[Tango-L] Why are you dancing tango if you don't like tango?

[Huck Kennedy]

On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 4:20 PM, AJ Azure <azure.music at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>>> As I said, there are good an bad bands.
>>
>>      I have yet to hear an American tango band attempting to play the
>> tango classics that can come anywhere even close to the Golden Age
>> bands.  Not even remotely.
>
> So then of course that means you've heard them all

     Nope.  It means just what I said:  I've yet to hear one that
comes even remotely close.

>>> There's that elitist attitude rearing its' ugly head.
>>
>>      Having taste and a musical ear is elitist?  Then I guess some of
>> us are guilty.
>
> Taste does not mean fanatical purist elitism

      But it does mean being able to tell the difference between an
incredibly talented Golden Age band whose members spent their entire
lives playing tango for their living, and some group of hobbyists that
started playing tango in their garage a couple nights a week a few
years ago while trying to hold down their day jobs.  I love that the
latter are doing what they do, I heartily applaud their efforts, but I
am not for a minute going to pretend that they are even remotely as
good as the former when they're not.  How on Earth could they be, when
the years of experience the Golden Age bands had is not there?

> Oh and in case you're under any self delusion a musical ear does not in fact
> make you musician.

      But it does make you qualified to critique music.  Please tell
me you're not one of those people who say of the critics, "Why, he or
she never [directed a movie, danced Copelia, played Beethoven, what
have you], how did he or she get a job writing these outrageous
critique columns for the New York Times entertainment section?"

      Oh btw, I *am* a musician, if that makes you feel any better.
Who is just as critical, if not more so, of his own playing.

>>> Some musicians certainly play for themselves but,
>>
>>      Such as Piazzola, who was once quoted as saying, "F*** the
>> dancers."  Exquisite musician, however.
>
> Sheesh you certainly have a chip on your shoulder about Piazzolla.

      I do not, sir.  As a matter of fact, I called him an exquisite
musician.  You have a curious definition of "chip on one's shoulder."
Piazzola simply did not care about pleasing dancers--he only cared
about making creative music.  And he was honest about admitting it.

>>> You'll never really find a group you like if you first assume you won't like
>>> them.
>>
>>       Now that makes no logical sense at all.  There is always room
>> for the element of pleasant surprise.
>
> If you're willing to be surprised.

       Sir, I am begging to be surprised.  :-)

Huck