By Anonymous on Friday, July 02, 1999 - 12:15 am: EditI know this forum is no stranger to long posts, so here it goes. This is an article writen by Duke Ellington 60 years ago. Please try hard (although you wont have to!) to find the similarities to our present scene.
February 1939
"The most significant thing that can be said about swing music today is that it is stagnant.
Nothing of importance, nothing new, nothing either original or creative has occurred in the swing field during the last two years.
It becomes necessary to adopt a far-seeing and mature point of view when considering the current popularity of swing, revising in the mind's eye its inception, the conditions and circumstances surrounding its birth and growth and the completion of the cycle as it appears today. Much has been written about swing, it has been defined 1,999 times and it has been the subject of much controversy.
An ironic twist to the situation has bitten deeply into the minds of many of the actual purveyors of swing music. Those musicians who were "swinging" on their instruments 10 and 15 years ago (before the appellation "swing" had any significance other than that of inferring in what style the music was to be played) today look on, some with amusement, others with intolerance, at the farce which is being played out to the full on that merry-go-round known as the amusement world.
What is important is the fact that Jazz has something to say. It speaks in many manners, taking always the original and authentic form. Still in the throes of devolopment and formation, it has fought its way upwards through the effortful struggles of sincere and irate musicians, has fought to escape maljudgement at the hands of its own "causified critics," those fanatical fans who have woven about it interminable toils. It has striven in a world of other values, to get across its own message, and in so doing, is striving, toward legitimate acceptance, in proportion to its own merits...
As is so often the case, the sweeping wave of popularity lost sight of the genuine values of its popular hero, and much that is false came into prominence. On fire with the new craze, writers, faddists, bandmanagers, night club propietors, entertainers and newspapermen entered the field with a vengeance. Genuine values became distorted and false ones set up in their places.
Before proceeding to explain why I feel that the music is stagnant at the present time, it is only fair to recognize certain beneficial effects which the swing craze has brought about. Without any question, qualifications for playing swing music demand superior musicianship than that heretofore required. Greater flexibility, superior tone and range, intelligence in the use of phrasing and dynamics, are all qualities that are for more consistently demanded from the swing musician than they were in the past from the average player...
It stands to reason that since, during the last couple of years, the public has listened to so much music being played according to these standards that they themselves are becoming more discerning, discriminating and appreciative. The ear of the lay public is becoming more accustomed to the rhythms and forms adopted in swing. They are quicker to pick out riffs, and rhythmic variations, and therefore, slowly but definitely, the standards of musicianship for bands demanded by the public should elevate, and should eventually attain a far higher standard.
I believe that there has been little or no progress in swing music of late. It is the repetition and monotony of the present day swing arrangements which bode ill for the future. The mechanics of most of the current "killer-dillers" are similar and of elementary quality.
Once again, it is proven that when the artistic point of view gains commercial standing, artistry itself bows out, leaving inspiration to die a slow death. The present dearth of creative and original music is not, I'm convinced, due to a lack of talent.
The adage "necessity is the mother of invention" can very aptly be applied to our situation. The responsibility of improving audience level lies with the critics who might well give their particluar job more serious consideration. When audience level improves, it will likely inspire our artists to a high level. Swing is merely one element in good dance music. Pure swing is monotonous. I feel strongly that the swing "craze" has been harmful since it has done two or three damaging things to popular music.
It has thwarted the improvement of many good bands, which for commercial reasons remain in the same uninspired groove and refuse to risk rising above the current public taste...
We are not concerned personally with these conditions, because our aim has always been the development of an authentic Negro music, of which swing is only one element. We are not interested primarily in the playing of jazz or swing music, but in producing musically a genuine contribution from our race. Our music is always intended to be definitely and purely racial. We try to complete a cycle.
As a group of musicains we understand each other well. We have identical feelings and beliefs in music. Our inspiration is derived from our lives, and the lives of those around us, and those that went before us. The boys in our band play in a certain style, the music I write is inspired by those men, and they play it with the realization and understanding that they are playing their own music.
Those things we have to say, we try to express musically with the greatest possible degree of freedom of inspiration and individuality. We thus attempt to achieve a form of individual expression presented by the entire band, both as individuals and as a whole. I believe a significant future for the swing music of today is largely dependent upon the strength of character, depth of artistic integrity, and purity of creative inspiration existent today in that body of musicians most concerned with swing.
These same musicians spent years studying music, perfecting themselves on their instruments, many of them also delving deeply into the subject of harmony and composition. It stands to reason that these men are well equipped to know what they are doing and what they want to do in their own field. It is up to these musicians to carry out their beliefs in music to the fullest possible extent, remembering to ignore those critics, who, lacking a musical education and foundation, might want to confound them and atttempt to influence them in perhaps the wrong direction."