"D Dvb" <d_dvb@hotmail.com> wrote:
To illustrate one of Skip's points, I've seen Ellery Eskelin play two performances, one with the Black and Parkins (?) trio and an improvised set with Tom Rainey and Paul Plimley. I really enjoyed the Rainey/Plimley set but was a little disappointed with the accordion trio set. So I'm on the fence. Couple that with the fact that most Eskelin CDs I find in stores are new and imports and it means that I just don't listen to him. If someone were to burn me a whole album (gasp!) and I really liked it, I may or may not buy that burned album but I'll probably buy 4 or 5 other Eskelin albums eventually. It really is true.
Hey there, OK, I'll make it easy for you... Look's like you're writing from Vancouver, right? We're playing in Vancouver on January 11th. Check the web site (address below in my sig file) for details. Come to the concert. If you like it any better than the last time let me know and I'll make you a yummy deal on a CD or two, right there on the spot. No one walks away from an Eskelin concert unsatisfied, goddammit!! But if you don't like us any better than the last time then maybe you're not gonna dig the CDs anyway...
I guess what I'm trying to say is that (especially for the music discussed on this list) at some point, there seems to be two viewpoints: music as art/communication/spiritual yogurt or music as commodity.
No, just that in a perfect political/cultural system like ours (down here in the States, that is) there is a significant monetary investment required on the part of any musician who wants to devote enough time in their life to make it more than a hobby (not that there's a thing in the world wrong with hobbies). If I could live a peaceful, enchanted existence without the need to make or spend money then I could simply do all the music I want and give it away for free. And that would be wonderful. But unfortunately I have to fight every step of the way just to get the satisfaction of arriving at that "art/communication/spiritual" place in some semblance of sanity. Now, I'm not complaining as I like to work hard but I just get a little uneasy when I see the growing trend in the public at large that says to me not only that "all artists are scum" (unless you get popular, in which case you're scum for selling out, or at least you're some form of social deviant because...well, just because...) but "you owe us free music too". Sure, that's overly dramatic, but there are days... And yes, I realize that most of ya'll on this list understand that and yes, are a small sub set of the larger music world/biz and yes, many of you have probably been turned on to new music via CDR burns and yes, I know ya'll buy a lot of CDs. But I still think it's important to establish a few points along the way. And with that I hope to exit this conversation, I think I've said too much...my medication is wearing off and I have work to do...just kidding...(about the medication part)... Love, Ellery Eskelin ================================= ELLeRY ESKELiN/MiCHELLE VAn NaTTA RaMiChElLeRy/PrImE SoUrCe PrOdUcTiOnS http://home.earthlink.net/~eskelin/ =================================