Re: Strategies (was: Re: Improv loops (was Re: Upcoming gig)

[Travis Hartnett <travishartnett@gmail.com>]

As far as the general public is concerned, "avant garde" is when
people who can't really play make horrible noise in lieu of "music",
and "avant garde jazz" is when jazz musicians who should know better
make a horrible noise in lieu of jazz...  There's always that question
among the unsuspecting audience "Hey--is this guy trying to pull one
over on me?  I hate when people have me on like that..."

Someone pointed out in the letters section of The Wire a year or two
ago, there's nothing unexpected or groundbreaking about Derek Bailey
(for example) any more--he's now a genre like rockabilly, except
without the cool clothes. "Extended guitar technique" doesn't carry
the shock value that it once did, although you can still clear a room
pretty quick with one of his albums.


On 6/15/05, Hartung, Kris <kris.hartung@hp.com> wrote:
> There is avant-garde jazz, and then there's just
> avant-garde as a general bucket. It's all rather nebulous, but clear in
> my mind, subjectively speaking. When I hear it, I know it.
>