This has annoyed me. Today’s Financial Times review of Italian pianist Kekko Fornarelli ends with the following paragraph, a generalized cheap Parthian shot directed at British jazz musicians. I really do wish the writer hadn’t been quite so ill-considered. Whatever. The video above is provided for the purposes of counter-illustration, if any were actually needed. Here’s the quote from today’s article:
“Based on his own life experience, Fornarelli’s music is self-reflective but never self-indulgent. Credit, too, to the band’s well-rehearsed, disciplined performance, in which their finely crafted – not over-long – solos always related to the tunes. British players, take note.”
Categories: miscellaneous
As far as I can see Alison Gunn mainly reports on ballet although she did quite like Jamie Cullum a couple of years ago. Apart from that I can't find any record of her having reported on British Jazz, let alone any modern British jazz.
But since when did a lack of knowledge hinder a national journalist from spouting off?
A dated view & ignorant journalism. Sad
Well, it never stopped me, either…! 😉
(The Blogger interface once again apparently refuses to let me log in on either of my blogs – it says I'm anaonymous! I don't mean to – Patrick)
What annoys me about that is the generalsiation. There are some British players who are self indulgent; there are some European players who are self indulgent; and – heaven forbid – there are some American players who are self-indulgent!
And there are lots everywhere who play wonderfully judged solos that leave audiences wanting more.
Yeah, just a cheap sign-off surely.
Lazy journalist looking for a soundbite. I wish music editors would commission writers who know at least a little something about the genre they are critiquing. Sigh.
Come on Alison – spare us the generalisations. Name names! The FT needs to be a paper of record. We need to know… ho ho!
For me, a great shame is that the FT does actually commission Mike Hobart most of the time. Knowledgeable, broad understanding, thoughtful and a careful writer. He wouldn't drop in such a comment without having good reason. I am surprised that this slipped through, really. We can't trust Alison's credentials based on her background. That's true. She must now indeed name names and explain if she wants credibility.
Mike Walker writes:
We never get this kind of bollocks from European Journalists.
British Journalists take note.
Seriously, I wish all jazz had shorty nighty type solos. Just enough to see the thigh
but not enough to know what's coming next.
Every nighty should be without variation.
Variety pisses me off.
Same with smiles. They should last only so long. As long as this; ……………………………….. , but no more.
A guffaw should be about this long ; 1 mississippi 2 Mrs Hippy 3, and no more.
If you get up to 3 minutes in the naughty bedroom clinch then you've probably outstayed your welcome (Journalists no need to take note).
What we don't need in Jazz is effort.
We need jazz to be long enough to accompany a nice potato peeling session
or the background to the walk in bit of a 'Boiled ham do' (my Uncle Joe's term for a funeral).
I like my jazz to be non-intrusive. Non bulbous.
Same with those overlong poems.
5 lines is all
that's needed
no more
no less.
Oh shit.
What we need is a tight but beaty song
that puts us through the emotional ringer.
In, out, put the kettle on, as my Uncle Joe used to say.
Mike Walker…… Anon, an on an on………