The problem of free jazz
Kit Downes - exquisite art for free! (Picture: Russ Escritt)
No, I don’t mean the stuff Ornette did on that famous 1961 disc with the Jackson Pollock painting on the cover, nor all the totally improvised music uninhibited by set rhythm, melody or chord sequence that has happened since and continues to flourish on the free/improv scene.
I’m talking about jazz you don’t have to pay for. The thought that links free jazz” and “problem” was one that passed through my mind at about 5.50pm on Friday evening. I was standing beside a pillar in the Symphony Hall foyer in Birmingham, and the pianist Kit Downes was reaching the climax of an extraordinary piano solo.
He had begun it quietly and fairly simply, moving gracefully through the chord changes provided by saxophonist Sam Crockatt who had written it and was leading the band. But then Downes – surely the busiest pianist in the UK at present, seeming to be in every second band I come across – started to add bits, striking new takes on what could be played over these changes, tricky runs up through the octaves and down again. And then he added even more. Bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Ben Reynolds dug deep in response and Downes just kept on adding not only harmonic and melodic complexity but jaw-dropping rhythmic shifts of emphasis too.
I have heard some pretty fine pianists over the past 12 months, from Keith Jarrett in the Royal Festival Hall at £45 a shot (and not the most expensive ticket that night by any means) to Herbie Hancock at Symphony Hall at not much less than that, to Liam Noble or Tord Gustavsen for about a third of a Jarrett. Now, I am not saying those pianists weren’t worth the money. They certainly were. And I am not saying Kit Downes is (yet) in that class. But free? I am hearing this exquisite art for free?
Of course the gig can’t be put on for free. In the case of the “Free Jazz” sessions which happen nearly every Friday evening between 5.30 and 7pm in front of the panoramic windows onto Centenary Square in the centre of Birmingham, the audience is relieved of the need to dip into its own pockets because THSH, which runs Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall, have dipped into theirs, and Birmingham Jazz, a small organisation which is responsible for an awfully large chunk of jazz activity in this city, has done likewise to produce and present such an excellent programme and ensure the musicians get paid the going rate.
And I am sure there will be times in the future when we will all be paying a goodly sum to hear Kit Downes, or Sam Crockatt, or Ben Reynolds (We already pay a bit to hear Oli Hayhurst in the Zoe Rahman Trio, for example). As it happens, I remember hearing Jamie Cullum for free in a session produced by Birmingham Jazz at the old Fiddle & Bone, a precursor to the current SH gigs. And what would I pay to hear him now? Well, as much as £44, actually, with the booking fee, for his appearance at Symphony Hall next year.
So my point is not that there shouldn’t be free jazz, but, I suppose, should it be quite this good? If the Symphony Hall foyer crowd can hear jazz of this calibre for free – and they are not alone – the Jam House crowd can do the same on one Tuesday in every month when Birmingham Jazz puts a gig on there; Kit Downes performed with his trio at the Criss Cross Jazz Club in Moseley a few weeks ago and a hat was passed round – then what incentive is there for them to pay a few quid to see more? And is there the possibility, in this Western capitalist world we live in, that, inevitably, we all begin to put a value on something relative to the value that is put upon it by the market? You know where I’m heading without me having to mention celebrities or football players or merchant bankers…
Now, this free jazz thing is only a small tributary of a bigger river that has loads of flotsam and jetsam floating down it in the form of free download sites, file sharing, putting one over on the record industry fat cats and all that. But we are not talking Beyonce or Robbie Williams here. We are not talking about Sony and Warner Bros. We are not talking about Pirate Bay and BitTorrent and all that mullarkey.
What we are talking about is some kind of recognition that jazz musicians are worth something, and it shouldn’t be left to the promoters alone to show their appreciation in actual cash. Because, let’s face it, the amount of money a well-established jazz musician is making is pitiful, so heaven knows how one just starting out even affords the baked beans to go on the toast.
I don’t know the answer to all this, and I do want opportunities for young, aspiring jazz musicians to get a chance to show what they can do to the listening public. I just wonder if that listening public knows quite what a good deal it is getting.
I really would like to start some kind of discussion about this whole issue, so whether you are a musician, a promoter, part of that audience, an accountant, a PR person, whatever – please let me know your thoughts and feelings.
I welcome the debate. My position is I am very much in favour of free jazz gigs standing alongside ticketed concerts. I am reminded here of listening to Dave Binney saying in an interview at Cheltenham Jazz Festival that he welcomed people recording his gigs for their own personal use and even making the recording available to others through a website because, as he said, anything that meant that more people were listening to his music meant that more people were likely to attend his gigs or buy future albums. Eventually he would benefit.
I think free gigs are good for both musicians and audiences. The Rush Hour Blues (RHB) sessions offer Birmingham Jazz the opportunity to put on some of the many young bands emerging at the moment in the knowledge that there will always be a good crowd to hear them. Last Friday’s session is a good example; the Sam Crockatt Quartet is an excellent young band and each member of the quartet is a fine player likely to develop into an important member of a growing UK and European scene. But at this stage of their career, if we had promoted them at a ticketed concert, I doubt if they would have drawn much of an audience. They just haven’t developed enough of a profile as yet. But at RHB the band plays to a large audience of 300+, gets the positive vibe that comes from playing to a large and appreciative audience, and gains valuable experience of playing to an enthusiastic audience that isn’t totally a jazz audience. Interestingly, the bass player Oli Hayhurst mentioned that he likes playing to the mix of older and younger attenders that comes to RHB as often audiences at other gigs are nearly all on the more mature side, or mostly an audience of people in their 20s.
For audiences the value is that they get the chance to try out jazz in a relaxed environment where they can enjoy the music, have a drink and meet friends before going on to do something else on the Friday night. I think they do appreciate the range and quality of the music at these sessions. Moreover quite a few do try other jazz events where they have to pay. Birmingham Jazz’s regular gigs at other venues do see small but significant numbers of people who first came to RHB sessions. And quite large numbers of RHB attenders came to hear Herbie Hancock in Symphony Hall and Branford Marsalis in Town Hall.
I think that it is important that there are alternatives to the standard concert format with a 7.30 or 8pm start time, which just doesn’t work for many people. RHB and the excellent sessions that the Cobweb Collective run at The Yardbird on Thursdays and the occasional session at The Cross run by Sam Jessom provide these alternatives.
Interestingly, Kit Downes will be appearing in early 2010 at both a RHB session with his own trio and at a ticketed concert with Troyka. And I am sure we will be putting Sam Crockatt at a ticketed concert before too long.
Nice post Peter, typically brilliant response Tony.
This is a rambling thought, possibly a tangent rather than an answer, based on an article which I happened to read on the same day.
Here goes.
Most businesses are based on the repetition of the familiar, on the fulfilment of needs and wants by iteration of similar and predictable transactions.
From floristry to headhunting, it’s about the clients who go back for the same.
A live jazz gig, in contrast, represents an invitation to enjoy something fresh, new and unexpected. That as a business proposition will by its nature make a lot of people uncomfortable. What does it say on the tin? SURPRISE!
And a lot of people just aren’t comfortable with that. Have you ever been told that you’ve bought flowers from the wrong florist? Or told by your boss to use a familiar tried and tested supplier? How simple it is to take the lower risk options, to conform.
David Smyth of the Evening Standard tends to describe people who like jazz as “turtle-neck wearing chin scratchers,” or something on those lines. Nice.
He’s just written this about Fleetwood Mac.
“How heartwarming it is when a band of a certain vintage recognises that another new album would be about as welcome as rheumatism and heads out to play everyone’s favourite songs with no ulterior motive[.....] perhaps they got bored waiting for inspiration and decided to remind themselves of their many finest moments[...] With a set drawn largely from the classic Seventies album trilogy of Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk, there could be few complaints about song choices.”
By which you reach one critic’s definition of artistic perfection. Which is for musicians to go on playing the same tunes for ever.
Which is exactly what they’re going to do when they’re dead.
Smyth’s full article is here:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23763324-fleetwood-mac-stick-to-what-they-do-best.do
Having been involved in putting live / dj events on for over 10 years and seeing the changes in the general public’s willingness to part with their money for any sort of live music event, I think SOME free concerts are great and a necessity if we are to keep the music scene vibrant and to allow people to experience new artists and forms of music. As the blog is called jazzbreakfast I’m sure your an avid jazz supporter
but what about people who currently don’t and may benefit greatly from attending a free gig. I have unfortunately been to a few too many gigs at The Drum that have been poorly attended, perhaps subsidised tickets or making them free if possible would help this?
You mention downloading and alot of people are happy to illegally download music to hear it and I have mixed feelings on this too – it’s good as it allows you to make a more informed decision before spending your money, I’m sure most people have bought an album based on one track from the radio or skipped through it in the shop only to get it home and then be disappointed. But if people like what they hear they should support it in some way through buying it officially (artwork, liner notes and a physical product are great you know!) or through paying to see the artist live and then buying merchandise at the gigs.
You tend to find alot of people who put on events are the most passionate about the music, contrary to popular belief it’s not easy or going to make you a fortune (if anything, if people knew the amount of work that goes into putting on an event that on the outside looks successful but actually loses money or you get little / no thanks / abuse)
The article Sebastian has posted unfortunately highlights whats wrong with the mainstream press imo, it’s easier to go that route and have a go at something you don’t like or want to give a fair chance and try and make the readers feel superior in some way through belittling arts / music they don’t understand than to write something that might just interest someone to go out and try something new. He would be better reviewing the X-Factor or just rehashing press releases or better still actually getting a life.
I’m rambling now too but events like the ones Birmingham Jazz, The Cobwebb Collective and Soweto Kinch’s Flyover show (to name just a few) are so important for the city and music as a whole.
As a punter wih fairly catholic tastes, one of the principal benefits of free gigs, especially those with a regular time/date/venue is that I can turn up on the off chance of seeing something interesting.
If I find a gem, hurrah, if I don’t, well there’s aways next week.
It’s a bit like wandering from stage to stage at a festival.
In straitened times I might not be willing to part with hard-earned cash to see someone I’ve never heard of, but even at a free gig I’ll doubtless patronise the bar…
Anything that gets people turning up for, listening to and talking about jazz must surely be A Good Thing.
Incidentally, the music may not be to the taste of most of your readers, but the Trumpet in Bilston has been offering free jazz for at least 30 years to my knowledge. Seven nights a week… Two sets a night… Whip-round at 10pm… Fabulous beer… What’s not to like?
As a student, the amount of free jazz in Birmingham is phenomenal, and for that I’m really grateful – the Cobweb Collective consistently stage great bands at the Yardbird every Thursday (as well as the Criss Cross gigs and everything else), Birmingham Jazz have a student membership scheme, and THSH always seem to put on offers that make gigs really affordable. Its great that we can get to see so many bands so often (I think this Autumn I’ve been going to 3/4 gigs a week without parting with cash) but people’s perception of what they should pay for live music is definitely affected.
I’m all for free music, its a great way of educating people and generating interest in the scene, but I can’t help thinking that some nights have suffered as a consequence. The jibbering / leftfoot gigs at the Hare and Hounds are pretty poorly attended by students in my opinion (the £10 or so ticket prices to their recent events seems pretty fair to me!), and I’m sure the Resonance club nights at Town Hall last year would have done better if people hadn’t got used to going to see jazz for free/cheap – at the recent Destroyers night there I’m pretty sure half the audience had paid nothing for their tickets…
I actually struggle to remember paying more than about £10 for a ticket to anything around town in the last few years. If this culture of offering free/cheap gigs can continue then long may it do so – I just hope its not affecting promoters too much.
In my 12 years here Birmingham’s always been a tough but rewarding city to put gigs on, I remember before the Medicine bar really took off a Friday night was £3 (with a big US hip-hop act) and pretty much the entire queue questioned why they should pay on the door, same act a week later in Liverpool was £10 and sold out before 11pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8337887.stm
An interesting debate and one which I think is about balance, as are so many things. One point which could be of interest is highlighted in the article I have linked to above, which relates not to live concerts but cds and downloads. According to a survey those people who do download music illeagally, spend more on buying music than those who don’t. It’s a small survery but that is certainly true of many people I know. Whether this is a try before you buy scenario (like free jazz) or just that the people who download generally take a keener interest in music and thus spend more on it, who knows.
People did spend more money on cds when they couldn’t download music for free, but times have and perceptions of value have changed. As Seb mentions people are affected by the risk factor, perhaps more so as they can now bypass this risk when buying cds.
For me, it’s a matter of horses for courses. There is often a great difficulty for new music which is dependent on being heard, often live. Partly it’s a function of the music being “in development” and providing experience to the musicians (such as why we sometimes have music downstairs in the bar at the Vortex). Or it’s to get it music of undoubted quality brought to a wider audience. It’s similar when I have had Babel samplers included in Jazzwise. And one of the most enjoyable days was when Babel’s 10th birthday was celebrated by a free afternoon as part of the London Jazz Festival.
If perhaps there were more opportunities to hear some of the music on the “free” outlets such as radio and TV, that would help things. Then the real thing can be charged for.
It also occurs to me that it’s probably important for the free gigs to be treated seriously by the organisers. This is certainly the case for some of the gigs in London that I know, such as Front Room of South Bank, the summertime gigs on the Embankment, the Spitalfields Summer Stew organised by Mark Holub and so on.
Meanwhile there are indeed certain bands that shouldn’t ever be subjected to this sort of environment as the music would not be fully respected. Such as the other free jazz!
Great contributions so far and many thanks to you all for spending the time filling out the bare bones of this topic with some really meaty answers. It strikes me that so far we have heard primarily from promoters and punters, and of course the consensus so far is that jazz for free is in general a good thing. I don’t expect this to change and it’s a view I share, I must stress. I’m not for one moment suggesting there shouldn’t be free jazz – I am merely trying to get a debate going on the perceptions of jazz it might be helping to inculcate in our society and the extent to which, in addition to it being part of the solution, it might also be part of the problem. But we haven’t heard from the musicians yet, and as they are a substantial focus of my concerns I am keen to listen to their take on this matter. Maybe they are too busy slaving over those new charts – or those beans cooking on the stove…
Some interesting points raised here for sure. I was a bit worried when I got the ‘the problem with free jazz’ through my inbox, I thought you must have meant the other free jazz!
Anyway, this is a very difficult issue for both promoters and musicians.
Firstly, as a musician I have certainly played a fair few gigs which were free to attend. In many circumstances, these have been fantastic opportunities, I remember Led Bib getting our first gig at the QEH front room, we were over the moon, and we certaionly converted some people on that gig that wouldn’t have heard us otherwise. So, obviously there is real value in doing these sorts of gigs for young musicians. At the time of that gig I can’t imagine we could pull more than 40-50 genuine punters in London and to play to the 200-300+ audience was a privledge. Which sort of agrees with Tony’s point about being able to pull paying punters, but this is what raises the question for me. I was over in Germany a few weeks back with Led Bib, playing the fantastic Enjoy Jazz Festival. Now, I would love to think that Led Bib has a huge fan base in Germany and they have just been waitin years for this, our inaugural performance in Germany, but realistically there aren’t. We have no real distribution in Germany and a very scarce amount of press. Anyway, when we played this festival we were greeted with 200-250(ish) smiling paying(specifically for us)faces…now, if an unkown German band came over to London, how many people would they pull? I can imagine 10-20, maybe someone with a bit more experience could put a better number on it, but I imagine it would be few. I have a few ideas of why this is, but I am still a bit perplexed, any thoughts?
On the side of my career as a musician I have occasionally promted the ‘Summer Stew’ festivals. Once as a paid event at the Vortex and twice for free in Spitalfields. The festival just gone included established names like Kenny Wheeler, Billy Jenkins, Jan Kopinski, Orphy Robinson, etc..obviosuly these people and other people on the bill would pull paying punters. But, what an amazing privledge to be able to hear them for free(Thanks Spitalfields!), and I have to say to my joy, the many people who came down that weekend seemed to agree! A very joyful photographer came up to me in one of the breaks and sincerely thanked me for the opportunity to photograph Kenny Wheeler for free, and for me that’s reason enough to put on free gigs.
Unfortuantely, there are quite a few free gigs around where the audience does see the fact that it’s free as an assessment of it’s value, so they sit and talk instead of listening and obviously as a musician I don’t like that. But, if the audience is attentive that’s what really matters, and hopefully the value they assign to something isn’t based on what they paid for the ticket. Recently when Ornette was in town, I was also playing as part of the festival he was curating so they offered me a ticket behind the sound desk. I didn’t end up taking the ticket and bought myself one closer to the front. I did this not because of my idea of the value of the gig was greater, but because I wanted to be close…it’s Ornette Coleman. Needless to say, the gig was excellent and I appreciated the seat. I would have like to have my 40 pounds back(or whatever it cost), but you can’t really put a price on an inspiring experience like that.
Now of course I do understand the counter-arguement. And for some people, if something is free they will see that it is of less value. Looking back at Ornette, he famously only plays very well paid gigs. This meant for many years that he didn’t play loads, but when he did people were more than happy to pay a big price for it, which they still are. So, basically, Ornette puts a high value on his music, so do the punters….hmmm…this is a minefield.