Jazz: The Finale

From: Steve Catanzaro (stevencatanzaro@sprintmail.com)
Date: Fri Mar 09 2001 - 18:59:33 CET

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    OK, I just got a chance to watch a tape-delay of the final episode of "Jazz." And, I had the unique opportunity to read what some of ya have been saying about it beforehand.

    To the critics, I have one question. "What the fuck?" That was some of the slickest shit I've ever seen on television, in GENERAL. The last episode was, in my opinion, by FAR the best installment. An incredible, sustained statement of love and passion providiing the victory over commerce, trends and dollars.

    What? We didn't like seeing MC Solaar and Ron Carter? The Art Ensemble of Chicago? Huge sequences from A Love Supreme? Giant, gorgeous slices of Duke Ellington and his golden latter period (Afro Eurasian Eclipse, Latin American Suite, Sacred Concerts, check Duke on the Rhodes, oh yeah, etc.) And the Duke kissing Richard Nixon 4 times? Yeah, well, he probably as much with that gesture as Mos Def did on the entire "Black On Both Sides" disc. (not to dis Mos Def!)

    An awesome section on Dexter Gordon. Cecil Taylor, a marginal figure by most standards, was, as it seems to me, put in appropriate context. But the final editing sequences were brilliant... Coltrane shrieks put side-by side with Benny Goodman wails.... pulled it all together spectacularly. Marching bands in Louisianna, all the new young bloods, James Carter, Marcus Roberts, Nicholas Payton, etc, awesome!!!

    The final episode also housed perhaps the best quote of the series; from a young girl from LaGuardia High's jazz band, who says, with suspiciously raised eyebrows, "I wanna know how we got from this music [jazz] to the kind of music you hear on the radio."

    Yeah, well I'll bet there's a lot of people in the USA asking themselves the same thing, thanks to that damn fine series. Public or private funding, that was the shit, the bomb, or whatever else you want to say.

    As for the myopia to the present some have accused it of. Well, I look at it a diferent way. I think they did a cool thing by saying, "Our definition of jazz is basically badass black guys blowing incredible shit on brass instruments. Oh, and by the way, Miles Davis took the shit in a whole other direction, you should check that out too. But, back to our main topic at hand." What's wrong with that? That's honest, as it seems to me.

    As for the criticisms of Wynton. Well, I could say the patently obvious, which is, when you squeeze out 8 bars of music that have as much skill and raw talent in them as Wynton makes when he's clearing his out his spit valve, then I'd listen, but forget that obvious approach.

    The real lesson is, just like in the New Testament, people continue to stone the present day prophets while ever-adorning the tombs of the ones their ancestors killed. I wonder if this series would've even been made if it wasn't for Wynton. Some times we forget how low jazz (and by this I mean the various brass blowing, kiss ass swing dominated musical arts) got during the mid 70's and early 80's.

    I mean, to get Acid Jazz, you've got to have jazz, ostensibly, right? Where would US 3 or the Braun Fellinis etc., have gotten the young musicians to do their gigs with, were it not for the fact that there were some kids playing jazz, and many, if not most, kids who studied jazz in the '80's probably picked it up off Wynton Marsalis. Criticize him all you want, but he has really been responsible for many of us hearing the sounds that we love today.

    Oh, and btw, before criticizing this series again, publicly, ask yourself one simple question; "Does America suffer more from too much historical knowledge, or not enough?"

    Hell, they could've and should've done 10 parts on Duke Ellington alone. Kudos to Burns. Jazz is dead.... long live Jazz!

      



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