ProfD

Exactly. Elitists and snobs still exist to this very day in all areas of human activity. In fact, shortly after the artist was born, so too was the critic. It's widely belived that a critic is usually a failed artist. A gifted/talented but struggling musician or artist will be a god-send initially. As soon as they pull in fame and/or fortune, the same folks who loved them in the trenches turn into haters. It's the craziest sh8t but has been ongoing forever. I just conjured up an image of a bunch of slaves idolizing one of their own. As soon as he or she got pulled up to the big house, they couldn't stand that n8gglet. Nevermind that they were all still slaves. Back from my detour...I'm thankful to the universe for sending trailblazers like Ellington, Tatum, Powell, Parker, Coltrane, Monk, Garner, etc. to name a short few. I think it's important for Jazz musicians especially to appreciate Herbie Hancock while he's still on planet too. He's one of the few trailblazers of Jazz who's still with us.

You're absolutely correct. For AfroAmericans, the general election is the voting equivalent of children interjecting their thoughts in an adult conversation. There is so much more work to be done at the local and state level when it comes politics. The folks running the school board, courts, mayor, governor, etc., control what's happening where people live, work and play. Even before voting in local and state elections, AfroAmericans need an agenda. A list of things that matter to them as it relates to their community. Citizens have a choice in whether they get more liquor stores and beauty supply stores or black-owned businesses and better schools. When it comes to politics, AfroAmericans have a LOT of work to do in codifying their agenda on local, state and national levels.

As you may have gathered from my posts, I personally have no use for religion. However, I do not begrudge those who have to believe in something in order to manage their existence on the prison yard of white supremacy. If religion keeps folks from being self-destructive and makes them more productive, I think that's great. The Nation of Islam (NOI) appears to be a great exercise in mental and physical discipline. They have taken lost and wayward folks and put them on a path of righteousness. That's great. I remember the NOI/FOI (Fruit of Islam) providing security in situations that mainly benefitted them. Those brothas were on it when the NOI collected millions of dollars at the Million Man Marches. I was there. The NOI is headquartered in Chicago which right now I believe is the deadliest city for black folks in America. I've asked myself why the NOI/FOI hasn't established a presence on the South side and West side to stop the violence. Rest assured the NOI compound is heavily secured. I read about how well trained the FOI force is in martial arts and weapons. Brotha James Brown wrote a song called "Talkin Loud and Sayin Nothin". Those dudes seem all dressed up with nowhere to go. Most of the dudes having street crediblity themselves, I would think the FOI could clean up the streets of Chicago. Unless they're getting kickbacks from the dysunction that is plauging the city. Cue up that Jodeci track again...

You're absolutely right about Erroll Garner. Awesome that you were there to witness his genius. Erroll Garner was a monster Jazz pianist among his contemporaries and one of the greatest of all time. No doubt about it. However, some traditional Jazz musicians and critics didn't appreciate the "ornamental" elements of Erroll Garner's playing and the audiences to whom he appealed. Those musicians and critics didn't consider Garner's playing "hip" or "cool". To them, his style was "corny". Then, there was the phenomenal success of "Concert by the Sea". That drove them crazy. Nowadays, we call those people "haters". Since the beginning of time up to present, every supremely gifted and/or talented person has their share of them. It's par for the course.

Dave brubeck and Erroll Garner were *hated* by Traditional Jazz musicians during that time. They were considered "cocktail" pianists. The modern equivalent would be Smooth Jazz.

I don't use Facebook, Instagram or Whatsapp so I'd be fine. If the internet went down forever, I'd play my keyboards, read, cook, knock out home improvement jobs, hold court, travel, etc. Yeah, pretty much the same sh8t I do now including the internet.

AIDS was created and spread through minority communities like drugs. Of course, there was collateral damage i.e. sacrificial white folks. First, they came up with a drug cocktail that allowed folks to live without HIV becoming full blown AIDS and deadly. Fast-forward to present and now they have a drug that allows people to enjoy alternative sex without contracting the HIV virus. Follow the science, er, I mean the money. Every plandemic is about someone getting paid and maintaining white supremacy. I believe Eazy E was killed by his business partner/manager/lawyer/friend, Jerry Heller. Eazy wasn't gay or an intravenous drug user. So, how in in hello Pete did he contract AIDS. He was poisoned. Oldest trick in the power/money grab book. In the 1970s, affirmative action neutered the Civil Rights struggle. Black folks had arrived with good paying jobs, affordable houses in the suburbs and good schools for their chilluns. Black consciousness really took a nosedive in the 1980s. N8gglets were dancing and signing happy rap songs with no sociopolitical substance. PCP and Crack dealt the KO blow. It wasn't until Public Enemy came out with "Fight the Power" that black dudes started wearing X hats. The Native Tongues (Jungle Brothers & A Tribe Called Quest, De LA Soul, etc.) had dudes wearing medallions and Afro-Centric attire. That lasted for a year or two before Gangsta Rap exploded on the music scene and took off. Except for a handful of conscious rappers, most of the music glorified life in the prison of white supremacy (selling drugs, killing, getting high and sex). So, it's no surprise that what we're seeing today regarding a lack of sociopolitical consciousness among AfroAmericans are seeds that were planted and germinated several decades ago.

IMO, Artificial intelligence (A.I.) will never be able to replace and/or mimic that which makes us human. Technology will always be tool that makes certain tasks easier which in turn will make humans lazier and more expendable in the workplace. AI will be able to entertain humans on some level but it will never provide comaraderie or companionship. No amount of programming and algorithms can produce genuine emotion and spontaneous action. My dad taught me how to play Chess and card games in my youth. In those days, we played Casino, Koomkang, Spades, Tonk, Rummy and Whist. However, Bridge wasn't on the table. Like everything else, from farming and music and books, new technology has supplanted the way we get things done. Because they're already being groomed with it, the current generation and future of humanity will be perfectly fine with AI in whatever form it takes up to a point. Social media has already created a society of people who seem perfectly comfortable interacting through a computer. But again, computers (AI) will never replace that which makes us human. Eventually, folks have to emerge from their digital cocoons and press flesh. It's just a matter of time before folks will rediscover how to work with their hands and entertain each other in person. Folks might even get back to having card parties and playing Bridge again. I know musicians realize the importance of playing together versus using computers. I wouldn't count Mankind out just yet. In the meantime, music is the ultimate opiate.

I guess it depends on where one lived in the 1980s. When the AIDS epidemic came to light in 1981, it temporarily suspended free sex for about 20 minutes in my hood. Once AIDS was considered a "gay disease", heterosexual folks jumped right back in the sack. Proof is in the population. A helluva lotta folks have been born since the 1980s. Between population growth and alternative forms of sex, I think the revolution is still going strong and it's being televised.

So do you think black jazz masters are not on a par with Beethoven, Mozart. Chopin , Shubert. Handel, et al, whose works are timeless and who hold permanent places of honor in the annals of white classical music? I absolutely do think black Jazz masters and their works are timeless on a par with and held in high regard within the Jazz community just like their European counterparts of classical music. Why do you think vintage jazz artists and present day ones can't co-exist and be judged on their individual merits??? Vintage Jazz artists and present day musicians do co-exist. The former are canonized. The latter are judged on their individual merits within their ability to interpret the music and keep it alive. Within the Jazz community, musicians do honor and respect the legacy of the past masters both in the way they play and as evidenced by the fact that there are plenty Jazz tunes (standards) that every Jazz musician should know. Jazz musicians past up to present are still playing and recording standard tunes. A Traditional Jazz musician should be able to hit with other players on any Jazz gig, anywhere on the planet without a single rehearsal based on their common knowledge of tunes left to us by the giants of Jazz. Why does it have to be one or the other when it comes to listening to them? That depends on the listener(s). Jazz is America's classical music. But, it's also an acquired taste. When someone says they like Jazz, it helps to know what kind of Jazz they like. John Coltrane and Kenny G are worlds apart. Traditional Jazz was a popular form of music from the 1930s through the mid-1960s. It's popularity began to wane as other styles of music emerged in the 1960s and beyond. As I mentioned, Miles incorporated new sounds into Jazz which led to different styles of it. As a result, listeners moved accordingly. Like Brussels sprouts, a small group of folks still listen to and appreciate Traditional Jazz. I think most Jazz listeners nowadays prefer the McDonalds version of it.

I'm definitely not a millennial. But, I know that music cannibalizes itself for better or worse depending on the listener. As musicians, we're always trying to come up with something "new" using influences from the past. As the songwriter Benard Ighner penned on Quincy Jones record "Everything Must Change".

Pioneer, I'm fine with large segments of land in every region. We still would have to be vigilant in protecting it. That Jodeci "I'm still waiting" and mush mouth pic and quote wee hilarious. You're right thinking about the approach to getting reparations. I just don't remember the Japanese needing a special interest group or select subcommittee to get theirs. Everything AfroAmericans need and want is the equivalent of a dental extraction with rusty implements and no painkillers.

I do not believe there's any truth in that tea. Of course, I have no proof. However, I can imagine the mutual respect those two mercurial cats would have had for each as musicians.

Pardon my comedic mind but that reads like he was gay "a little bit" or once upon a time. Of course, I have no proof whatsoever but despite the way he "looked", I don't believe that dude had a temporary or permanent membership in the alphabet soup crew.

Surely, Miles' contemporaries were trailblazers in their own right. But, most of those cats remained straight ahead Jazz musicians. They did not embrace amplified instruments in the way Miles did on his landmark albums... "In a Silent Way" and Bitches Brew". Those records laid the groundwork for Fusion Jazz. While I'm extremely MOM (Musically Open Minded), I *hate* that "saccharine "smooth jazz" brand". There's zero soul in it. They removed all of the fat and calories and overloaded it with high fructose corn syrup. Smooth Jazz will put your ears in a diabetic coma. But, as a musician and not to come off like a grumpy old man longing for the black music of yesteryear, there's still some cool stuff worthy listening to in the offspring that became Soul, R&B, Funk, Rap/Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul, etc. Most musicians use their talent and influences to make music for their peers. So they're not consulting with and/or thinking about me and what I want to hear when they organize their noise (definition of music). The further removed we are from the peer group for whom the music is intended, we either get in where we fit in or tune it out and rely on the soundtrack that shaped our lives i.e. the music made by our peers. Yeah, I can appreciate some newer music but mainly from the periphery because I know it wasn't made and/or intended for me. However, I did watch Billie Holiday vs the US gov't movie. Andra Day who is a fantastic singer in her own right was excellent in her portrayal of a tortured soul. Billie Holiday had her struggles but she was awesome behind that microphone. "Strange Fruit" is one of the best songs ever written and recorded.

Prior to the 1960s, US culture was what Agent Orange (45, Trump) was referring to with his "Make America Great Again" slogan. Back in the 1950s, Black folks, women, immigrants, alphabet soup crew, etc. were all kept in their place. The revolutions of the 1960s provided more latitude for everything we see in society today. But, white supremacy never sleeps. It always looks for an angle to expoit. It's good for the business. So, sex, civil rights and women's rights were all lumped together In a package. We've seen it grow from 1970s to present. White supremacy will exploit and propagate anything that's controversial, abnormal or negative or a pain in their proverbial azz. Dysfunctional non-whites is child's play.

Miles Davis was another musical genius who refused to be shackled by Jazz purists. He was the trailblazer who kicked in the door for everything Jazz became as it was infused with electronics and Funk and became Fusion. Miles' progeny of musicians is lengthy but his lead was followed by Herbie Hancock (Headhunters), Chick Corea (Return to Forever), Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter (Weather Report). Miles Davis' influence rippled through every aspect of black music. The planet is better off that he visited too.

I've heard of "Lovecraft Country" but never watched it. However, Im glad to read that Gil & Brian's music still lives. Hard to believe those cats were late teens/early 20s when they created their best work. The music I play would sound like funky Jazz to the average listener but in DC we call it Go-Go music. As a music listener, it's a little bit of everything because when I'm in composer mode, inspiration can come from any sound(s).

If AfroAmericans used the faith and discipline religion requires, in order to build and live a better life on the planet, it would make more sense to me. They haven't and don't. What do I see? Pimps and hustlers in the pulpit enriching themselves while telling their congregation a heavenly reward awaits. Just hold on...a change is coming....in the sweet by and by...yeah right. In a Katt Williams voice, n8gga why you got a Bentley tho? Jesus walked...everywhere. The failure to understand and teach group economics has plagued AfroAmericans. That should be our religion. The intellectual drain doesn't help either. Pioneer, you're "doing the right" in terms of focusing on your spirituality and personal "wealth", whatever that entails. But, it doesn't hurt to remain curious "still learning" and observing the world around us. Also, don't be discouraged to share your knowledge and/or opinions with those who might be "lost". Too many of us as elders have either checked out mentally and/or given up or fear they will get shot if they upset these n8gglets. I'm not afraid of my people. I'll tell these youngins to pull up their pants and put some real sh8t on their minds other than being a criminal or staying unemployed or getting high, etc. I drop jewels on our females too. To both, I'm saying, stop being mentally insolent and thirsty for ignorance. Do better. Ben Crump might be smart in the courtroom but he's getting rich off the pain and suffering of folks in the guise of civil rights. He's a glorified ambulance chaser. No different from those pimps in the pulpit. I would be impressed if Crump and all of those newly created Black millionaires put their money together and opened a bank. Likewise, I think it would be awesome if a church took their perpetual "building fund" well after the church has built and used it to build wealth for the congregants and community. I know those are tall orders. But, it aligns with my thoughts on vertical integration and what reparations should look like. AfroAmericans need a lot of work in all areas of human activity. Kinda like the bionic man.

Image-wise Prince was an anomaly. He was a beautiful, heterosexual dude who flirted with androgeny. I'd imagine he indirectly inspired girly boys to be free to express themselves. But, by all accounts Prince was totally secure in his manhood. The high-heeled boots and blouses he wore did not define him. Nonetheless, Prince was a phenomenal talent. He's definitely among an elite class of documented musicians to have shown up on the planet.

As a musician, this is near and dear to me. I've always felt that music has the power to heal the world. Prince was a genius. Lately, I've been binge listening to the late brotha Gil Scott-Heron: Despite his personal struggles, amazing how prophetic this poet was with his pen, voice and musicianship. I'm a keyboard player, so brotha Brian Jackson's work with Gil was sublime.

Mzuri, I've been a civil servant for 34 years and counting. I've already stated reparations will never happen. Above, I just outlined what it should look like. As mentioned, unfortunately, a one-time payment would go to TVs, cars, clothes, shoes, Playstations, alcohol, cigarettes, weed, drugs and Black & Mild cigars.

That move by Russ Westbook and Lil Nas X's "pregnancy" all in the same space and time was just further proof that these young nigglets are totally ignorant.

Pioneer, along similar lines my thoughts on U.S. reparations to AfroAmericans would be the following: 1) free healthcare and education 2) free housing 3) zero income tax 4) zero interest guaranteed loans 5) lifetime monthly stipend starting at age 18 Additionally, the government would provide land and infrastructure funding to build schools, hospitals and banks to be run by AfroAmericans. At one point, I thought it would be great to have a safe haven state exclusively for AfroAmericans with arable land and a moderate climate. But, I'm not so sure about the state thing upon thinking about how easily it could be polluted and destroyed. I would hope that we've got folks with military and law enforcement training to protect it but I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling there. D8mn near every country the US has had a conflict with receives the equivalent of reparations. Japan provoked our entry into WWII. Dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki basically ended it. Nobody else wanted that smoke. For their troubles, millions of dead, injured, disabled and/or adversely affected Japanese folks, the US helped rebuild their country and economy. Now, Japan is a wealthy country with a seat at the table in the G8. Reparations can be done. Apparently, America hasn't been given enough incentive to atone for its original sin (slavery). AfroAmericans are constantly being slapped in our proverbial faces through marginalization to every other issue that can be exploited. Most recently, it was black folks shut up and be quiet, Asians are being attacked in these streets. We're working on an anti-Asian hate crime bill. We'll get back to your voting rights later. Nevermind the constitutional rights afforded to every citizen.

Agreed. The timeline you provided is crucial to understanding the modern day buck breaking. Even athletes aren't exempt. Some of the biggest, strongest and most powerful Black dudes on the planet are made to dress in such a way that it softens their masculinity. I'm a huge fan of NFL football. Breast cancer awareness is a big deal. But, the fact that NFL players have to wear pink accessories during breast cancer awareness month is another example of buck breaking. This past summer an NFL player announced that he was gay. The league ran with it faster than they acknowledged police brutality. Don't be surprised to see NFL players having to wear some rainbow socks or wristbands and run onto the field with the Village People's "Macho Man" blaring from the speakers. Former QB Cam Newton was often shown in his post game attire. He always looked like a muscle bound version of a cross between a pimp and Mrs. Doubtfiire. Then, so many black boys are being raised without strong fathers and other black male roles. Growing up in a house full of estrogen has to be toxic on some level.