Over the past three years I have filmed for and produced 658 Jazz&Jazz YouTubes of which 538 have been released for pubic viewing. In addition I have countless more MP4 movies, many of which are potential YouTube material.
An analysis of these YouTubes tells a story about the status of jazz, particularly in the UK compared with, for instance, Europe and the USA – in itself perhaps a potential steer to the future.
First the stark facts. UK bands “simply don’t rate it” in the Jazz&Jazz YouTube popularity stakes! The Adrian Cox Quartet scored highest with 1,958 viewings for “Undecided”.
Joan Chamorro Andrea Motis Quintet at Fest Jazz 2016
Order of Merit
The order of merit features Andrea Motis and Joan Chamorro (Sant Andreu Jazz Band) from Barcelona topping the stats with Tuba Skinny sharing the top spots with them.
Highest is Andrea Motis at her Pizza Express Jazz Club debut in London, 1st October, 2014, with the Joan Chamorro Quintet: “You Know I’m No Good”: 54,771 views to date.
Tuba Skinny at Fest Jazz, Brittany in 2014. Why not yet in the UK?
Next comes Tuba Skinny with “Big Chief Battle Axe” filmed at Fest Jazz in 2014
(13,480 views to date).
Thereafter Andrea/Joan and Tuba Skinny alternate for the top spots until, further down the list comes Adrian’s “Undecided”. Tuba Skinny and Joan Chamorro’s youngsters then vie for positions again until Adrian again appears in the listings followed by Ben Holder.
Observations Invited
The full statistics demonstrate a distinct emphasis on younger bands and musicians, with “interventions” by, for instance, Sammy Rimington and Leroy Jones.
Rather than offer my conclusions based on this analysis, I invite the observations of fans and followers of Jazz&Jazz in “Speak Your Mind” below. So, jazz fans, please have at it and speak your minds. Based on comments received I plan a follow-up Jazz&Jazz Feature and to share outcomes on my Social Media Links.
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
(Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
Hi Peter,
The common factor of both the British acts and those from overseas must surely be that they are, or contain, GREAT PERSONALITIES. Excellent jazz – yes, but personality shining forth as well. As you know, I am a great fan of the San Andreu Jazz Band and it’s ‘graduate Jazzers’ including Andrea Motis, but I can point to other reasons why she tops the list; one is that Andrea’s Amy Whitehouse covers were possibly unique to the Pizza Express and yours is the only available U-tube of “You know I’m no good’; another, that there is a link from the Motis family website “JazzToJazz.com” to your U-tube – a bit of a compliment, in itself.
Thanks for this, Paul. Something to bear in mind for boosting viewings of other Jazz&Jazz YouTubes!
Sorry, Peter, but I was a little bit wrong above.
There IS another version of “You know I’m no good” by Andrea on U-tube ! Recorded at ‘Luz de Gas’ and published a year earlier than yours, and with a similar number of views.
Both very good ‘non-Chamorro’ U-tubes, so it is probably the link that has enabled you to catch up and I think overtake the other one.
Peter is this because the two popular acts are not playing contemporary jazz? They are playing funk and trad as opposed to most British acts that will be more rhythmically challenging and often include more improvisation. Or is it that the artists promote themselves better?
Which “British acts” are you referring to, Mark? Name some to them.
Reference Mark’s comment:
Far more likely, in my view, because NONE of them FIT NEATLY INTO the ‘BOXES’ that have plagued British Jazz ever since I was young.
In my teens, misguided people ‘instructed’ me to choose between ‘trad’ or ‘modern’, stating that I cannot possibly like both. I am proud to have ignored such people then, much as I do now.
None of the acts mentioned in Peter’s article could possibly be defined as ‘funk’, and some younger acts have such a different ‘take’ on ‘traditional’ that just possibly may be best described as ‘contemporary traditional’.
Remember that Jazz has been evolving throughout it’s history; is that not what is great about it?