Cecil and Zorn at JALC

[alimcg]

Well, how perspicacious of you.

Lisa - I've lost my perspicacity!
Homer - It's always in the last place you look.

[captain]

No, Ali has it wrong, I think aa has entirely missed the point.

Colbert is not doing a 'right wing' approach, he's just taking the piss out of everyone, including Zorn. It's such an easy target, despite Zorn being so prolific and having covered immense territory with his music, all he has to do is do a 'news' item on the recipient of the genius grant, then play a really funny sounding clip of Zorn strangling an alto, then bingo! cheap laughs. Cue joke about 'I can make better music than that' and then he shows footage of Colbert making squeaks on an alto while Kareem Abdu-Jabaar plays double bass. There's not many layers here, just Zorn making nasty noise, and Colbert making fun of him.

Don't you think alot of people would get pissed off if you played them an example of Zorns alto playing then told them he got half a million dollars from a government famous for not funding the arts?

[captain]

I certainly don't think it was genuine criticism of Zorn, who knows what the fuck he really thinks, he's just doing a character!

To read so deep into it to assume that this is his roundabout way of endorsing Zorn is absurd.

[alimcg]

I still haven't seen the clip in question.

[aj]

captain said:

No, Ali has it wrong, I think aa has entirely missed the point.

Colbert is not doing a 'right wing' approach, he's just taking the piss out of everyone, including Zorn. It's such an easy target, despite Zorn being so prolific and having covered immense territory with his music, all he has to do is do a 'news' item on the recipient of the genius grant, then play a really funny sounding clip of Zorn strangling an alto, then bingo! cheap laughs. Cue joke about 'I can make better music than that' and then he shows footage of Colbert making squeaks on an alto while Kareem Abdu-Jabaar plays double bass. There's not many layers here, just Zorn making nasty noise, and Colbert making fun of him.

Don't you think alot of people would get pissed off if you played them an example of Zorns alto playing then told them he got half a million dollars from a government famous for not funding the arts?

Small quibble : wasn't the grant in question from the Macarthur Foundation ? ie not from the government.

[aa]

Hey Captain,

Nice to talk to you directly.

You're right that I shouldn't have read into the Colbert thing that he's necessarily endorsing Zorn - I think the word absurd is a bit harsh, but hey - I'll take it. Since you and I, it seems, are the only ones on this thread who have actually seen the clip then I'd allow you to come to whatever conclusion you want about the point Colbert is making, and perhaps you'll allow me to do the same.

The only thing I was trying to initially convey, and I think I tried to do it in a very civil manner, was that for anyone who wasn't aware of Colbert's TV persona, and I'm assuming he's not seen on Aus TV, whatever point he may actually be making is usually being made through these rants stating the diametric opposite argument.

That's why I posted that link to his speech at the Whitehouse Correspondents dinner - just to add a little context. Did you watch it? I don't think they knew what they were letting themselves in for when they invited him to speak at what is generally a gentle roasting of the Prez.

Whether he's actually a fan of Zorn or not, I'll try to ask him when I'm in the studio audience in a couple of weeks.

[aa]

Found one that Viacom hadn't shut down.

Here's the clip alimcg.

blogfiles.wfmu.org/BT/colbertzorn.mpg

[ironguts]

been away and missed all the fun.

aa, I'm with you. The first time I saw Colbert I DID take it the wrong way as I hadn't seen him before. After checking a bit out I see it how you explain it. It is funny either way.

Zorn is actually an Artist that in many ways does the same thing with his artform, mostly being miss-understood or criticized by traditionalists. Some thinks he takes the piss or some-such, but I place it more as irony, he certainly has put a lot of energy into the music and created a very substantial body of work.

[punter]

that's quite something

[aa]

Woohoo - 'guts to the rescue. Thanks for your comments ironguts. I thought it was opposite day on OJF for a while there - as it always is on the Colbert Report.

[alimcg]

Thanks for tracking it down aa. We have had semi-regular screenings of the Daily Show on SBS, but they don't seem to ever stick with it for more than a few weeks at a time, and as far as I know the Colbert Report has never been on free-to-air here.

[gator]

thats funny... Zorn asks questions of ones sonic threshold..Colbert asks why he doesnt get a genius grant ....
The top hat and cane were getting close...

[captain]

Are you in NY aa?

I did watch the presidents dinner thing, I don't think he was really doing a 'right wing rant' there either - he's still really funny though.

Either way, doesn't really matter. It's just comedy, and at least we agree he's very funny.

Zorn on the other hand is also funny, probably because he takes himself quite seriously...

[captain]

Just read your post again.... I don't think he was making any 'point' - there is no agenda there either way. Jazz musicians (especially those predisposed to 'blip blop' music') are very easy targets for comedians (perhaps too easy?) So to me all it was was a cheap gag on a current event involving Jazz.

I got a laugh because I don't like Zorn, and hopefully Zorn fans can have a chuckle too, and think to themselves 'Well, sometimes this music IS pretty stoopid...." It's just as easy to make fun of something really mainstream, like Diana Krall or David Sanborn.

Let's face it, all Jazz is stupid. I refer you again to that great website of Miles Davis CD reviews, can't remember what its called....

[alimcg]

The best bit had to be Colbert with Kareem Abdul-Jabar (another AJ for you vickib). Get him to dep for you next time you're in need Cap.