Gary and JABB...saving the lost art!

**Brian2112** · 09-04-2005, 09:18 PM

Forgive me if there are a few holes in my history here

:

A musician’s union strike effectively killed off jazz as the mainstream music in the early/mid 20th century. There have been a lot of great jazz legends since then, and a lot of young kids sure have good chops, but jazz is/has been a dying art.

I saw the thread recently to describe what “jazz” actually means. I would define it this way:

Suck up all the pain and suffering in this world (slavery, oppression, poverty) and then blow it through your horn. What comes out the other end is Freedom!

Gary, thank you for making history. I believe that JABB will resurrect this lost art and history will record that it was preserved, in spite of the tragic destruction of its birthplace.

…2112

**Garritan** · 09-04-2005, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Brian2112

I saw the thread recently to describe what “jazz” actually means. I would define it this way:

Suck up all the pain and suffering in this world (slavery, oppression, poverty) and then blow it through your horn. What comes out the other end is Freedom!

Brian, that's the best definiition I've heard to date. May I quote you?
Thanks,

Gary

**Brian2112** · 09-04-2005, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Garritan

Brian, that's the best definiition I've heard to date. May I quote you?
Thanks,

Gary

You bet you can!

Saving those nickles and dimes...can't wait!

**thesoundsmith** · 09-04-2005, 10:25 PM

[QUOTE]A musician’s union strike effectively killed off jazz as the mainstream music in the early/mid 20th century.[PHP]

I never heard anything like that. What are you referencing? (I was going to say 'what are you talking about' but it sounded confrontational. It's just a question.) What ARE you talking about? Who struck where, when and why?

I thought Bill Haley and Elvis killed jazz as mainstream music, unless it was Patty Page and Perry Como before them...

**Brian2112** · 09-04-2005, 10:37 PM

[QUOTE=thesoundsmith]

A musician’s union strike effectively killed off jazz as the mainstream music in the early/mid 20th century.[PHP]

I never heard anything like that. What are you referencing? (I was going to say 'what are you talking about' but it sounded confrontational. It's just a question.) What ARE you talking about? Who struck where, when and why?

I thought Bill Haley and Elvis killed jazz as mainstream music, unless it was Patty Page and Perry Como before them...

Oh you are absolutely right. Those were probably the main causes. But the strike was a major contributing factor as I recall - I could very well be wrong about that.

...2112

**SeanHannifin** · 09-04-2005, 11:06 PM

I think it would be nice if ragtime would make a come back . . .

Seriously, though, that is a great quote, and I agree that JABB will help some of us youths who don't know much about Jazz learn more about it. It won't die soon.

**fgrittner** · 09-04-2005, 11:28 PM

The history you refer to is the American Federation of Music strike during World War II. It prevented the recording of popular music with instrumentation and live music on the radio. The union tried to preserve jobs in radio pit bands and such. It also fought jukeboxes, Muzak, etc.--anything that took work away from musicians. The union negotiated the creation of a fund that still exists today to pay for summer concerts and educational programs in the U.S.

I don't think the strike really had anything to do with the demise of jazz; maybe big band was hurt a bit but it was dying of its own accord by the late 1940s. Then Charlie Parker came along. Nice theory though.

Fred Grittner

**rwayland** · 09-05-2005, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by fgrittner

The history you refer to is the American Federation of Music strike during World War II. It prevented the recording of popular music with instrumentation and live music on the radio. The union tried to preserve jobs in radio pit bands and such. It also fought jukeboxes, Muzak, etc.--anything that took work away from musicians. The union negotiated the creation of a fund that still exists today to pay for summer concerts and educational programs in the U.S.

I don't think the strike really had anything to do with the demise of jazz; maybe big band was hurt a bit but it was dying of its own accord by the late 1940s. Then Charlie Parker came along. Nice theory though.

Fred Grittner

I remember the strike, and some of the singers sang without the band. But jazz/big band continued strongly for some time after that. Schearing and Brubek were two big names that I remember hearing at least until 1955, when I left San Francisco for a few years on Oahu. I heard plenty of jazz at the old Blackhawk in San Francisco, and nobody there seemed to think of it as a dying form.

Richard

**tradivoro** · 09-05-2005, 09:14 AM

Hey, that's a great quote... But I think that the demise of jazz was more due to the British invasion in 60s, starting with the Beatles.... I remember Dave brubeck, Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson and others being real popular in early 60s with college students... But after the british invasion (1964), jazz kind of went by the wayside... Even established legit singers that leaned towards jazz had a hard time getting gigs in the late 60s, early 70s... I'm talking about like Edie Gorme, Mel Torme, Tony Bennet... Then it had a re-surgence in the 70s with fusion, thanks to the likes of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea... anyway, I'm sure others have their take on it too...