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It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.

To each his own, but contemporary American Jazz bores me with few exceptions

such as the Claudia Quintet, Kurt Elling, Fred Hersch, Lee Konitz, Patricia Barber, Melody Gardot's 'My One and Only Thrill' album, for instance. IMHO these artists are making great art in the jazz genre. Most of the rest are talented, as you say, but are not making great art or interesting music. American culture is 99% moribund in its music and fine arts. We have good satire, e.g., Colbert Report and Book of Mormon on Broadway, because America is a joke. The Europeans (and Canada's D. Krall) are writing and making interesting music that is harmonically and instrumentally rich, e.g., Susanne Abbuehl's 'Compass' album, which is definitely jazz, with classical influences, e.g., Paul Hindemith. The lyrics are interesting, often from James Joyce, William Carlos Williams, e.e. cummings and other important blank-verse poets. Richard Galliano and Suzanna Wallumrod (sp?) are more good examples of European jazz art.

Karrin Allyson is nice easy listening. Not great art. I agree with the OP, if his point is that American music (including its jazz) is dumbed down considerably compared to the time of Duke Ellington's 'Far East Suite' and Abbey Lincoln's 'Turtles Dream'.

I know you're a jazz afficionado with good taste in music. You've steered me to much great music. And I mean no offense to you.




"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields


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