[JPL] Experts talk on the state of jazz in Las Vegas

[ron-gill at att.net]

On Jul 15, 2009, at 10:55 PM, Dr. Jazz wrote:

> Interesting comment from the smooth jazzer:  "...what jazz was and  
> what jazz needs to become..."
> -Dr.

    If this is the only thing this panel could conclude from their  
symposium, well,they are not saying anything
    new. Same old comments about educating students (young people )  
early, what jazz was and is today,
    and the old comment about jazz being an art form and we should  
preserve it. OK...now what? Any ideas
    on how you stop the bleeding?
    All of us, involved in this music, producing it, airing it,  
promoting it, etc. have the responsibility  to come
    up with the answers.
    First thing, all of us mature guys on JPL remember when listening  
to the radio back in the day, all the music
    was played on radio stations and programs. Alongside Brubeck or  
Shearing we heard Sinatra and Laine.
    It was a mix of Spike Jones and Duke. That is how the listener  
learned about all the music that was
    available to them. Then, they chose what they liked. Everything  
today is programmed to a small segment
    of the listening audience, and we know what that audience is  
hearing. It isn't that all of it is bad, it's just
    that they have no idea of the vast amount of quality music that  
is out there for them to chose from.
    That is where the discussion should start. How do you program  
music in as wide a spectrum that you can
    and still maintain a quality of music that the listener can hook  
onto.
    Ideas?  Let's talk about that.
    Ron Gill
    Singer/consultant
    Charlotte, NC






>
>
> Experts talk on the state of jazz in Las Vegas
> Jazz symposium evokes comments about saving jazz as art form
> By Jerry Fink (contact)
>
> Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 1:47 p.m.
>
> During a symposium earlier this year, a panel of experts spoke on  
> the fate of jazz in Las Vegas. Here are some of their comments:
>
> Vincent Falcone, long-time music director for Frank Sinatra: "I  
> remember Frank Sinatra once saying to me, 'If you only play the  
> notes, it doesn't mean a thing.' You've got to have soul, dynamics,  
> ups and downs. That's what the greatest jazz musicians do  
> naturally, instinctively. ... What we need today is the support of  
> those of us who really love jazz. Get out and support the musicians."
>
> David Loeb, director of jazz studies at UNLV: "This is a jazz town,  
> or at least it was. I believe it still is. There is certainly an  
> undercurrent, an optimism for continuing the art form. That's what  
> we're trying to do at the university -- we're trying to perpetuate  
> the art form of jazz and also to prepare students to go out and  
> make a living. Jazz is our cultural art form, and we need to  
> preserve it."
>
> John Nasshan, drummer and host of a jazz program on KUNV 91.5-FM:  
> "Jazz is the only true American art form and we don't treat it  
> well. Once you get involved in jazz at any level, you don't lose  
> the love for it. We need to support the art form, but we're not  
> doing it. "
>
> Frank Leone, president of the Las Vegas Jazz Society and Musicians  
> Union Local 369: "We grew up with songs that easily became  
> accessible to jazz, but not today. It's all hip-hop, and Clear  
> Channel owns every radio station in America and it's not going to  
> give you a choice. Today kids aren't being exposed to jazz till  
> they get to junior high school, and all of a sudden have a music  
> appreciation class in jazz and classical. It's too late -- way too  
> late. We have to get them early."
>
> Dana Crawford, smooth jazz deejay with KOAS 105.7-FM: "If we don't  
> build a bridge between what jazz was and what jazz needs to become  
> it's going to die here. We need to find a way for the art form to  
> evolve and become something people in their 20s and 30s will want  
> to come out and see. If we don't educate the young about what was  
> and also expose them to what is, jazz is going to die. It has  
> nowhere to go."
>
> -- 
> Dr. Jazz
> Dr. Jazz Operations
> 24270 Eastwood
> Oak Park, MI  48237
> (248) 542-7888
> http://www.drjazz.com
> SKYPE:  drjazz99
>
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