Alternative Universe Discovered

[Hot Ptah]

I recently discovered the March, 1989, issue of "Stereo Review" in my basement. I have discussed this via email with Chris Albertson, who encouraged me to share it with the group.

In this issue, a piece written by Chris Albertson appears, entitled “The New Jazz”. In it, the following passage appears:

“But now we have an exciting alternative—fresh, real jazz, not a diluted substitute. Now we have the neo-boppers, a group of dedicated young jazz musicians with a keen sense of history and a zealous respect for the great forefathers of jazz.

These young keepers of the flame include Connick, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Mulgrew Miller, and Lonnie Plaxico. All are spirited players, and many of them gained prominence as members of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Interestingly enough, a good number of these musicians hail from New Orleans, the original cradle of jazz, and they seem to have a clear mission: to uphold the artistic excellence and soul of this music, to make it pure again.”

The rest of the article contrasts the fusion and New Age music of the 1970s and 1980s, which Chris has no kind words for, with what he hopes will be a revitalization of jazz by this group of neo-boppers.

This issue also contains the following interesting fact in another article: “In 1987 Americans purchased 390 million blank audio cassettes and 410 million prerecorded cassettes, confirming that the compact cassette remains our favorite music format. As of mid 1988, cassettes were outselling CD’s by a three-to-one margin and LP’s by nearly five to one.”

[7/4]

Sheds a bit of light on that Ron Paul comment.

[Hot Ptah]

Chris encouraged me to share this article because it shows that at one time he was hopeful about Wynton, that his current state of mind about Wynton is not the result of a fixed idea from the beginning of Wynton's career.

I wonder what has happened to all of those hundreds of millions of cassettes. The used music stores don't really want them any more. I have a few hundred in my basement. I suppose that many American homes have a similar archive.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I wonder what has happened to all of those hundreds of millions of cassettes. The used music stores don't really want them any more. I have a few hundred in my basement. I suppose that many American homes have a similar archive.

I have a few hundred, but not in my garage (since I lack a basement) - they're in active use, since that's the only way the majority of my African collection comes.

MG

[mikeweil]

If the CD replaced anything, it was the cassette tape - as easy to handle - especially in the car, but much better sound etc.

[Free For All]

When I was on the road in the 80s, the cassette was the current mode of listening- the CD had just started to become popular, but it wasn't an established format yet. Consequently, one would accumulate tons of cassettes on the road, and this would make for a hassle when leaving the bus for a flight or a location gig.

I was just discussing this with a friend- how much easier it would be to do a road gig now with the addition of the laptop, Ipod and cell phone. Productivity and communication would be so much easier, and the boredom factor would be greatly reduced. All with minimal clutter.

Of course, there are few roads bands anymore. Which is a shame in itself....

Edited December 28, 2007 by Free For All

[Christiern]

Of course, Wynton's cassettes were reusable, his CDs were not. I mean, who needs another coaster of pocket mirror?

A cassette of, say, the unlistenable Blood in the Fields, could be upgraded to the real thing--like The Liberia Suite or Black, Brown and Beige.

[JSngry]

Hey Chris, what was the deal with Steve Simmels (I think it was...) at SR? Seemed like an ok rock critic, but then they started having him do jazz reviews, and I really didn't understand why...

Read the mag regularly from about 70-73 btw. Audiophile porn for a lonely backwoods teenager. But some good criticism along with it.

[Christiern]

The old editors were replaced by rather clueless young ones and they decided to phase jazz out. Steve was a nice guy who became pop music editor, but his area was definitely not jazz. The new regime felt that music was secondary to the equipment required to play it. Actually, street (i.e. non-subscriptions) sales of the magazine always dropped when a person was on the cover, and it didn't matter how big a star that was. A piece of insignificant equipment outsold Streisand, Miles, Elvis, anyone.

Stereo Review quickly became a home theatre-oriented magazine with only token music reviews. I haven't looked at it in many years, so I have no idea what these people are doing now, but they quickly drained off the publication's human qualities, which--imo, lent it a certain charm.

So, to really answer your question, Jim, Steve Simels was not really interested in writing about jazz, he was just going with the flow to preserve his job.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

yes i too thought stereo review always was just a hi fidelity equipment magizine.....

[DukeCity]

I wonder what has happened to all of those hundreds of millions of cassettes. The used music stores don't really want them any more. I have a few hundred in my basement. I suppose that many American homes have a similar archive.

Here is a trip down memory lane.

Click on "all tapes" in the upper right hand corner, and scroll through an analog flashback!

[BruceH]

Hey Chris, what was the deal with Steve Simmels (I think it was...) at SR? Seemed like an ok rock critic, but then they started having him do jazz reviews, and I really didn't understand why...

Read the mag regularly from about 70-73 btw. Audiophile porn for a lonely backwoods teenager. But some good criticism along with it.

My period of reading Stereo Review was about 1979-81, and I remember Steve Simmels. Haven't even thought about that mag for so long...

[JSngry]

So, to really answer your question, Jim, Steve Simels was not really interested in writing about jazz, he was just going with the flow to preserve his job.

Yeah, that sounds about right. the guy used to really piss me off sometimes with his off-the-wall comments about some of the jazz records he reviewed. The one that really got me was when he reviewed the Capitol JAzz Classics LPs and compared the scat singing on the Woody Herman side to Rudy Valee!

Now I thnk it's pretty funny, but then....

[BERIGAN]

I wonder what has happened to all of those hundreds of millions of cassettes. The used music stores don't really want them any more. I have a few hundred in my basement. I suppose that many American homes have a similar archive.

Here is a trip down memory lane.

Click on "all tapes" in the upper right hand corner, and scroll through an analog flashback!

This is a pretty cool lookin' cassette!

http://www.tapedeck.org/400/BASF_ChromeExtraII_90_4.jpg

[Christiern]

Love all those cassettes--thanks for the link, DC. Here's a design the missed, I bought these in Tokyo in 1984:

As you can see, I stocked up on them...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

They also missed all the Woolworths' own brand that I bought in the 70s I have some other right cheapos, knocking about somewhere, that aren't in the picture.

MG