Blue Note President Don Was on the Future of Jazz...

[Jim Soloway]

my point? my points are:

1. The interviewer doesn't have a very good understanding of what jazz musicians are really doing with tech. i suppose one could say that's why he asked an industry expert. but the way he asked was a provocative leading of the witness.

2. the range and subtlety of expression that electronic technology is capable of - at this point in time - is much more narrow than that of the acoustic instruments, and for that matter, even "conventional" electric instruments like the guitar. OTOH - electronics can make sounds that acoustics aren't capable of - and some of them have proven to be appealing to people in a lasting way.

3. It's a free country. One can do whatever they wish. They can satisfy themselves, take selfies, navel gaze, etc. They can conduct failed experiments. They can play with a synth all day long for all i care. But there's the rub you see - what they can't do is make people give a damn. What they can't do is force people to like it. People will decide, and in fact have decided historically. John Cage got a down vote. Pink Floyd got both up votes and down votes (more guys than gals?).

Individuals go through phases as they grow up, and what they have shown over time is that they prefer something genuine as opposed to sterile/synthetic. Do people who have grown up with electronic sounds like electronic sounds more than their predecessors? sure. But over the arc of their lives have shown that they don't want electronics to replace acoustics, or even "real" electric instruments. They would rather hear and watch their hero (like Van Halen or Steve Vai?) playing an electric guitar than some dude with a cheeky smile playing an iPad.

So you'll have to negotiate with them, not me.

I think this one where discretion is the better part of valour so I'll just agree to disagree with you and move on to another topic.

[fumblefingers]

That's fine. Note that the Moog synthesizer is decades old.

In October I went to the Met and saw Carmen, to Blue Note and saw Chick Corea, to Dizzy's Club and saw a trad jazz band play the late night show at 11:30 (That's a New Orleans style band in Manhattan - all young guys too). Chick played an electronic keyboard on some songs but not all, his guitarist played an electric guitar, and a nylon string with pickup.

I went to the GFA International Guitar Competition a couple of weeks ago in OKC. They streamed the competition live, just like last year. That's high tech.

Will see a jazz show this week with an up and coming guitarist.

The common thread? No iPads or fake instruments.


I think the interviewer in the OP views IT and the internet as a disruptive influence on journalism/print media (killing it in fact), and was seeking some shared commiseration, and didn't really get it.

too bad for Huffpo.