Recent intellectual triumphs in Melbourne

[shaggaz]

Hey guys, thanks!

Here's the version I actually sent in. There is nothing like an edit to diffuse the tension a little.

Thanks Jim Schembri for your hilarious article on jazz! You have given us jazz musicians more publicity than we could manage to pay for during our recent meagre-budget, volunteer-run but still well attended Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival.
I’m sure the organisers of the Melbourne, Stonnington and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals are thrilled with your scarily accurate depictions of jazz musicians and their gigs; not to mention Tourism Victoria, the City of Melbourne and various other councils.
We can now definitely expect even larger audiences at these events!
But where do you find time to learn so much about jazz, what with all the film and television reviewing and such? Perhaps you should have a chat to Jessica Nicholas (jazz reviewer for The Age) and she might be able to help enlighten you as to the diversity and popularity of jazz forms in Melbourne (Note:‘Free jazz’ is but a small fish in a big ocean).

Now, I’m the first one to laugh at my own expense, but next time you write an article over the long weekend after one too many vinos, make it an informed joke or choose another occupation to excrete your mindless drivel upon.

[timothystevens]

Apr 30, 2008 8:17:34 GMT 10 isaacs said:

Apr 29, 2008 20:39:03 GMT 10 timothystevens said:

For what it's worth, I've written.

It's great that you wrote. Would you share what you said with all of us here Tim? I for one would be most interested.

Okay.

'It confounds the imagination to conceive why The Age, which used to be quite a paper, continues to indulge its fancy for the trivial, the infantile, and the vacuous. Latest in the Perennial Festival of Ignorance is Jim Schembri, having a go at jazz. Jazz is by no means beyond satire, but to see the tired old anti-jazz clichés being wheeled out yet again in the name of humour (at least, I presume he was trying to be funny), and a sizeable column given to a writer apparently in possession of absolutely no knowledge on the subject, is somewhat dispiriting. So he doesn’t like it. No worries. But berets, ‘cats’, finger-clicking? If his acquaintance is so superficial — and long outdated — it’s a mystery why he feels moved (and much less, qualified) to comment at all. But then that’s The Age at its worst these days: a sort of karaoke bar for tedious windbags celebrating the licence to say whatever comes into their heads.'

(I didn't think it would run, but it gives some small satisfaction to say it. Standards at The Age have really sunk, and the elevation of people like Schembers is a big part of the problem.)

[isaacs]

Shaggaz, great shame they edited out the knock-out punches at the end that had you emerging like Xena (to use a TV metaphor Jim would understand) in all your glory brandishing a sword after the earlier skillful irony. I don't see why they edited out "mindless drivel". (Probably fair enough to have pulled "one too many vinos" which may have been seen as borderline libellous).

[isaacs]

Fucking great letter Timothy.

[timothystevens]

Thanks Mark. When it comes to bagging The Age, I'm in my element. (See also under 'local papers', 'The Melbourne Weekly', The Victorian Institute of Teaching, etc., etc.)

[peterk]

great letters
I love this line: "a sort of karaoke bar for tedious windbags"
Great to have a good cackle in the morning
Thanks

[ironguts]

Well I pulled my finger out and wrote in too, not quite the wordsmith as you guys but hey, it all counts. It is somewhat revised from my former post,, unfortunately.

At a time where the public understanding and appreciation of Jazz and Improvised music is somewhat questionable, I find the article Say no to Jazz by Jim Schrembi April 29, 2008, to be one of not only wasted valuable space but also a very poor attempt at humor. In recent months we in Melbourne have been lucky enough to have such fantastic Festivals as the Melbourne Jazz Fringe, Melbourne Jazz, Melbourne International Biennial of Experimental Music, Stonnington Jazz Festival and The Make It Up Club birthday bash! On the most part these events are run by volunteers who spend countless hours to support the artform that they love. The space given to this piece could have been a chance to highlight a very active and creative part of our living music culture in Australia but instead just reaffirms a much misunderstood view of a highly developed form of expression. In future I hope The Age can return to at least some level of intelligent support of the Arts.

[pr]

Shaggaz, Tim, great responses to Jim's 'piece', I hope that Ray Gill might give Jessica the right of reply.

[paul grabowsky]

And here's my response, freshly shucked:

Hello Jim

What a delight it must be to be a newspaper columnist. Your informed opinions shared with the loyal and lucky readers who undoubtedly hang on your every word. Your rapier wit slashing through our bored and idle lives, putting smiles on our faces with your incisive and up-to-the-minute satire. If only....

When was the last time you listened to jazz, Jim? Oh, but of course, what a stupid question, because you don't listen. You hate it, and so much so that you feel the need to share that hatred with everyone else. Look, I'm sure there are people who agree, or certainly would have agreed: back in the 30's, say, in Germany, where jazz was listed as entartete Kunst. But, thankfully we have moved on since then.

Jazz is intelligent music, Jim. It is made by intelligent people for intelligent people. It takes brains and passion to do it well, and a certain musicality to understand it. The days of 'shooby-dooby', of Maynard G Krebs and beat poets are over. Maybe you didn't notice. Jazz is mainstream. It must be if 30,000 people go to Wangarratta every Cup Day weekend to hear it. And not a beret in sight. Wiggy, huh?

I don't normally respond to things that upset me in the newspapers. I've become used to the idea that our country is a kind of journalistic landfill, but given that I have dedicated myself for thirty-odd years to an artform that I love, an artform that gives millions of people the world over pleasure and, yes, comfort, only to have it ridiculed in such a tasteless and bland way by someone who clearly has no idea what he is talking about - well, Jim, that deserves a response.

Your editor deserves a letter, too, I reckon, for wasting my time.

sincerely

Paul Grabowsky

[timothystevens]

Fine work. Do please let us know if he writes back.

[Kenny]

Shiteunhausen! Does this mean I gots to stop wearing my beret, my winter head furniture for more than a decade??

[ironguts]

Kenny is not Dead!!!!

[aj]

Yay!!!!!

[don jordan]

Thanks for your letter to the Age that got printed, Shannon. I'm surprised Frank de Sario hasn't come up with one - he's a frequent letter writer, too. Perhapse we could organise a "Letter writers to The Age" Band!! Anyway, I added my bit by the following email to Jim.

"Sorry, Jim, but your article sounds like a bad copy of something an ignoramus might have written in 1950. There is no evidence of you having spoken to anyone associated with jazz, or to any jazz musicians, at the present time. What a pity you didn't take the trouble to do that. Nobody minds a send-up, provided it's an informed one. I imagine the "formal thanks" you received from the organisers of the "jazz festival" (which one?) was a routine reply that would be sent to anyone who sent them anything. Please stick to writing about what you know."

[gator]

May 1, 2008 11:30:45 GMT 10 don jordan said:

I'm surprised Frank de Sario hasn't come up with one - he's a frequent letter writer, too. Perhaps we could organise a "Letter writers to The Age" Band!! "

Frankie D's s busy being new Dad....

Yep =great letters Y'all -I wrote in almost immediately on seeing this tripe but my offering doesn't come close to you heavyweights..