Friday, February 10, 2017

Some Thoughts on Unmixed Sound



Here are some thoughts of mine on music that popped up in my Facebook memory feed today. I thought they might just as well be shared here, as they have implications for jazz performance. I've noticed musicians like Paquito D'Rivera suggesting similar things over the last couple of years as well.


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What would happen to our musical culture if there was a five year ban imposed upon light shows, auto tune, click tracks, concert mixing boards, and outrageous levels of artificial amplification?

The American public knows the difference between fresh food and frozen. Knows the difference between Madden and real football. Knows the difference between a real body and an airbrushed photo of a woman who had ten plastic surgeries. But most folks really have no knowledge of the difference between mixed and unmixed sound--or music done with or without producers making it sound acceptable.
Isn't it time musicians began promoting real, honest sound--coming from the actual breath or touch of the musicians?
Let's face it, folks...the real musicians in the industry are taking a pounding, economically. We're basically at the point where we have nothing to lose by being honest. So why not promote honest, real, intimate music making?
(And it's not just the pop industry that I'm talking about....) 




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Sing for the Korg and only the Korg will love you.

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There's a difference between Time and Pulse.
A click track will tell you one, but can't resuscitate the other.