A Reflection on The Blues

The Blues is ultimately a celebration of Redemption, not a wallowing in despair. It's a musical form so powerfully good, that you can empty all your sorrows into it, all your scathing pain, and then shout joy--shout to the point of broken vocal chords. And all can be healed, and all can be made well, and wounds can be made glorious.

#MusicalTruth

Prayers and Thoughts Concerning the Charleston Shootings

Like every other decent human being in the world who has heard of it, I am appalled and saddened by the Charleston shootings.

As an American, I'm frustrated as well--frustrated that somehow, our society seems to foster an environment where evil like this grows, grotesquely flourishes, and continues unabated. The acceleration of these incidents seems indicative of a major moral problem, if not at the heart of our society, then certainly gnawing closer to it each day.

I'm frustrated by racism and all sources of irrational hate.

Like many of you, I'm also deeply frustrated that it doesn't seem, often, as though anything we common folks do can change this place. But I think it would be wrong to succumb to such hopelessness and despair.

I'm no politician, and the complexities of our legal system are beyond my purview. I'm not in law enforcement, so in a similar sense, I have no ability to work towards better systems of defense on a practical level. I'm not an educator, so any innovative ways of determining which young people stand out as potential time bombs, or new ways to teach such children are likewise beyond my influence.

What I am is a musician and a father, and I do know quite a bit about the arts, their importance, and parenting in this society. And as a society I think we need to start, seriously, rejecting art that promotes violent, hate-filled fantasy lives. In some cases, this includes books that my kids can check out of their school library, but it's not limited to children's literature (which is becoming haunted with evil fantasy). And before I go any further, I'm not talking about book burnings or censorship, but concerted societal rejection, built person by person, parent by parent, artist by artist--a rejection so all encompassing that degrading, violent fantasy-inspiring art loses the vast market it now possesses.

The imagination is no insubstantial or unimportant thing, and the exercise of it in many ways determines our character.

Let's think seriously about the music in our homes, the video games, the books, the movies. Let's raise our children with good things. As artists, let's produce music, dance, films, that delve into the deepest truths of human experience, which are ultimately soaringly beautiful rather than hellishly violent.

The artistic culture of our nation is increasingly synthetic, superficial, disposable, pornographic, and dark. Any type of progress towards a healthier environment must involve artists and parents providing and teaching art which is both profound and uplifting.

I hope and pray that our politicians, law enforcement, teachers, and everyone else find new solutions to eradicate the obvious problems with our society. As a musician and parent, I challenge other musicians and parents to stop accepting and consuming the dark, violent fantasy world that has such a grip on our market, our children, and our culture.

"In Tune" Column for EARLYJAS

I'm happy to announce that I've been asked to take over Bill Fuller's "In Tune" column, which he's written for nearly twenty years, in the Earlyjas Rag--the newsletter of the Earlyjas Society here in Northeast Ohio. My first column will be published in June's issue, then Bill and I will alternate for a few before I take over full time next year.

Folks on the scene here know Bill as an accomplished early jazz drummer--he's played with all of the top early jazz bands in Cleveland for decades. He's also one of those musicians who cares deeply about the history of jazz. Two decades ago, dismayed by the amount of misinformation and colorful, yet inaccurate, legend surrounding Roots Jazz, he began "In Tune" as a corrective. Since that time, he's filled the column with historical facts about recording dates and personnel.

When asked to take over the column a couple of months ago, my main concern was whether I'd have time to read all of his past writings. Bill put that to rest immediately, encouraging to make the column my own, with my own direction. Readers of The Jazz Clarinet will know that's a specialty of mine--the only challenge will be the word limit! 

I was introduced to the Earlyjas Society just this past winter, when Gene Epstein asked me to play with her group, Gene's Jazz Hot, at their annual Earlyjas Fest. I was deeply impressed by the commitment this society has to Roots Jazz, and how fun the whole experience was. If you're looking for a way to get involved with the musical scene in a meaningful way, and you like this soulful, accessible music which is so fundamental to our cultural infrastructure, I encourage you to consider joining--especially if you are local here in Northeast Ohio. My group, Eric Seddon's Hot Club, will be performing for the society in October--hope to see some of you there.

Eric Seddon's Hot Club * Live at Rockefeller's

Come on down to Rockefeller's Restaurant this Saturday evening to enjoy fine cuisine and New Orleans Jazz by Eric Seddon's Hot Club. This Saturday we're honored to welcome Cleveland piano legend George Foley into the Club. He's got Hall of Fame lifetime numbers on these tunes, so buckle your seats, sip your drink, and prepare for a real swinging time. Show starts at 7:30!

Rockefeller's Restaurant
3099 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland Heights
(Corner of Mayfield & Lee)

Advertising Etiquette

As mentioned earlier, this blog is quoted frequently--on eBay, Craig's List, and other places--perhaps most often when someone is selling equipment. While quotations are certainly fair game for anyone who publishes opinions on the web (or anywhere else), there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and perhaps it's worth giving some hints on etiquette. Most of these have usually been followed when I've seen quotes up from this blog, but in case anyone is looking for guidance...

1) If you're going to quote, make sure you quote accurately. Don't change the prose. That's not a quote, it's misrepresentation.

2) Provide a link to the blog post being quoted, so everyone can read the entire context.

3) Don't plagiarize. It's unethical.

4) Remember that the music business is a very small world, and that we all ought to work together. This blog was started to share a perspective on clarinetistry--and to help others who might be looking for historical perspective or advice. I've kept advertising off the page, and I don't collect money from it. The Jazz Clarinet has averaged several thousand hits per month for several years now--even when I don't post very often. So I am reaching quite a few people out there. It's foolish to alienate other hard working people in the music business just to try to cut corners or make a buck.

5) Contact me first if you want my endorsement. I'm open to suggestions.

Well, back to practicing folks. I have some gigs coming up that I hope to share more about soon. Keep swinging!

Eric

Eric Seddon's Hot Club has a Facebook Page

With the debut of Eric Seddon's Hot Club coming on March 27th, we've started a Facebook page to promote all of our endeavors. I'll be adding photos, videos, and other information about the band. So if you're on Facebook, and you love jazz clarinet, swing by and check us out. I'd certainly appreciate if you clicked "like"--and feel free to drop me a line. We'd love to hear from you!

I'm happy to announce the debut performance of Eric Seddon's Hot Club, which will take place on Friday, March 27th at 7pm, as part of ChamberFest Cleveland's concert series at The Wine Spot: 2271 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Hts, OH.

I'd like to thank the director of ChamberFest Cleveland, principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra, Franklin Cohen, for inviting me to play as part of this series.