Monday, October 29, 2007
From an interesting interview with Robert Wyatt at Pitchfork:
"Pitchfork: Did you once say that without jazz America would have been a mistake?
RW: It wouldn't have been a mistake. But if it hadn't been for the black cultural experience, from the gospel and blues and jazz, American would be no more famous than, say, New Zealand. Americans do make great films. But who doesn't make films? The Japanese do, the French do, the Iranians do! The Americans have a huge commercial advantage. So I wouldn't say cinema. Actually it was Clint Eastwood who said, the only things America has contributed to civilization are the western and jazz. And I don't think westerns are bad, but lots of people make great cinema. But jazz is right there."
I'm pretty sure I disagree, or at least, that I think there have been other notable contributions, both in the arts (even if we didn't invent the mystery-- a debatable point-- it certainly attained its highest form here.), and politically. For all the faults of the US, it is still the first nation formed out of a philosophy, and that philosophy is still a laudable aspirational goal. It is very easy, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, and after nearly 50 years of imperialistic swagger, to lose sight of that. Jazz, fortunately, helps bring it back into perspective.
"Pitchfork: Did you once say that without jazz America would have been a mistake?
RW: It wouldn't have been a mistake. But if it hadn't been for the black cultural experience, from the gospel and blues and jazz, American would be no more famous than, say, New Zealand. Americans do make great films. But who doesn't make films? The Japanese do, the French do, the Iranians do! The Americans have a huge commercial advantage. So I wouldn't say cinema. Actually it was Clint Eastwood who said, the only things America has contributed to civilization are the western and jazz. And I don't think westerns are bad, but lots of people make great cinema. But jazz is right there."
I'm pretty sure I disagree, or at least, that I think there have been other notable contributions, both in the arts (even if we didn't invent the mystery-- a debatable point-- it certainly attained its highest form here.), and politically. For all the faults of the US, it is still the first nation formed out of a philosophy, and that philosophy is still a laudable aspirational goal. It is very easy, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, and after nearly 50 years of imperialistic swagger, to lose sight of that. Jazz, fortunately, helps bring it back into perspective.
// posted by Bill @ 9:57 AM 
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