Re: popularity

tobiasb@together.net
Fri, 11 Apr 1997 10:35:46 +0000


> Just a short note 'cos nobody's mentioned it....in the vibe of this possibly
> growing, constantly emerging thread I would like to point all listees'
> attention to this month's cover of Downbeat. "ACID JAZZ" in huge letters in
> the center of the page, and the article discusses BNH, Buckshot, US3, and
> Incognito, as well as rightfully positions the Groove Academy (Giant Step) as
> one of the key U.S. founding fathers (NY in the houuuse! :)

Coming from a jazz musician who for the most part has been fed up with
the mainstream conception of jazz (i.e. downbeat), I think that it is
amazing to see that downbeat did a cover on aj. Personally I've become
rather tired of seeing Wynton Marsalis, or Roy Hargrove, or Milt Hinton,
or whoever on the cover. It was basically two categories that *jazz*
fit into . . . (1) a young lion (a label that I despise) and (2) the old
guys.

So, yes aj might be headed for mainstream, but that means (to me) that
the doors are opening up. People are tired of hearing the same old same
old. They're tired of hearing the pop tune of the month. People are
looking for substance. Which is good!

my two cents.

brian