11.02
DGM HQ.
In from an Italian Crafty…
Jazz fest to forgo invitation to Jarrett
Posted : Wed, 11 Jul 2007 23:16:31 GMT
PERUGIA, Italy, July 11 American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett won’t be invited back to the Umbria Jazz Festival, organizers say, after he insulted the Italian city when he was heckled. Jarrett refused to perform an encore because spectators took pictures after he asked them to stop, then called the festival locale Perugia a "damn city," Italian news agency ANSA reported Wednesday.
"I can understand everything, even being obsessed about the cameras but you cannot insult an audience and even an entire city just because of a few flashes," Carlo Pagnotta, festival artistic director. The concert Tuesday began with Jarrett telling the audience not to take pictures or he and his trio would leave.
Organizers said the public often is asked not to take photos but the request rarely comes from performers. "People came here from far away and spent a lot of money to see him and did not deserve to be treated like that," Pagnotta said. "Of course, the insults from the audience are to be condemned, too, but by that time Jarrett had already spoiled the atmosphere."
Alternatively, Sr. Pagnotta might have commented:
Of course, the insults from the audience are to be condemned, too, but by that time the photographers had already spoiled the atmosphere. And to such an extent that further attempts by the Performer to engage the Muse had been irrecoverably undermined. Mr. Jarrett is well aware of the damage that photography can do to a performance, through many years of experiencing inconsiderate conduct such as this & attempting to neutralise its effects on the creative act. Which is why he requests, at the beginning of performances, that audients refrain from behaving like jerks. This is optimistic anyway, because you can’t tell a jerk they’re a jerk; and Jarrett speaks to them as if they were decent, reasonable, courteous people. What a jerk! Anyway, they can’t help themselves.
Besides that, what the fuck do I care? I’m the festival artistic director & I deal with the town council & these audiences all the time. I have myself to take into account. Jarrett just comes in every now & again, so why should I bother with him? There’s plenty more players who need the work more than bothering themselves about the quality of their performance, worrying about having their shows killed & getting fucked over by the crowd. Hey! People paid good money & travelled a long way to fuck Jarrettt over, so why’s he whining just because why-he-does what-he-does got stomped on, squashed flat & killed right in front of him while he was doing it?
I can understand everything but the concerns of a world-class artist, one who has played with the leading figures in his field for 40 years, and travelled a long way to have the reason for his journey nullified & rendered valueless – when it was his own fault!
RF& The LCG ran into this on tour in Italy almost exactly a year ago, when organisers / promoters colluded with photographers, deliberately & without consideration for the well-defined & expressed artist position on photography. They didn’t take us seriously; and/or simply didn’t care.
Perugia is one of my favourite towns; and it’s most unlikely I’ll be invited to play there again, even more unlikely that I’d accept.
12.25 An e-letter has gone off to my Band Buddies on the subject: Awakening The Mighty Beast Of Crim. This contains proposals, recommendations & how I see the Mighty Beast returning to the front line.
16.05 Our distributor, Declan of Panegyric, visited for a long lunchtime discussion of various interesting mutual arisings. This included steps to address dishonesties & sharp practice from the past, the present situation & interesting future-plans.
18.05 E-eruption.
21.34 The in-box is down to 4. What a hero.
"Money is not a problem, only a difficulty."
