Re: Why genre classification is not only necessary but desired

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

> "Seth -- I am giving you my ticket to Naftule's Dream as a reminder that
> you do your readers a great disservice by recommending klez [sic] bands
> which deliver avantgarde -- unlistenable -- music. Please stay alert to
> your audience which seeks traditional enjoyment."

So according to this person avantgarde = unlistenable

And by that bit of genre-classification they have just shut themselves off
from (for example) Brian Eno, John Coltrane and Frank Zappa all of whom
could have (at some point) been considered avant-garde.

Anyway, IMO anyone who can be scared off by Naftule's Dream already probably
has some fairly limited ideas of what things can be done musically.

                        ek (avant-garder & proud of it ;-)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Seth Rogovoy" <seth(dot)rogovoy (at) verizon(dot)net>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 1:00 PM
Subject: Why genre classification is not only necessary but desired


> While the more sophisticated musical listeners on this list might not
> need the guidance that genre classification provides, I have today in my
> mail the perfect example of why it is not only desired by the general
> public, but necessary.
>
> Naftule's Dream played recently here in Great Barrington, Mass. I wrote
> a feature article for the Berkshire Eagle (daily newspaper) in advance
> of that show, for which I interviewed bandleader Glenn Dickson. I
> included plenty of quotes from Glenn explaining his group's unique
> approach, and I was very careful (at least I THOUGHT I was careful) to
> be sure to inform readers that if they went to this show, they were not
> going to hear "traditional klezmer." I even used the term "avant-garde"
> in the first paragraph (in fact, here is the first paragraph of the
> piece, which can be found complete at http://www.rogovoy.com/427.shtml).
>
> "When they feel like stretching out, improvising, or channeling some of
> the myriad musical influences they bring to the bandstand besides
> old-time Yiddish dance music, the members of the very traditional
> klezmer ensemble Shirim go into the nearest phone booth, and like some
> cartoon superheroes they change costume and come out as the
> fire-breathing, avant-garde ensemble Naftule's Dream."
>
> Pretty clear, right?
>
> Well today in the mail I received a handwritten, scrawled note and a
> ticket stub to that concert. The note read thusly:
>
> "Seth -- I am giving you my ticket to Naftule's Dream as a reminder that
> you do your readers a great disservice by recommending klez [sic] bands
> which deliver avantgarde -- unlistenable -- music. Please stay alert to
> your audience which seeks traditional enjoyment."
>
> How can you win?
>
> Seth Rogovoy
> author of "The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover's Guide to Jewish Roots
> and Soul"
> www.rogovoy.com
> "even the most clueless goy will be able to appreciate this art form" --
> Linda Daily Paulson, Dirty Linen Magazine
>
>
>
>
>


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