The Jazz.com Blog
April 23, 2008 · 0 comments
The Best of the Press Kits
Who needs reviews? The critics are rarely as entertaining as the press kits. Here are some of the choicer extracts from the reviewer's mailbox this month-- all drawn from press releases and publicity material.
Too many people spend useless amounts of energy defining jazz by what it isn’t. They argue against electric instruments, avant-garde performance techniques, ethnic varieties, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. It is irrelevant, and those who choose these arguments reveal their irrelevancy . . .
I only have one thing to say to that . . . blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda!
Every few years, a new artist comes along with talent and potential so great that it challenges and redefines the common perceptions of what jazz is and where it’s heading. The new light on the horizon may be a compelling vocalist one year, or perhaps an unmatched instrumental virtuoso a few years later, or maybe a brilliant composer a few years more down the road . . . Esperanza Spalding is all these things and more.
And more? Maybe we should ask her to save the IAJE . . .
I don’t believe this has ever been done before in jazz. . . .
And maybe for a good reason.
“I am grateful to have had the support of a great label like Verve, but I am also looking forward to not having to pay for CEO salaries, Time Square office space, Blackberrys and expense accounts with my record sales.”
But other than that, it’s a great label.
In the jazz world today, original songs with lyrics are rare treats . . .
By jolly, you’re right. I haven’t heard one of those in a long time.
I know what you’re thinking . . . ‘Great . . . another rock singer staring down the barrel of middle age has decided to dress up like Dad and mime the Great American Songbook.
For singing, you can’t beat a mime . . . ‘nuff said.
This blog entry posted by Ted Gioia
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