As a fan of yours for years, please take a look at my webpage at www.myspace.com/thepacereport. I'm finding it hard to stay in the radio and television game as well and I think that we can connect to keep your presence out there.

The Revolution Will Be Televised

Paceface...Brian Pace
 

Thanx Brian,

I went to your site and am impressed with the vibe and the intent. We must take control over our art. That is the innovation I have so been waiting for. young brothers like yourself with a vision for the future. Please allow me to become one of your friends and vice versa. I would love ot speak with you and set up an interview or whatever. Let me know. Let's continue the conversation.

The Revolution will be televised!

Peace and Blessings,
Bobby
 

Hi Bobby,

I was having dinner last night with two well-known Boston-based (but world traveled) musicians - pianist Eddie Higgins and his wife, Meredith d'Ambrosio, as well as multi-instrumentalist, Kenny Wenzel and my mom, vocalist Rebecca Parris. This exact subject was brought up for discussion last night by Meredith. Digital downloads and the inability to get liner notes, artwork/graphics, etc. The music will be heartfelt, but the packaging, cold. It sure is a major concern!

From the musician's standpoint (I'm not a musician, but worry for them) how do you sell your music at a live gig if the world goes all digital and eliminates the CD entirely? Do you/can you make CDs on your home PC/laptop and sell this - I suspect this can happen only if you are putting the music out on your own label, not Verve, MaxJazz, etc. The only creative solution I can come up with is if itunes and other digital download websites agree to sell the artist gift cards exclusively for the specific artist's music and the musician can then sell these cards at his/her gig (cold, but effective)? I love going to a live gig and purchasing the latest release (if I don't already have it).

Also, in the "old days" (I'm 50 years old), I could go into any one of the Tower Records stores and/or J&R in NYC and usually find just about anything I wanted, including jazz import recordings. There used to be a lot more specialty jazz record stores and I have no idea how they will stay alive in the future.

Bottom line, as a jazz fan, I'm feeling sad - I love liner notes, great photography and graphics and will sorely miss this if and when we are an all-digital music world. It was hard enough going from my Blue Note LPs to Blue Note CDs ;-).

By the way, I'm a big fan of yours and thanks for the many, many hours of listening pleasure you've given to me through your music!

Regards,
Marla
 

Hey Marla,

I feel you for sure, I sell a ton of CDs at live performance. The responsibility lies with the record companies trust in you to do the accounting correctly and send them what they are owed. We can charge whatever we want. Usually $20.00 per CD with a signature. That has been cool for me and adds up to some substantial cash for the short term in terms of making things work, you dig?

I miss the liner notes on the Itunes downloads, it is truly a drag and something I don't think we need to worry about because it is being adressed as we speak. I will eventually put out my own product, I know this and with the help of my daughter Lafiya and my son Aaron, I will make this happen. We must stay plugged into the youth, the intelligent youth of today. They are the reflection of our past as we used to listen to Stevie Wonder, James Brown, etc, you know what I mean, "What's Going On" Marvin Gaye, Donny Hatheway. Hello?


Let's keep the faith and try to own as much of our art as possible. That is the innovation for the new melliium.


Peace and Blessings,

Bobby
 

Hey back, Bobby!

I'm glad to hear you are going to put out your own music. I think it is especially important for those musicians who are prolific composers to own the whole thing - the product, as you say, especially since you are one of the most respected composers out there and many other musicians play your compositions.

Again, from the fan's viewpoint, I really miss the old days of getting, say, a Blue Note LP and before I would even put the LP on the turntable, I'd devour the liner notes. So, I'll take that as great news - that Itunes (and hopefully other digital download sites in cyberland) will be someday including liner notes. I'm happy to pay the extra $ for them! It is so satisfying purchasing a jazz CD or DVD and knowing I'm supporting jazz. That goes double when the musician puts out his/her own product.

I am hopeful for the future. The fact that David Peck has been able to put out series two of Jazz Icons videos means sales were decent enough with series one. As you know, there are literally thousands of jazz video treasures out there, especially in Europe and the fact that Jazz Icons is doing the right thing and ensuring that all folks are paid - the estates of the musicians who have passed on, etc. - the right thing is being done and this incredible music is available.

I try really hard to look on the positive side of things - that jazz is still very much alive and growing.

Nice to communicate with you - I've been a "fan" of yours for many years now.

I wish you all the best and glad your family is behind you and assisting you - it can be a daunting task - putting out your own music, but I suspect well worth the effort when you know that you own the product going out to the public and you have 100 percent say in how that happens!

Be well!
Marla
 

Bobby, this is a very interesting subject you have hit on. A lot of my own discussion among now many different band mates and bands has been this very one. The fact of the matter is that todays society is a quantity over quality mentality. MP3, while it is a very nice small file size, does not hold the fidelity that a CD and especially an LP has. This for me is one of the most disapointing things about the digital age we are entering. However, I do see the other side of where we are going.

From where I see it, the hard working musician of today makes his or her money from having people in the seats. Our main objective is to have as many people as we can come and see our shows. If they happen to buy a CD this is of course wonderful, but a much smaller percentage of folks are going to buy a disc as will come through the door.

So, here is where myspace and I-Tunes and whaterever else we can come up with on the internet comes into play. The number of people we can reach far exceeds anything thing in the past that we could compare it to. The physical recording of music was first, then Radio, the TV, but the internet has crushed each and every one of them. The way search engines are structured if you like one particular artist, you can find a thousand that you may like even more with the click of a mouse.

Now for me personally, why do I use myspace? The A 1 reason would be do get people in the seats. It has been the most effective reasource for publicity that I have been able to yeild yet. Flyers are a thing of the past. I still do it, mainly for the clubs themselves and other local hot spots. Through myspace and e-mail list I am able to contact the people that are specifically interested in what I am doing. Direct marketing at it's finest. The 2 benifit for me has been the reconecting with old friends. This has been a joy to have some one send me a message out of the blue that I haven't seen in 10 years.

The long and longer of it all, is that the age we are in, and entering into, will be one of mass communication, the likes of it we have never seen. We will have the ability connect with thousands of people that we would have never been able to in the past. What does that mean? We can get the buts in the seats!

Be well old friend,

Rick
 

Hey Rick,

It is great to hear from you as I know what you are going through with your group "Bixby Lane" here in Kansas City. The main thing is to get people in the seats. I think that we have to take control of our destiny and allow those who want to share in the process and not own the process to be involved. I think as long as musicians want to "drive their own car" and not let managers and agents drive their lives we will be alright. The music will always take care of itself and move forward but the businessof music is still in the 40's as far as I am concerned. I also dig connecting with friends from around the world. It is a responsibility to stay in touch with all of my friends and starting this blog is definately a challenge to stay in touch with everyone but I will do my best while trying to keep the music out there. I wonder, what would Coltrane do now if he was alive. wow!

Onward and Upward!

Bobby
 

Hey Bobby,

its been a long time! A really important issue I have been thinking about a lot myself. As someone who has self-promoted four CD's I have wondered about the value of releasing CD's in the future. I suppose when they go I would look to create some kind of designed package that gives the music a defined realty. In general terms I agree a musican should drive their own car, because philathropists aside, agents and promotors have their own agenda. One thing I realise as I get older is what a debt we owe to your generation and before who have keep playing, performing and producing art in the face of impossible odds. I find a real issue in the UK, is everyone wants to run their little shop. Musicians have become so competitative and closed with their time and energy. It is quite sad. The Myspace is a great way to connect with musicians, especially old friends and also to promote concerts. I think we need to be creative with it, but for the young ones, they need to remember their is no substitute for actually being with people! I find some of my students miss that.

I always remember the selfless support you gave me when I was young and I try to do that with my students now. You are a great example of how it should be done. I thank you again for that.

Many Blessings to you and your family. Really hope to catch up with you soon. When are you next in the UK?

Vaughan
UK
 

Somewhat off topic...

Just want to add that I am in a weird age group (mid-30's) that sits between the electronic, totally digital generation and the more "old fashioned" group of folks. Meaning, MP3s have only a few uses for me. Primarily portable music for exercise. I don't like listening to them in the car and especially not at home. I hate that we lose sound quality. But equally important, buying a CD for me creates a small link between the musician and the music aficionado. Sometimes it's only a picture and a small word of thanks. Sometimes it's the dates and the place the music was recorded. Sometimes it's just the people involved in the project. The CD for me, provides a small tangible connection or context to the music (sometimes unintentional). Reorganizing my CDs is a great way for me to remember old friends and special times in my life thus far...

Call me old fashioned, but I am always going to look for a way to have a "hard copy" of my music. But I acknowledge that I am increasingly part of a minority of people... Oh well...

Love your music... I haven't been able to catch you live since moving back to California a few years ago. The last time I saw you live was in Chicago at the now closed Jazz Showcase (unless they reopened recently). I caught a fantastic late set. Nearly didn't make it to work the next day way back in Michigan where I was living and working at the time.

thanks...
 

I believe that the life of the cd doesn't have to die if we as creative musicians don't allow it to. Artists should creative an incentive to have a hard copy (even if liner notes and art work aren't sufficient).

I have an idea. What if an artist programmed a cryptic code withing the liner notes of an album, giving incentives to purchase a hard copy and in turn, recieve bonus features? Perhaps it could even have to do with the bar code of the cd itself. When the consumer buys the album, they can then go home and visit the artist's website. On the artists's site, they'll be an section for free-downloads of alternate takes, videos, leadsheets, etc. But to access the section, you would have to correctly log-in using the code that's in the liner notes or the bar-code. I guess one of the tricky things about this is how do we vary the codes from cd to cd? Well, per-pressed batch the code could be different. The artist could then change the code periodically if need be.

I don't think that this industry has to be reduced to online sales only. Entertainers like Kanye and Amy Winehouse still sell in the millions. But since most jazz artists will never break 100,000 in sales in their lifetime, the transition from the cd to a digital form of comsuming is more heart/pocket felt to all affected.

Food 4 thought,

Jason Palmer
 

I believe that the life of the cd doesn't have to die if we as creative musicians don't allow it to. Artists should create an incentive to have a hard copy (even if liner notes and art work aren't sufficient).

I have an idea. What if an artist programmed a cryptic code withing the liner notes of an album, giving incentives to purchase a hard copy and in turn, recieve bonus features? Perhaps it could even have to do with the bar code of the cd itself. When the consumer buys the album, they can then go home and visit the artist's website. On the artists's site, they'll be an section for free-downloads of alternate takes, videos, leadsheets, etc. But to access the section, you would have to correctly log-in using the code that's in the liner notes or the bar-code. I guess one of the tricky things about this is how do we vary the codes from cd to cd? Well, per-pressed batch the code could be different. The artist could then change the code periodically if need be.

I don't think that this industry has to be reduced to online sales only. Entertainers like Kanye and Amy Winehouse still sell in the millions. But since most jazz artists will never break 100,000 in sales in their lifetime, the transition from the cd to a digital form of comsuming is more heart/pocket felt to all affected.

Food 4 thought,

Jason Palmer
 

Yeah Mr. Bobby.. it isn't that I don't enjoy the whole mp3 thing ..my computer is absolutely bulging with thousands of songs but what I'm concerned about is the loss of information. I've been around for a while and I fondly remember holding the album covers as I grooved to the records. I adapted to the cd thing pretty fast and at least you could still find out the personnel, date and place of recording. Now the music is more available but noone's going to know who's on bass etc. I know you can sometimes get this info on the net but it's still a trend that I'm not totally comfortable with.
Gotta swing with the changes though.... peace, Arnold Young