Clark Terry's Lifetime Achievement Grammy
Tradition.
A great deal of emphasis during this conference has been placed on tradition. The importance of carrying a legacy through but never losing sight of the artistic journey of finding your own voice. After the recent internet explosion concerning a self-serving piece by an artist whose name I simply prefer to not mention as it disrespects just about everything the JEN Conference stands for I asked bassist Rufus Reid - Is Jazz Dead?
"Oh absolutely not!"
Reid added that while there will always be pockets where the music is more vibrant than others, jazz is far from dead. Jazz is expansive. Reid remarked that he finds himself in a musical place where he is hearing new sounds from a multitude of influences with the end result of changing compositions greatly effected by more than just a career of playing the same standards or writing the same changes. There is a growth and evolution to jazz that is alive and well.
Reid echoed my sentiments that there are a great many young players playing with their heads more so then their hearts. These players are going back and getting advanced degrees and becoming educators which is fine, but you have to play the music. Having long stated the belief there may be a small "pocket" of musicians that are more concerned about the business of jazz then they really are the music, Reid agreed. To paraphrase Reid, "Do you want to be famous or do you want to be a musician as these are most often two separate sides of the jazz coin." Again, Reid seemed to echo my sentiments that this same pocket of musicians seems to be attempting to make a career out of riding on the names of those that have passed before while offering very little originality of their own. They lack real passion. Odd meter and the speed is king approach may get you some press in a hurry but just as easy brand you as flavor of the month, if you lack the ability to sustain a certain level of creativity.
As the convention starts to wrap up today, I will be attending a seminar conducted by Louisville bassist John Goldsby that is designed for musicians that wish to write about music. Having a comfortable feeling that one hour with Goldsby who is also an editor with Bass Player Magazine may reap far more benefits then another six months as a volunteer publicist for All About Jazz, the final day of the JEN Conference looks to be a winner.
The best a critic can offer is perspective. The best an artist can offer is a real look inside themselves. It is the fan that ultimately has the final say. This critic is simply a cultural tour guide starting a new journey on a new year. My initial skepticism for 2012 has been easily washed away when it comes to the issues facing jazz today.
Don't fix the blame. Fix the problem.
