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I wrote this article twenty years ago for the Takoma Park, Maryland Jazz Fest. Last month’s blog focused on the upside as seen from 1996. This month, I look at the downside.
Three Dark Clouds
In the otherwise bright jazz sky, there are three dark clouds: anemic jazz CD sales as a percentage of total CD sales; paltry renumeration for most jazz musicians, and (worst of all) constant, off-putting bickering about what is and what isn’t jazz.
1. Jazz CD sales continue to slip as a percentage of the total. In 1994, jazz recorded music sales (now predominantly CD) were only 3.1%, down from 5.7 % in 1989 (RIAA 1994 Annual Report). While jazz CD sales have increased since 1990, they have not increased as fast as rock, pop, or country. Moreover, given the current product glut—too many jazz CDs on the market at one time—and boomer baby market dominance, a return to a 6% or more market share will be several years in the making.
2. Jazz musician pay, in general, is not what it should be. So what else is new? But, and this is not meant as a cop-out, pay for most Americans is not what it should be either.
3. Jazz carping is at an all-time high. The number of jazz articles titled “What’s Wrong With Jazz Radio? or TV? or [fill in the blank]?” are seemingly on the rise. Moreover, the negative, exclusive tone of many jazz CD reviews and letters to the editor in jazz magazines is a turnoff to say the least. You know, you’ve seen them: letters that say this or that musician is not a real jazz player and shouldn’t have been given coverage.
Bottom Line
The state of jazz in 1996 is good but far from excellent, held back primarily by low jazz CD sales and musician salaries. If jazz is to stage a true comeback, however, members of the jazz community are going to have to swallow their respective pride and accept the pluralistic nature of jazz in the 1990s.
In other words, stop knocking people who like Kenny G and the Yellowjackets. As JazzTimes associate editor Lee Mergner said in the October 1995 issue, “Allow young people their own entry point. Whether through Grover Washington, Jr., Ronny Jordan, Us3 or even Kenny G, every generation finds its own introduction to jazz. Just because the jazz tradition was established by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong doesn’t mean every new jazz fan has to start with them.”
Remember, jazz fans, it is one small step from Kenny G and Paul McCandless (of Oregon) to Jimmy Heath and David Sanborn, and another small step from those two musicians to John Coltrane and Steve Lacy. And, let me be clear, nothing is wrong with people who refuse to climb the steps. So stop knocking Kenny G fans. Who knows, in time, there might be more Kenny G(arrett) fans.
So, overall, what has changed since 1996? Is the upside less up? Is the downside more down? Or what?
Three Dark Clouds
In the otherwise bright jazz sky, there are three dark clouds: anemic jazz CD sales as a percentage of total CD sales; paltry renumeration for most jazz musicians, and (worst of all) constant, off-putting bickering about what is and what isn’t jazz.
1. Jazz CD sales continue to slip as a percentage of the total. In 1994, jazz recorded music sales (now predominantly CD) were only 3.1%, down from 5.7 % in 1989 (RIAA 1994 Annual Report). While jazz CD sales have increased since 1990, they have not increased as fast as rock, pop, or country. Moreover, given the current product glut—too many jazz CDs on the market at one time—and boomer baby market dominance, a return to a 6% or more market share will be several years in the making.
2. Jazz musician pay, in general, is not what it should be. So what else is new? But, and this is not meant as a cop-out, pay for most Americans is not what it should be either.
3. Jazz carping is at an all-time high. The number of jazz articles titled “What’s Wrong With Jazz Radio? or TV? or [fill in the blank]?” are seemingly on the rise. Moreover, the negative, exclusive tone of many jazz CD reviews and letters to the editor in jazz magazines is a turnoff to say the least. You know, you’ve seen them: letters that say this or that musician is not a real jazz player and shouldn’t have been given coverage.
Bottom Line
The state of jazz in 1996 is good but far from excellent, held back primarily by low jazz CD sales and musician salaries. If jazz is to stage a true comeback, however, members of the jazz community are going to have to swallow their respective pride and accept the pluralistic nature of jazz in the 1990s.
In other words, stop knocking people who like Kenny G and the Yellowjackets. As JazzTimes associate editor Lee Mergner said in the October 1995 issue, “Allow young people their own entry point. Whether through Grover Washington, Jr., Ronny Jordan, Us3 or even Kenny G, every generation finds its own introduction to jazz. Just because the jazz tradition was established by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong doesn’t mean every new jazz fan has to start with them.”
Remember, jazz fans, it is one small step from Kenny G and Paul McCandless (of Oregon) to Jimmy Heath and David Sanborn, and another small step from those two musicians to John Coltrane and Steve Lacy. And, let me be clear, nothing is wrong with people who refuse to climb the steps. So stop knocking Kenny G fans. Who knows, in time, there might be more Kenny G(arrett) fans.
So, overall, what has changed since 1996? Is the upside less up? Is the downside more down? Or what?
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