way.


R.

Tony thank you, Chas I didn't take it as an insult I knew I didn't make myself clear. Really weird I think that's the first time I've used the term "jazzers". Actually I've been a fan of jazz for many years I think it was 1968 when I became fan. Living an hour from Boston and 3 hours from NYC I've been to a number of the clubs to hear some great jazz. As a fan of jazz piano I believe the best shows I've seen were played by Makoto Ozone and Michel Camilo. As I recall we loved seeing and hearing Groove Holmes. I also had the opportunity to see John Pizzarelli 3 times, once he accompanied his wife Jessica Molaskey, that show was tops.

At one time we had a well known local jazz club in Providence called Allary's, I'm sure Tony has been there. Before Mike Renzi moved to NYC he was the resident pianist at Allary's. I spent many a Sunday afternoon there listening to some great musicians who worked with Mike.


Mike Renzi Bio At Wikipedia

chas ... Unfortunately - for me - Steve has already responded, but I will give my answer since you asked for it:
I have the benefit of knowing Steve fairly well, and consider him a close friend ... that being said, knowing Steve as I do, I am POSITIVE he was not putting Jazz musicians down in any way, shape, or form ... he has too much respect for musicians and the art to do that ... In MY opinion, Steve was commenting on the sorry state of affairs today, in that, polished musicians - Jazz or otherwise - are not listened to the way a guy strumming guitar and singing songs from the "Top 10 Do Not Play List" as my son would call it, is listened to, and what seems to take first priority in many venues, is the 'game' on TV ...
I ABSOLUTELY did not take it as a 'put down' of Jazz musicians, and having read his post several times, even being a fan of Jazz, I fail to see how anyone would - but PERHAPS if I WERE a Jazz MUSICIAN ...

Tony, Thank you. Amazing the power of the SZ, although we only live about 20 minutes away from each other we would have never crossed paths if it weren't for SZ. Met plenty of other great people here too, Frankieve, Gary, Donny, Korgman5, Saxxman too many other names to list. Thank you Nigel.

Hi,
Too bad you weren't informed about the Clearwater Jazz Festival which showcased Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave on Oct 14th. We go every year and have heard some great jazz (Chick Corea last year).

Skip

Steve, all I can do is double down on my apology. Truth is, your post DOES highlight the problems of club owners and lounge managers trying to promote jazz in their clubs - it's just a reality, a sad, sad reality. BUT, for those of us that enjoy, value, and appreciate good jazz (in all it's forms), let's hope these good 'soldiers' keep fighting the good fight to keep the art form alive.

chas

Chas thank you I appreciate the apology.... I probably wasn't as offended as I may have come across. I agree with you "let's hope these good 'soldiers' keep fighting the good fight to keep the art form alive."



I guess it's what we call a day late and a dollar short. We had no idea that festival was taking place. Just discovered about a week ago from a magazine article that Chick Corea lives in Clearwater.