Banned Review Cliches

[Teasing the Korean]

"Muscular."

"Impressive chops."

"Dark."

More to come.

Feel free to add to the list.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Teasing the Korean

[Quincy]

That's a perfect storm of cliches.

[Uncle Skid]

I'm not exactly sure why it bugs me so much, but I'd like to see open-eared listener and all its variants permanently banned.

A small sampling:

"...enjoyable set which is definitely for the open-eared due to the wide variety of styles."

"...repeated listenings will reveal a great deal of beauty for some open-eared listeners"

"...recommended to open-eared listeners"

"...exotic instruments and three strings to create some particularly unusual music. It's for the open-eared listener only."

"...open-eared listeners are advised to search for this important historical set."

"...this LP, which is worth a search by open-eared listeners"

"...well worth several listens by open-eared (and tolerant) jazz fans"

"...this rather esoteric CD is strictly for open-eared modern classical listeners"

"...certainly not for everyone's taste, the truly open-eared will find the innovative results quite intriguing"

"...it is recommended strictly for the open-eared listener who does not demand that all jazz swing conventionally."

[jazzypaul]

I'm not exactly sure why it bugs me so much, but I'd like to see open-eared listener and all its variants permanently banned.

A small sampling:

"...enjoyable set which is definitely for the open-eared due to the wide variety of styles."

"...repeated listenings will reveal a great deal of beauty for some open-eared listeners"

"...recommended to open-eared listeners"

"...exotic instruments and three strings to create some particularly unusual music. It's for the open-eared listener only."

"...open-eared listeners are advised to search for this important historical set."

"...this LP, which is worth a search by open-eared listeners"

"...well worth several listens by open-eared (and tolerant) jazz fans"

"...this rather esoteric CD is strictly for open-eared modern classical listeners"

"...certainly not for everyone's taste, the truly open-eared will find the innovative results quite intriguing"

"...it is recommended strictly for the open-eared listener who does not demand that all jazz swing conventionally."

you pulled all of those from my reviews from the past year at Chicago Jazz Magazine, didn't you?

[Uncle Skid]

you pulled all of those from my reviews from the past year at Chicago Jazz Magazine, didn't you?

Nope, those are from Allmusic.com reviews, probably Scott Yanow.

Whenever I see "open-eared" in a review, I'd assume that many people immediately equate that with "difficult" or "avant-garde" music. If that's true, the potential tragedy is that the review might turn away otherwise curious people from some great music.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

a Dusty favorite:

"little"

[Dan Gould]

you pulled all of those from my reviews from the past year at Chicago Jazz Magazine, didn't you?

Nope, those are from Allmusic.com reviews, probably Scott Yanow.

Whenever I see "open-eared" in a review, I'd assume that many people immediately equate that with "difficult" or "avant-garde" music. If that's true, the potential tragedy is that the review might turn away otherwise curious people from some great music.

Or save those of us who do prefer "conventional swing" from what may be, from experience, an unrewarding listen. Fact is, "open-eared" is as good a shorthand as any for "challenging" or "not mainstream" or "different". Remember that good reviewers want to communicate the type of music that is on the recording, to let readers have an idea if the music is the type of jazz they enjoy.

Is there any doubt that for those predisposed, "open-eared" is an equally effective shorthand that signifies a likelihood that they will enjoy the recording? I would further suggest that those who are "curious" would be more likely to try. Its the ones who are set in their ways because they've heard a few of those "requires open ears" recordings to know that its not what they enjoy.

I get the feeling that you are trying to blame reviewers for the fact that "difficult" or "avant-garde" jazz remains a small subset of jazz in the marketplace. Now I'd agree with you if you could show that the phrase is overused or applied to music that barely exits the mainstream - but to paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault lies with us, not the reviewers.

[GA Russell]

"Dark."

TTK, I'm pretty sure I have used the word "dark" more than once. Can you think of a better word that means the same thing?

[Debra]

---esque, as in "the pianist's solo showed some ----esque influences" or "the tenor saxophonist treated the crowd to some tasty ---esque passages in his solo."

Examples:

Silveresque

Tyneresque

Coltranesque

Blakeyesque

[Neal Pomea]

I have a pet peeve about shortening words then pronouncing the vowels differently than in the original:

Trad v traditional

Prog v progressive

Comping v accompanying

That kind of thing. Of course the shortened versions would sound worse with the vowels of the originals, but instead of changing the vowel just ban the short versions, IMO.

[Uncle Skid]

I get the feeling that you are trying to blame reviewers for the fact that "difficult" or "avant-garde" jazz remains a small subset of jazz in the marketplace. Now I'd agree with you if you could show that the phrase is overused or applied to music that barely exits the mainstream - but to paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault lies with us, not the reviewers.

You're probably right, Dan. But, it does seem to me that the phrase is often applied to music that isn't all that far from "conventional", whatever that is!

Are you admitting you're "close-eared"??

[Alexander Hawkins]

There are some which are irritating and quite lovely in equal measure...I'm thinking of trumpeters with 'burnished' tones...

[Teasing the Korean]

"Dark."

TTK, I'm pretty sure I have used the word "dark" more than once. Can you think of a better word that means the same thing?

No, and let me know if you can. I catch myself using it from time to time and blush.

[relyles]

The one I personally was probably most guilty of overusing was some variant on "rewards repeated listens". The inability to avoid cliches is yet another good reason for my decision to stop pretending to be a jazz writer.

[Guest Bill Barton]

"Exploring new territory..."

"Charting new terrain..."

"Unique..."

"Singular..."

"Highly recommended..."

I'm pledging not to use these again. And, yes, these are from my own damned reviews. Cliches become cliches for good reasons...

And on the "open-eared" one: how would it be possible to listen to music at all without being "open-eared"? The cliche that would make more sense in this context is "open-minded."

[Guest Bill Barton]

Suis generis too...

[umum_cypher]

'Sophomore effort'.

Second album.

Whilst we're at it, can we ban people form claiming their favourite word is 'serendipity', as some precious celeb did in a space-filling feature in the paper this weekend, following, I don't know, 3 million precious sods before him/her, as if it was in the least way clever, interesting, original, or true.

[Jim Alfredson]

"tinkling the ivories"

If I read one more review (specifically of my own projects) with that phrase, I'm going to go postal. THEY DON'T EVEN USE IVORY ON PIANOS ANYMORE! AND I PLAY ORGAN!!!

[jazzypaul]

"tinkling the ivories"

If I read one more review (specifically of my own projects) with that phrase, I'm going to go postal. THEY DON'T EVEN USE IVORY ON PIANOS ANYMORE! AND I PLAY ORGAN!!!

how about, "tinkling the unweighted plastic composites," then?

[jazzypaul]

"Exploring new territory..."

"Charting new terrain..."

"Unique..."

"Singular..."

"Highly recommended..."

I'm pledging not to use these again. And, yes, these are from my own damned reviews. Cliches become cliches for good reasons...

And on the "open-eared" one: how would it be possible to listen to music at all without being "open-eared"? The cliche that would make more sense in this context is "open-minded."

While I'll admit that these are all cliches, and all cliches that I've used, I've got to say that there's a difference between good cliches and bad ones.

If something is recommended, it's recommended. If something doesn't sound like much else out there, it IS unique.

That said, really, what is someone going to have to do in order to TRULY chart NEW terrain these days? Arousing an elephant while hopping on a tambourine with one foot while playing changes on a casio keytar set on the choir setting?

And, now, the Paul Abella Trio has an idea for their next album...mmmm...keytar...

[Debra]

I found this online and like it:

How to Be a Jazz Critic

By Bill Anschell

Thinking about a career in Jazz Journalism? Jazz writing is a lot like jazz playing: You’ll need to be talented, hard-working, passionate, self-absorbed, and disdainful of material reward.

If those are your gifts, we’re here to ease your burden. Just memorize the handy phrases below, and plug them into your stories as needed. You’ll save years of training, and write just like the real, professional jazz critics! Be sure all your reviews include plenty of references to yourself; readers need to be reminded who they’re really reading about.

Sound good? Now repeat after me:

Their music is so much more than the sum of its parts. They are team players: they think as one, phrase as one, play as one. Their music is an intimate conversation, a shared secret. They are joined at the hip, they are of a mind; telepathic. They don’t hit you over the head, they have nothing to prove. They can turn on a dime. Three cheers!

America’s indigenous artform, America’s classical music, our national treasure. The sound of surprise, bright moments. It’s a gourmet meal in a McDonald’s culture. It’s a fine wine, a literary masterpiece, gumbo. It’s the blues, gospel, sadness and joy. It’s unacknowledged, tragic, disowned, downplayed, suppressed. An ugly stepsister, bastard child, shoeless orphan. It dies poor, no health insurance, alone in a Brooklyn apartment. The greedy record company releases a compilation of embarrassing out-takes. Touche!

The leader is a double threat, a triple threat, a quadruple threat, multi-talented, multi-faceted, a musician’s musician, an unsung hero. His songs are tomorrow’s standards. Here is the next Gershwin, Porter, Kern. He has that rare gift of melody. His eponymous debut release shows surprising maturity. He continues to improve. He is at the peak of his form. He’s had a long and storied career. Bravo!

Don’t be fooled. Don’t think you already know, have already heard. Don’t be too quick to. Don’t be surprised if. Ignore the skeptics. You have to consider, you need to check out, you owe it to yourself. Listen!

His harmon mute brings to mind; he has the lyricism of; he’s athletic, muscular, agile, facile, always lands on his feet. He effortlessly spins out melodies, sheets of sound. He sings through his horn. His fingers dance on the keys. His voice-like quality, his stylings. His gargantuan chops. He pounds out, hammers, articulates, coaxes, crafts. This titan, this speed demon, this racehorse, freight train, Olympic hurdler. Bird lives!

In this era of Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Jane Monheit. In this era of Kenny G. In this era of racial division. In this era of marketing hype. In this era of eroding CD sales. Label support. Radio support. Audience support. Where is the black audience? Where are the students, the Gen-exers? Where is the next Trane, Duke, Miles? What can we, how can we, when will we? Young lions, seasoned veterans, a cross-generational assemblage. Hearkening back to the tradition. Drawing from a long line of, the latest incarnation of, bringing back to life. Long live…!

I used to play this music, that instrument. For my girlfriend, in my apartment, low-rent, ill-lit, among stacks of records lovingly collected, carefully filed. I was this, that. I heard this group before they. I was the first to. I knew them when no one else. I was having a bad day until. Just when I thought I’d never find anything like. My initial reaction was. Normally, I’m not one to, but. I kicked back with a glass of. I sat on my favorite, listened with all my. I was never a fan of. But this, until I heard this, I have to admit. Now I’m. It’s records like this that make me. I want, I hope, I have to, I never; I, always. I.

copyright 2004, Bill Anschell

[ghost of miles]

Wow...that has a kind of haunting, literary air about it... or maybe just a low-grade jazz critic's Finnegans Wake feel?

Edited February 5, 2008 by ghost of miles

[gslade]

Suis generis too...

Thank you

[Teasing the Korean]

"thinking man's pop."

[Dan Gould]

I get the feeling that you are trying to blame reviewers for the fact that "difficult" or "avant-garde" jazz remains a small subset of jazz in the marketplace. Now I'd agree with you if you could show that the phrase is overused or applied to music that barely exits the mainstream - but to paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault lies with us, not the reviewers.

You're probably right, Dan. But, it does seem to me that the phrase is often applied to music that isn't all that far from "conventional", whatever that is!

Are you admitting you're "close-eared"??