Re: Boston Acid-Jazz/Badu

Tony Reid (t-bird@salata.com)
16 Feb 97 21:27:28 -0800


mo> Emani's mention of music industry folks running from 'jazz' reminds me
mo> of an interview I recently read with Kool Kieth: '

KK> 'Jazz never went gold. Its like those groups flopped too. Its like why
mo> would you sample something that already flopped?'

keith is wrong here. i'm pretty sure that "sketches of spain" by miles
davis
went gold. i believe it was the biggest selling record (in any genre) up to

that time--'61? i'd have a hard time saying that miles flopped, he's a
household name... a friend of mine knows keith, i'll have to ask him about
this quote.

mo> I'd say maybe to create something interesting...'interesting' and
mo> 'art' don't fill pockets with loot though and thats why they run.

it can be done, it's just harder. stevie wonder, marvin gaye, & george
clinton all do really artful music in a pop context and make money (george
puts it all back in the show). the reason they run is because people don't
know their history. they don't think of jazz as dance music--which it was
until bebop--and they think that "acid-jazz" is the counterpart to acid rock
--i.e. they're expecting late coltrane, albert ayler, etc. you don't know
how many people have told me they don't like acid jazz, and then tell me
they
really like what i play w/o realizing what they're hearing is acid jazz. as
a promoter or dj, you have to get people to understand that you're going to
be playing *dance* music (or at least groove).

t-bird