[Tradjazz] Knocking Other Musicians

[Bill Barnes]

 It's more pleasant to avoid knocking musicians for what they can't do and 
pick out some praise for what they CAN do.Everybody has something to offer.
         Bobby Hackett would never knock anybody - remember the story about 
Hitler?
        "Hey Bobby - what do you think of Hitler?"
         Pause, deep thought, Answer:
          "Well, he was the best in his field."

   Anyway, no matter how good a musician is,sooner or later there's always 
someone who's better.

                                                            Bill Barnes

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <tradjazz at list.okom.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2006 2:26 PM
Subject: [Tradjazz] Knocking Other Musicians


> "Bruce McNichols" <muskrat at bestweb.net> wrote (polite snip)
>
>> I've tried to not knock the guys I've worked with and perhaps that means 
>> that
>> I'm a wimp.
>
> Not at all, Bruce, IMO musicians should never knock other musicians, at
> least, not publicly. Let the "critics" and/or the "fans" do that. Why 
> should
> we demean the profession by knocking another musician?
>
> Like those who knock Kenny G because "he is a lousy JAZZ musician". Shoot,
> he never claimed to be a jazz musician, and in fact he has denied that he 
> is
> a jazz musician, more than once publicly. Yet we jazz musicians continue
> spout off that  Kenny G can't play jazz. Well, hello?
>
> As for me, I have a framed saying in my home office, that I plagiarized 
> from
> an artist friend of mine in West Chester PA. He was very good, and very
> successful He had this hand painted sign at the entrance to his studio:
>
> ALL THOSE WHO ENTER THIS STUDIO
> Please Spare Me Your Praise or Criticism.
> I Will Not Be Swayed By Either.
> For I Know What I am Doing.
> And I Am Not Doing It Specifically For You.
>
> Neat philosophy by which to live. If someone believes in what he or she
> does, who am I to knock it? Plus, if we, as "artists" can truly follow 
> that
> philosophy, we are impervious to those who don't like what we do. And 
> there
> will always be those who don't like what we do, whether we are Tony Scott,
> Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Eddie Daniels, or Steve Barbone and Bruce McN.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
>
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