Andy
Honorary Member
Not my usual subject for a thread, but one we can have some fun with I think.
This is inspired by a light hearted conversation I had with a jazz drummer friend of mine. He's a well respected jazz player, but also immersed in other music forms, most notably R&B + R&R. He claimed that (outside of music politics) traditional jazz was by far the most ego driven music form because of the structure of revolving solos. The need for every band member to carry a solo, he sees as not serving the music, but pandering to the individual player's need for limelight. I guess he has a point, at least, on the surface. So that lead me to think of other music forms where solos are part of the fabric, as well as overt shows of virtuosity & "hamming it up" to the audience. Prog immediately springs to mind. In some respects, the need to complicate the piece as a means of displaying virtuosity. Then hair metal bands in terms of show/stance/attire. Maybe metal with respect to individual chops (actually, on the surface, no different to many jazz solos?). How about gospel?
Essentially, any activity that's designed to feature the individual artist that doesn't directly benefit the music in the eyes/ears of the non musician listener. But hang on one minute, isn't the "show" the totality of the presentation? Going round in circles here, so, & just for fun, which genre do you believe to be feeding the biggest egos, & why? Video clip examples encouraged.
Back in a week
This is inspired by a light hearted conversation I had with a jazz drummer friend of mine. He's a well respected jazz player, but also immersed in other music forms, most notably R&B + R&R. He claimed that (outside of music politics) traditional jazz was by far the most ego driven music form because of the structure of revolving solos. The need for every band member to carry a solo, he sees as not serving the music, but pandering to the individual player's need for limelight. I guess he has a point, at least, on the surface. So that lead me to think of other music forms where solos are part of the fabric, as well as overt shows of virtuosity & "hamming it up" to the audience. Prog immediately springs to mind. In some respects, the need to complicate the piece as a means of displaying virtuosity. Then hair metal bands in terms of show/stance/attire. Maybe metal with respect to individual chops (actually, on the surface, no different to many jazz solos?). How about gospel?
Essentially, any activity that's designed to feature the individual artist that doesn't directly benefit the music in the eyes/ears of the non musician listener. But hang on one minute, isn't the "show" the totality of the presentation? Going round in circles here, so, & just for fun, which genre do you believe to be feeding the biggest egos, & why? Video clip examples encouraged.
Back in a week