After some thought about what's wrong with Jazz today, I have concluded that the problem is:
The early days of many genres were dominated and substained and nutured by players that formed a community, or culture. They knew each other and played together and many socialized together. They created a 'world' or 'society' in which this great music was produced. This was a world or society within the larger society.
Jazz in New Orleans
Jazz in New York
Kansas City
Even LA (cool)
Country Music centered around Nashville and the Grand ole Opry. Again a commuinty, almost family.
Blues, most of the players from the Mississippi delta knew each other. Came from similiar backgrounds and experiences. Look at a map of MS with the birtplaces of all the blues greats. They were all born and raised in very close proximity. Most people today don't even understand the meaning of a lot of the words in blues songs.
Detroit and the stable of artists at Motown. Urban and Close knit. They sang to what is best about being young.
I will not say money was not important, it always is. It just seemed like making great art was more important back then.
Sadly, all these nurseries of creativity have all but dried up. As the creative players begin to die off, there were no replacements of equal talent. Mainly because the conditions that created and nourished the talent changed or disappeared.
Today, it's foremost about money and fame. All individual. Hit and miss. Hope I get lucky. And the idea that "I can be anything I want to be", lack of talent notwithstanding.
And this stuff can't be learned or taught in school.
Classical music is foreign born and therefore not related to this. We will have to ask the Germans why there are no more Beethovens. :)
Today's Gramophone has a great article on David Zinman. He is retiring from the job at Zurich. Great insight into the job of conducting and the relationship with the players. Talked about the importance of the first-desk players.
Cheers
