Friday, July 24, 2009

What's wrong with this picture?

I got an e-mailed announcement today concerning the lineup for Jazz Apen Snowmass’s annual Labor Day Weekend festival. One hopes to see jazz from a sponsoring nonprofit that has jazz in its name, Here’s the complete listed lineup for the three days (September 4,5 and 6): Michael Franti and Spearhead, Citizen Cope, Black Eyed Peas, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Umphrey's McGee, the Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers and the Drive By Truckers.

The fact that the organization puts on a separate jazz festival in Aspen in June eases the pain. Its multi-faceted jazz education programs and the JAS June festival undoubtedly benefit from the monies raised from the anything-goes festival held over the long holiday weekend.

Here’s a more dubious local example. A nearby city here in Rhode Island sponsored (until the economy soured this year) an annual evening concert called “Jazz on the Blackstone,” held in a park along the Blackstone River, birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution. The only featured band for many years now has been a quartet called King’s Row. It’s a local golden oldies band. I’m sure it’s a great event for nostalgic rock and pop fans.

But it’s a musical crime in advertising/branding.

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