DownBeat May 28, 1970 [antikvár]

From now on two of the great jazz performances of all time will sound even better. When Erroll Garner first recorded "OtherVoices"inl957itwoncriticalacclaimthroughouttheworld. Now, 13 years later with praise just as strong, "Other Voices" is available for stereo* equipment. Erroll's "Concert By The Sea," originally recorded in 1956, is also now re-recorded for Stereo. So even if Erroll Garner's two current albums are old, the sound's a brand new story. On Columbia ^ ERROLL GARNER CONCERTRYTHESEil OTHER VOICES ERROLLGARNER deluding' 'Electronically re-recorded to simulate stereo. Clarinetists and saxophonists who care cise craftsmanship and hand-grading to about good music care about the reed they exact tolerances. We also inspect each use. That's why F^a V07, reeds are in such I.a Voz reed many times to assure supe- demand. LaVozreedsare fashioned from rior performance. With all that built-in the highest grade cane available. And La (|uality, shouldn't our reed be your reed? Voz ages its cane from 3 to 4 years before O^y'^li^/V it even becomes a reed. The special I.a \'oz manufacturing process calls for pre- 8484 San FemaiKlo Rd., Sun Valley, Calif. 91352 THE PRIDE OF THE PROFESSIONALS: LA VOZ. lUEWCHORyS 4 ? DOWN BEAT By CHARLES SUBER A PRELIMINARY POST-MORTEM of the now- ending school music year reveals traces of progress, and the tension that goes with progress. .Much of the visible progress is conversational and declamatory. The Music Educators National Conference startled the music establishment (and itself) with a sincere, albeit naive, stance on the teaching of rock in schools. "Youth Music" clinics —panel dialogs between young rockers and concerned educators—proliferated throughout the country in the wake of the Youth Music Institute last summer (db Sept. 18, 1969). The comments of Allan Hughes (New York Times) and Tom Willis (Chicago Tribune), and many of our columns were used to justify and incite change. This writer was (and is) invited to speak to educators* meetings on the virtues of today's world and the evils of the past. The word "relevancy" has been ringing throughout the academic world. By mid-year, the anticipated reaction began to be heard. One group of school band directors passed a resolution at their annual meeting that "commercial music need not be taught in the schools just because it's popular". Other organizations and individuals have been making brave speeches to each other about "upholding the sanctity of serious music" and "the kids don't really know what they want" and olher silly rhetoric. While the words are being declaimed, there is some actual progress. Guitar classes are getting into many schools at all levels. Many of the 450 colleges and universities that this year have been teaching some kind of jazz course are planning on jazz programs and "jazz majors" for the 1970-71 school year. High schools are beginning to think in terms of a jazz program rather than just a "stage band." T°here is also increased interest and activity in jazz (including improvisational training) at the elementary school level. What is not happening (yet) is any meaningful restructuring of college music education curricula to equip new teachers for the real world of music. Educators are still not signing up in any appreciable numbers for the various "in-service" programs in today's music available this summer. Most serious of all is the educators' lack of understanding of the nature of jazz. Many of the newest teachers do-products of Berklee, North Texas State, Indiana Univ., et al.—but most teachers still believe in "either-or" and can't comprehend that music is a whole thing not to be fragmented to suit their own shortcomings. But no matter what educators may think, say or do, they are faced with the inescapable fact that less than two million school age students are involved in instrumental music from kindergarten through university level—about 2%% of the 57 million enrolled this school year. They can't escape the reality of elimination of music programs—and jobs—because of non-relevance to student's needs. As for the students, they're straight. They pretty well know what they want and how to get it. They are exerting an inexorable pressure on music educators wr the right to learn and play music that fits their place in time. And when necessary, they're voting with their feet. Like all good musicians, they are going where the action is. gl3