Re: A-J & the spirit of upliftment

Jeff Slattery (slats@uclink3.berkeley.edu)
Mon, 11 Sep 1995 01:10:10 -0700 (PDT)


the question: What is the spirit of acid-jazz?
Is it about upliftment?
Or is it (a creatively stagnant) continuation of African-
American expression?

the answer according to fingers:
> As much as it pains me to say this, most jazz musicians, dont give a shit
> about any of this politicising.

the reply:
remember this point, "most jazz musicians don't give a shit about
(spirit, upliftment, continuing African American expression)", we'll be
getting back to it.

more from fingers:
> Now, that is not true for other musicians
> who NEED some club somewhere to build an audience for music that would
> have no audience in any other way. Look at pop for a huge example. Look
> at womens music for a small one. Who cares? Onlyy those that want to make
> money and have a job somewhere either as promotor producer or musician.

the reply:
let's get it straight: you're into the "politics" of spirit, upliftment,
and continuing African American expression ONLY IF you want to make money.

the stance of fingers:
> I am a jazz muscian FIRST, and I play music for a living also. tthat means
> playing all kinds of music in all situations. i am in it for the music.
> When I listen to Coltrane, I dont here Africans in chains struggling for
> freedom. I hear someone who has prracticed every day for 8 hours..
> everey day!! In airports , on buses, at home, everywhere. I hear a musician.

the reply (from "John Coltrane: Retrospective Perspective", by Gordon
Kopulos, 1971):
"Coltrane tried to explain in his music the wonderful things
that the universe meant to him. Playing jazz was a spiritual
experience to Coltrane, and he always felt that he would share
his feelings with his listeners. There is no doubt about his
strong religious motivation...
Coltrane came, and he made music. He built on existing
foundations. He and his music lived in inexorable relation to
other lives, other ideas, other musics. But how he built!
The musical structures are changed forever because of him."

so, using the logic of fingers, it appears that Coltrane is not like "most
jazz musicians" (which we acknowledge in a musical sense, brother)
insofar as he is interested in spirit, upliftment, and has built on a
continuation of African American music, which "most jazz musicians"
reject, because, unlike Coltrane, they are not interested in money.
Listen to fingers and you lump Coltrane in with "women's music" (whatever
the fuck that is) and "pop music" (heaven forfend), and everyone else
looking to make money out of music.

you listen to Coltrane and you hear "a musician"...I ask you, man, just
what IS a musician? but please, if you choose to answer, don't
contradict yourself: if you want to be a reductionist be one, but don't
claim holism as a savior when things are looking murky.

besides, the question was about ACID-JAZZ, which Coltrane no doubt
influenced, but was not immediately part of. stay on topic.

speaking of which, our questions are best left to the musicians
themselves, like Galliano (and I think Gil-Scot Heron):

GSH:
Ain't no new thing, it's based on the fact that white people
continue to rip-off black artists. They continue to steal
their material, their styles, the very cultural elements
that make these black artists outstanding artists...

Galliano:

Residing pale within a dark culture
I come with respect, not as a vulture
been aware of another history
I realize race definin' me...

So black culture unified and strong
revealing it's truth through a history long,
but then this culture talks to me,
learns me lessons and dance with me,
shares, friendship love and joke with me,
goes to school and clubs with me,

But I will never try to be black
or claim understanding for which I lack
for if you see the legacy of whiteness
hanging from it's bones,
a body must give a spirit a home.

questions answered.

keep the faith,
-slats