2. music
  3. 1268778791

Wynton - The Only Person in Jazz Who Matters?

I was just wondering when Wynton Marsalis’ opinion became so central to jazz that an article about another musician has to include a discussion about whether that artist gets along with Wynton and the nature of their relationship?

The New Yorker this week has a – mostly – very nice article on Esperanza Spaulding, the Portland, OR bass player. (She just smokes her fiddle BTW. I saw her playing with Joe Lovano last year and she was just phenomenal. She got every bit as much applause as Joe did.) For some reason the author felt compelled to discuss her – and I think by extension all of jazz – through the lens of whether or not Wynton would approve, or even call it jazz. That seems awfully narrow minded.

Granted, he has the loudest megaphone with JALC, but c’mon, is that really necessary?
grimace
Post removed 
jazdoc
364 posts
 
Wynton is certainly not "The Only Person In Jazz Who Matters"!

That said, he is an enormously talented musician. I've heard him live four times and his virtousity is spectacular. I'm not a huge fan of his original music, but a live performance of "Blood On The Fields" was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life. The man is definitely a student of jazz and he definitely has his opinions about the music. I don't always agree with him, but I'm interested in what he says about the music. I've also heard him 'rap' about non-musical topics at his concerts which was very interesting.

Because of his profile, accessibility and willingness to express his thoughts, (as well as being one of the few commercially successful jazz artists) journalists seek his input. Other artists like Warhol and Chihuly have certainly enhanced their personal brand by promoting their art form and by being accessible to the media.

He is articulate, good-looking and a great spokesperson for jazz. He has devoted countless hours giving clinics, visiting schools and building Jazz At Lincoln Center. His commitment to jazz as an art form can not be questioned and as a lover of the music, I am thankful for his contributions. Probably not the most humble human being, but if you can back it up...
rsorren1
27 posts
 
Wynton Kelly matters to me more than Wynton Marsallis. Just my point of view.
Post removed 
grimace OP
624 posts
 
I think I'd have to agree with Chashmal on this one. Wynton is ok, but not anywhere close to the "best". Just as music, IMHO, Branfords original albums are consistently more interesting and have been for decades.

It seems there's a bit of a backlash going on out there too. The big jazz rags - Jazz Times and Downbeat - do not seem to give Wynton much print. I don't recall seeing a feature article, or even a half page on him in the last year or so. I wonder if that's on purpose?
More to discover