Re: [Harp-L] Suzuki SCT-128 and jazz

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 2, 2005, at 10:47 AM, Mark Russillo wrote:

> Mr. Ross -
>
>   I appreciate your comprehensive review of the Suzuki SCT-128.  I 
> also appreciate your candor on the future of the harmonica in the jazz 
> realm, although, it appears your arguments in that regard are steeped 
> in a larger philosphical argument about fatalism vs. optimism that may 
> have missed the larger point.
>
>   As I recall, my position (and Smokey Joe's - though I'm sure he can 
> speak for himself) on the future of the harmonica in jazz was part of 
> a broader view of the presentation of the harmonica in the jazz solo 
> context as a way to enhance its viability to those who may not be 
> familiar with the harmonica and/or the jazz idiom (jazz virus is 
> Toot's term for it).  It is apparent you don't believe it can be 
> enhanced.  In my view, that is unfortunate.

   *   I seem to remember writing that jazz was dead. And J.R. gently 
chided me with Naah, Naah, Na Na Naah (probably at the instigation of 
Snuffy) :) What I should have said that jass was 'relatively' dead. As 
compared to previous eras, that is. Remembering back to years past, I 
had moved from N.Y.C., which had a greater population of 20 million if 
one counted anyone who was willing to drive up to 57 miles. This fan 
base, along with the fact that there were (alone) thousands of music 
students meant you had a good jazz base to draw from. Your 'base' was 
ALL ages.

 In 1964 I left the Seebees and moved to Pgh. There you had a greater 
population of 2.7 million and the town was just over 700,000. In ONE 
generation I watched that figure fall to 356,419. It is the third most 
depressed area in the U.S. behind Detroit and St. Louis. There were 70 
radio stations and they ran the gamut from Polka, Country-Western, 
Various Ethnic, R&B, Rock. NO blues and very little jazz. There is 
currently only one jazz station there and it is Duquesne Univ. Radio. 
The 'big dog' at the station is Tony Mowad and he is a HUGE fan of 
Hendrik Meurkens. Tony & I were ALWAYS there when Hendrik came to town. 
Your 'base' is basically older wealthier people. This is not to say 
that they are more cultured, smarter or better educated and therefore 
refined enough to LIKE jazz. It simply means that they can go out and 
dine, dance, and enjoy music without dipping into their rent money. 
Why? Because they are older and more established at their place of 
employ or are professional people.

 I have long had the suspicion that people (generally) like or identify 
with music from their age 16-25 years. This would put my wife and I 
(63) at 1958-1967. You will notice NO shortage of fans in the 63 year 
old range at the 'Doo-Wop' concerts which are regularly aired from Pgh. 
But jazz is older than that and the crowds tend to be older too. As 
jazz wanes, there are less and less fans (even though the population 
rises). Although the wife likes recent musics (Moody Blues, Foreigner, 
Journey, Paul Simon, Queen, Eagles, Steeley Dan, Bread, America, etc), 
I happen to like stuff from my PARENTS era, so until 'I' die, I will be 
a fan. That and the fact that before my 2 complete facial rebuilds, I 
played a couple different instruments.

  Now I'm so sure that J.R. is much more knowledgeable in these things 
as I have been keeping an eye on him for years, so I would be the last 
to even consider debating this and was only giving MY perspective as I 
have seen it. I would say that any music seems to flow in cycles of X 
number of years. It's just that right now, jazz's get up and go has got 
up and went.

 It's harder to get the jazz gigs. It's harder to 'grab' the audience. 
You can get out there and do a great rendition of Song for my Father or 
Little Sunflower and it goes over their heads, but a couple choruses of 
Proud Mary or Mustang Sally, and that's just great. England has an 
advantage in this respect. They have all genres of fans. It has been 
said that they are a generation behind the U.S. in music and are still 
in the big band era. Well God bless THEM. The French STILL come out in 
droves for jazz. God Bless them too. As for jazz in this country, the 
California sound has been driving the industry and if you want to 
record what YOU want, you have to do it yourself. If not, you get what 
Calif wants you to hear. It's no different than it was for Rock back in 
the 60s & 70s. You had your Iron Butterfly, Lead Zepplin, Manganeese 
Torpedo, Zinc Centipede,
Molybdinum Moth, or whatever Calif felt like producing.

 Here in SW Fla, their idea of a jazz station is Marvin Gaye doing 
Sexual Healing (yeah, right, like if I have to hear THAT tune one more 
time before I die, it will be too soon). These stations suck so bad 
that the only good one is my buddy Zane Scott's program for 1 crummy 
hour on Sunday. I am so frustrated I have taken to listening to the 
Cuban & Mexican stations. At least THEIR stuff is 'happy-feet' music.
>   I play this instrument to elevate the instrument and art form, as 
> well as myself as a musician.  I consider these to be reasonable 
> goals.  For me, it's mixing perspective and balance and no pursuits in 
> that direction are "worthless."  Duke Ellington once said:  "There are 
> two kinds of music:  good music and the other kind."  I'm just trying 
> to play good music.

 Hell man, I just play the notes...AND, btw, making harmonica sound 
like wax paper folded over a comb, an ocharina, or a kazoo, just goes 
right through me. It's time to get serious......smo-joe
>

>   Mark Russillo
>   a.k.a. The Rhode Island Kid


---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses by EWOL using Declude Virus]