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Are more people turning on to jazz these days?
FOR SURE - if it swings and feels good! |
Been a while since I blogged on music. The JP Big Band (I'm contractor and play tenor saxophone) appeared at Shablul Jazz in the Tel Aviv port Sunday night to a packed house.
The first set was straight-up jazz for big band - numbers like Fly me to the moon and Groovin High and the second set was our show of jazz charts (arranged by band musical director, Eli Benacot) of hits from the legendary Israeli pop group - the "High Windows".
There is a limited audience for jazz in Israel - and the more cerebral and hard-core- the smaller the audience gets. BUT - there is something about the music of the High Windows that touches people. It's the music they remember from their youth - and still hear on the radio today.
There were all age groups at the gig last night - from 20 - to 60 and lots were singing along with the band and our vocalists - Danny Saguy and Shlomit Benari.
It's jazz but it's also familiar - easy to connect and easy to sing.
One of the best trumpet players today, Roy Hargrove said recently:
People are turning a deaf ear to jazz. Some of that is the fault of jazz musicians trying too hard to appear to be cerebral. They aren’t having fun playing the music and that's why people aren't coming to hear it live anymore.
What do we have to offer in the world of jazz today? It's about being innovative, which is cool. But innovation right now will come in music that's swinging and feels good. It's meaningless if it doesn't make you feel something.
I totally agree - swinging and feeling good is what makes the world goes round.
