Yea, Tony, there is a very sad side of jazz.
Chet Baker, Anita O'Day and others led tragic lives...drug addiction, poverty, criminal activity and more.
The fatal flaw for most is that they lived, practiced 10 hours a day and breathed jazz for 15 years before they realized that the general public doesn't do that. They then blamed the public for the lack of appreciation. They got jealous and resentful of anyone playing any other type of music and doing better financially than they were, which was most musicians. They basically played themselves out of a job. Lot's of jazz is only understood by knowing changes and structure (or the lack of it). Frqankly, it's an acquired taste and not very plesant to listen to for many. I was priviledged to see most of the greats living in LA in the early 60's. Ray Brown told me to listen but NEVER be like them. Before LA, I played a regular jam session at the Federal Narcotic Hospital here in Lexington, where the giants of the field at the time came through occasionally to clean up via methadone.
I loaned ZUKI the book that is supposed to be the definitive history of jazz, with many narratives written by the artists. So sad.
I'll send it to you when he's through with it.
Jazz is a beautiful, complicated art form, with meager rewards. Once you're hooked, you're hooked, and can't bring yourself to play anything else. If you sell out, you're miserable. If you stick to your guns, you starve.
And those who are not intimately involved don't appreciate or understand the music, the lifestyle or the history.
All that being said, I'm so fortunate to have had jazz as a major part of my life.
Russ
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