Entertainment or Art?
I recently attended a concert featuring a Latin jazz piano player of some acclaim. I entered the packed auditorium with eager anticipation of an evening filled with vibrant rhythms and foot-tapping melodies. We were even promised (some would say guaranteed) by the emcee giving the introduction “an evening of vibrant Latin rhythms” ah-ha! confirmation! This was going to be fun!
It quickly became clear as the artist entered the auditorium and began playing, that he was in a totally different place; a much darker place. As he went through his repertoire of music at a funereal pace ( and not a New Orleans funeral either), the audience began to grow increasingly restless, fidgiting in their seats and the need for a cough drop vendor became more and more apparent, as mysterious ailments started popping up all around me.
As I started feeling the flowers in my gaily-patterned tropical shirt begin to wilt, I had to ask myself, “Do we have a right, as paying customers, to expect a certain performance from an artist even though the artist may not be feeling that particular emotion at the time? Or should we, as patrons of the arts, respect the fact that the artist is in a different place and go with whatever flow he is feeling at that particular moment?” To be perfectly honest, the performance was quite good, it just was not what the audience had been expecting. After he was done, you wanted to go out drinking but for all the wrong reasons!
Now the lawyers out there will say that purchasing a ticket is a contract. That you are paying your money with the expectation of receiving a specific product for your purchase. The sports fan would argue that purchasing a ticket is no guarantee of a positive outcome on the part of your team, that is a part of the risk inherent in the game. The artist may argue that art has an ebb and flow to it, and - depending on which part of the wave you happen to catch - any performance can vary widely and that is a part of the risk inherent in that purchase.
So, does the artist have an obligation to cater to his paying audience or should he be true to his art?
Let me know what you think.
Revoltingly,
Kevin Spurlock
the problem is that jazz has been treating itself like it’s classical chamber music. the reason most folk under 50 think drum machine laden smooth jazz is the real stuff is because it is entertaining. with jazz we wax about the good old days however the music was part of the popular culture back then. audiences will also put up with the most arrogant attitudes from musicians, actors, and celebrities. I find that c&w performers are in general pretty grounded with their relationships with the audience. maybe the guy had a bad day but the show must go on.
maybe not entertaining, necessarily, but engaging, creating a relationship with the audience. as an artist and a listener, for me that’s the ultimate experience.
Of course what we are discussing here are issues that are affecting a much broader range of society as well. The entire “me first” attitude that is now prevalent among athletes and celebrities as well as artists is indicative of a belief that the audience comes second as long as the needs of the artist are met first.