[Anymnillulky]

The tradition of music "journalists" who have a limited knowledge of music goes back at least as far as Rolling Stone magazine in the late 60's. I can remember some truly hilarious bits of misinformation and gross ignorance turning up in that rag.

At the Straight this tradition goes back to their first music writer, Al Sorensen. In another post (now disappeared) I related the story of living in a big hippie house in 1969 with Al and Dan Mcleod and other Straight staffers. Al got to hate the sound of "Workin with the Miles Davis Quintet" and B.B. King's "Blues for Me" so much that he actually gave us a bunch of promotional "RocK" records in the hopes that we'd play those instead. I can't remember a single one of them, and needless to say we never played them.

And clearly, the grand tradition at the Straight continues, 35 years later.

[cialviagra]

"... previewing or reviewing the STRANGE WEATHER/EASTWIND concert of Oct.18/03."

BTW...I really wanted to check that one out, but was otherwise predisposed. Did anybody check it out? And how was it? Kudos to George for getting the gig happening.

[Anymnillulky]

Everybody in jazz who's released an independant CD probably has at least one horror story about local media indifference. When I had my release party at the Cellar in 2002, I sent out press releases to all the local print media. The Straight actually surprised me by giving me a modest amount of ink. No preview, but that probably would have shocked me into cardiac arrest. The biggest disappointment though, was a certain jazz journalist, I won't say his name (he's done some good things for jazz, and there may be another explaination for what he did. The one he gave me sounded like bullshit). Tha cat published a piece that was mostly about Hugh Fraser, which was only right and proper, since Hugh is a giant figure on the scene and was premiering a new work. Then, in a list of "upcoming events", he preceded to list every gig in town but mine. On the date of my CD release, he touted a concert at Cap College by Fairport Convention. When I sent him an e-mail about this, he pleaded lack of space. Fair enough, but it still seems to me that a local jazz artist releasing his first record as a leader should take precedence over some English folkies who haven't had a hit since 1968. Were I a less jolly and easygoing fella, it just might have pissed me off.:-)

You're absolutely right about local scenes needing coverage to flourish. Here in New Orleans there's a magazine called Offbeat. It has a national subscription base, but in New Orleans it's free, and it's devoted almost entirely to feature articles and record reviews on local musicians. There's also a community sponsored radio station (WWOZ) that plays local music 24/7. These media outlets have helped countless local musicians develop their careers and even establish national and international touring capabilities (WWOZ is heard all over the world on the internet). The city government of New Orleans, after years of wasting it's efforts on real estate and boutique tourism, is starting to realize that it's the music and culture that really brings in the tourists and is finally putting it's money where it's mouth is in promoting New Orleans music on a world scale.

The daily paper, the Times-Picayune, generally does squat. And of the two weeklies, Where'Yat Magazine has the best club listings, but seems to concentrate on rock and pop stuff in it's features. Gambit, which has great political and feature writing (like the Straight) is much the same. Maybe it's some kind of "weekly paper syndrome."

Newspapers are in real trouble in this day and age, and many of them react to this by chasing the youth demographic. I think this is a big mistake on their part. Those kids don't read newspapers. Jazz fans, who tend to be contemplative, literate sorts, do.

[cialviagra]

Without question though, the worst culprit is The Vancouver Province. The will do absolutely nothing all year (except for the jazz fest). It is not the fault of Stuart Derdayn (sp?), as he is a big jazz fan and a great guy, or Rene D., as she is no longer is employed there as a writer. Even when she was writing, all of her jazz articles were donations. The Sun has Marke Andrews. He's a big jazz fan, too and contributes what he can. Varty writes about one or two jazz columns each issue and the occasional cd review.

[Anymnillulky]

I agree, it stinks. Although I am not in the least surprised. The Straight has some fine political writers but their music coverage is directed at children.

It's Mike Usinger who'll have to do the excusing, though. Alex Varty hasn't been music editor for a number of years now.

[Flalafuse]

To have a living music scene you need media reviews of local concerts and CD releases. In August 2003, the Straight covered a Bjork concert in Seattle and the whole review was on how Bjork didn't seem to care about her audience. His disappointment was tremendous. Well, if the reviewer had stayed a little closer to home he would have found artists who cared about the audience. Indeed just a week earlier, as a new artist just appearing on the local scene I had released my CD, paid good money to advertise in their paper and invited the Straight no less than 4 times to attend my release free of charge. (Oh, and my ad appeared on the wrong page too!). If they hadn't been down in Seattle getting disappointed maybe they would have had time to put in an appearance at local shows like mine. I was once a Community newspaper reporter and used to cover concerts. I'm sad to report that if the local media don't take an interest in local music, nobody else will either. If our Vancouver writers won't writer about us, we know that Toronto, Montreal and the world won't care either and we won't have a music scene here that anyone will notice. Sad but true...

[I9dydJrX]

I am going to sound cynical at best...but I have a friend who reported on practically every musical note played in Kelowna over a 10 year period. She went to four or five gigs a night just to catch a number or part of a set and she tried to give ink. She fought traffic, she fought editors, she fought newspaper owners. After winning some major battles, she was faced with retraining new editors and new owners.
What she kept hoping for was pressure from the public. "Where are the phone calls, where are the increased subcriptions based on 'those great music reviews', where are the letters to the editor?" What happened to her... She moved to a city where there was more opportunity to do what she loved.. to promote the music scene.
I think we underrate how effect we can be as a political force for change. Every time some one reviews a musician in the local scene, a reader could write a letter to the editor, or phone an editor. Pigeon pellets, rewards, stroking... and also maybe even buying a subcription for a relative for christmas with an accompanying letter to the editor explaining the motive. If they could train pigeons.....

[Mowselelew]

The Bjork review was written by Shawn Conner, who has demonstrated through his writing and reviewing that he is familiar with the traditions of all of two genre's of music dating back at least 20 years.

[nickayary]

Quote:

[NarhozNic]

"It's about money and advertising,stupid!" Shame on the Georgia Straight for neither previewing or reviewing the STRANGE WEATHER/EASTWIND concert of Oct.18/03. Alex Varty's excuses are requested.