[Jandek] Stop calling Jandek "blues"

Mark Greenberg mark at mayfairrecordings.com
Thu Feb 17 21:18:21 PST 2005


Moulty,

One other thought. I think you may be mixing up things that are the blues
and things that sound like the music you have come to be known as the blues.
I think Jandek has more in common with Skip James, Leadbelly, John Lee
Hooker, and even Billie Holiday than most present day 'blues' players. You
do not need to sound like Koko Taylor or Buddy Guy to sing the blues. Things
that 'sound' alike are not always alike at all. From your email, you seem to
be interested in the surface of things rather than delving into the depth
something may have. Jandek is not something you 'get'  or 'don't get' after
hearing it for 30 seconds. Neither is Skip James, Leadbelly, etc... Those
artist share qualities of speaking through their music. There is an honesty
and direct line from the speaker that is very powerful. There is an
off-the-cuff, expressive, personal emotion, speaking and singing in the
moment right off the tips of their heads that connect these artists. Sure,
not a lot of Jandek's songs are 1-4-5. That has nothing to do with singing
blues.

Again, your email seems to be trying to pick a fight or to anger people on
here who find Jandek an important artist. Why is this important for you to
do? You seem to be doing it to get a rise out of the crowd, to get
attention. I hope I have not stroked you by giving attention to you.

-Mark Greenberg




  -----Original Message-----
  From: jandek-bounces at mylist.net [mailto:jandek-bounces at mylist.net]On
Behalf Of Moulty
  Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 6:19 PM
  To: jandek at mylist.net
  Subject: [Jandek] Stop calling Jandek "blues"


  What an insult to a century of great bluesmen.

  There hasn't been a single, genuine, black bluesman over the last 100
years who would not have heard Jandak, and after 30 seconds declared it to
be complete garbage.

  Just because a bunch of pretentious white boys and girls are gullible
enough to waste their time on Jandek does not mean that the proud name of
blues music should be sullied by association with this Houston halfwit.

  There is nothing "blues" about Jandek.  If you need a name, "crap" does
it. It's not complicated.

  Thank you.
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