Doug Wamble
New York, NY
In a recent article comparing Wynton Marsalis to George Lucas, Simon Weil included a quote from a Usenet article I had posted over two years ago. While I believe it would have been a bit more appropropriate had he asked me for a quote, I assume it's perfectly acceptable to freely snip from the world of Usenet to advance one's own theories, no matter how ludicrous they might be.
I was quoted out of the context of a discussion, and I want to clarify my point.
Here is my quote: "So tell me the names of some females who would sound good playing Wynton's music? I can think of one....Jennifer Vincent, a great bass player. Plus, Wynton and the LCJO on the road? That's a men's hang, Simon. If you think that's sexist, so be it. Sounds to me like just another example of a cat looking for something to bitch about in regards to Wynton."
My point in this was to say that in my experience, I know of few females who would fit into Wynton's band and the way they play. He has hired women in the past for various projects, but Simon Weil seems to feel this is not relevant since these females were pianists and vocalists. He feels that Wynton is sexist because there is not a female member of the LCJO.
I explained that the members of the LCJO are chosen because of the way they play. I also explained that I only knew of one musician who would sound good in Wynton's band based on the way she plays, and that is Jennifer Vincent. I'll add Jen Krupa, a trombonist, to that list, because she is heavily influenced by Wycliffe Gordon. Ms. Krupa also subs in rehearsals with that band on a frequent basis, and she is always welcomed and treated with respect.
Mr. Weil does not know anything about Lincoln Center other than what he reads or discusses on the Internet. I am on the outer fringes of what goes on there, at best, but I at least have some perspective on the matter.
When I said that the LCJO on the road was a "men's hang", that was not meant to condone or chastise. That was merely a statement of how things are. A lot goes into putting a band together for the road. It's a tough living situation and there is always tension, especially when you have 15 adults with artistic personalities. Adding sexual tension to that would make things even more difficult.
Having said that, though, I still believe that if there were females out there who played in such a manner that fit that band, they could make it work somehow. If the music is good, Wynton is happy, that much I know.
I know that there is a multitide of talented female jazz musicians out there today. But the honest truth is that most of them that I've heard aren't interested in playing Wynton's music. As great as Cindy Blackman, Ingrid Jensen, Rebecca Coup-Franks, JoAnne Brackeen, and Susie Ibarra can play, would they really fit in with the music that goes on at Lincoln Center? Does Mr. Weil think that Wynton should alter his artistic vision just to satisfy quotas?
I hope that the LCJO goes co-ed someday. But that won't happen until more and more females work towards getting in there. I don't think it's any more unreasonable for them to get in there than it was for me. Several years ago, I decided I wanted to work with Wynton one day. I didn't know him, I lived in Florida, and I wasn't very good. But I practiced, really studied his music, got in touch with him and looked him up when I got to NYC. He almost never used guitar players, so it wasn't as though there was even a space for me. He also dislikes the instrument I play. He just doesn't listen to guitar. But he liked the way I played enough to hire me for one record date and the occasional gig. I would think that if a female came along who played an instrument he already liked, such as trombone or saxophone, they would at least stand as good a chance as I did. At any rate, I think Mr. Weil would do well to admit that he knows very little about the reality of Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as the music scene in general. He has suggested such ridiculous things as blind auditions that have nothing to do with jazz music. He should really learn a bit more about what he's attempting to analyze.
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Simon Weil
All About Jazz
Doug Wamble made his statement to a public access newsgroup read by
a thousand or more people. This is like getting up in front of a
public meeting of a thousand people and saying something. He thus
appears to be confusing confidences made in private (e.g. via e-mail)
and statements made in public. In suggesting that he was quoted out
of context, Mr Wamble does his best to undermine the credibility of
his "men's hang" statement. But, in fact, he offered no context in
1999 and it is disingenous, indeed dishonest, to suggest otherwise.
All the "explanatory" material in his letter postdates the original
discussion and indeed appeared only in 2001, after my article was
published. He never explained his remark in 1999, although pressed to
do so by posters other than myself. The point about sexual tension he
only mentioned in a private e-mail to me in 2001 (also after my
article was published). These are merely post-hoc justifications of a
statement he is now embarrassed to have made - the significance of
which he appears not to have been aware of at the time.
The "chick singer" and "chick pianist" role are ones that have been
historically allowable for women in jazz. In irregularly employing some
few women in these roles, Marsalis simply reinforces the accepted
stereotype. If anything these are exceptions that prove the rule of
Marsalis' sexism, rather than, as Wamble believes, refuting it.
The statement about Jennifer Krupa is once more misleading. When
questioned by Lara Pellegrinelli for the Village Voice, Marsalis only
remembered that women came to rehearsals of the LCJO. He was unable to
remember their names or the instruments they play. If this is Wamble's
idea of welcome and respect for women jazz musicians it is no wonder
that he finds no sexism in the LCJO.
Lara Pellegrinelli's article is available online at:
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0045/pellegrinelli.shtml
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