I'm a big fan of the popular television show but this is about another kind of lost. Though I suppose you could draw a parallel that jazz has seemingly been banished to a remote location somewhere out there. For my tastes, the destination is anything but ocean breezes, warm weather and palm trees.
Oh, sure, most major metropolitan cities will have a smooth jazz station running around the clock. You'll hear Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Chris Botti, etc. And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, my music collection is full of their releases and I love every mood swinging moment.
My concern and complaint centers around the music you don't hear anymore and darn near have to be Indiana Jones on a crusade to find it on a regular basis.
Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to a proverbial history lesson of jazz. There were hours spent at my uncle George's house where his collection included 38 vinyl LPs. Those crackling, robust tunes reflected the beginning of an exciting genre. I had my father's library of jazz albums to explore and that of my older brothers. Jazz back then, was well, simply jazz. Granted, it had different forms; Bebop, Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz, Soul Jazz, Fusion, Avante Garde... the list goes on and on.
As 2008 closed for good, the jazz world lost another legend in Freddie Hubbard. I had to withhold my disbelief when some of my co-workers asked honestly, who he was and was he a big deal? Being at work, I immediately attacked the internet and found "First Light" and "Salt Song" to help me reminiscence on the hours of pleasure those songs provided while growing up. Those masterpieces reflected what can happen when there are no restrictions and pressures to conform for an artist. And as sad as it is that Freddie Hubbard is gone, it is perhaps even worse of a reality that his music might not be appreciated by generations to come. Smooth Jazz isn't playing Freddie Hubbard on the radio. You likely won't find John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins or others either.
Another problem today is where can you buy jazz albums or CDs? Very few choices remain for the sensory pleasure of actually walking in a store, hearing jazz being played and searching through racks and racks of music. Today even knowing when a new album is released requires doing some homework.
In talking with some of my jazz artist friends, they'll tell you that a number of smooth jazz stations won't even play their new music until it becomes commercially viable. "They'll play previous recordings of mine that they already know is familiar to people and was a hit," one artist told me.
For the moment, I'm proud to see that my 12-year old son has developed an appreciation for jazz. Like me, he listens to Paul Brown, Richard Elliot and the other smooth jazz stars, but he also has discovered there's something enchanting about Dave Brubeck's "Take Five".
I'd be interested to know if you have a favorite place to shop or listen to jazz no matter where you are in the world. Don't leave the rest of us out on an island.
Oh, sure, most major metropolitan cities will have a smooth jazz station running around the clock. You'll hear Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Chris Botti, etc. And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, my music collection is full of their releases and I love every mood swinging moment.
My concern and complaint centers around the music you don't hear anymore and darn near have to be Indiana Jones on a crusade to find it on a regular basis.
Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to a proverbial history lesson of jazz. There were hours spent at my uncle George's house where his collection included 38 vinyl LPs. Those crackling, robust tunes reflected the beginning of an exciting genre. I had my father's library of jazz albums to explore and that of my older brothers. Jazz back then, was well, simply jazz. Granted, it had different forms; Bebop, Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz, Soul Jazz, Fusion, Avante Garde... the list goes on and on.
As 2008 closed for good, the jazz world lost another legend in Freddie Hubbard. I had to withhold my disbelief when some of my co-workers asked honestly, who he was and was he a big deal? Being at work, I immediately attacked the internet and found "First Light" and "Salt Song" to help me reminiscence on the hours of pleasure those songs provided while growing up. Those masterpieces reflected what can happen when there are no restrictions and pressures to conform for an artist. And as sad as it is that Freddie Hubbard is gone, it is perhaps even worse of a reality that his music might not be appreciated by generations to come. Smooth Jazz isn't playing Freddie Hubbard on the radio. You likely won't find John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins or others either.
Another problem today is where can you buy jazz albums or CDs? Very few choices remain for the sensory pleasure of actually walking in a store, hearing jazz being played and searching through racks and racks of music. Today even knowing when a new album is released requires doing some homework.
In talking with some of my jazz artist friends, they'll tell you that a number of smooth jazz stations won't even play their new music until it becomes commercially viable. "They'll play previous recordings of mine that they already know is familiar to people and was a hit," one artist told me.
For the moment, I'm proud to see that my 12-year old son has developed an appreciation for jazz. Like me, he listens to Paul Brown, Richard Elliot and the other smooth jazz stars, but he also has discovered there's something enchanting about Dave Brubeck's "Take Five".
I'd be interested to know if you have a favorite place to shop or listen to jazz no matter where you are in the world. Don't leave the rest of us out on an island.
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2 comments:
i like your blog......
That's very nice of you to take the time to comment. Thank you. I've neglected it for a while... shame on me. Life gets in the way sometimes. I'll try to be more consistent.
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