bill bruford's comments about joe zawinul's idea

bill bruford's comments about joe zawinul's idea

popeye-x 13 Sep 2007

interviewer: I recently spoke to Joe Zawinul. He believes America is in cultural decline and pointed his finger directly at the machinery of the corporate entertainment industry. He said the result is a dearth of genuine storytellers, particularly in the jazz realm.

bill bruford: I find his choice of the word ‘storyteller’ a very interesting one.

interviewer: My take is Zawinul sees instrumentalists as the ultimate storytellers—those who create aural art that transcend the barriers of language.

bill bruford: Very interesting. That's a very ancient and very lovely idea, and it’s a totally correct idea. Modern technology has streaked ahead and led us to believe we don't need storytellers. But the fact is, we're very simple souls and very underdeveloped in some ways. So, I immediately agree with him although I can't think up an intellectual reason for that. I feel his idea is right and I'm not sure it applies to America alone. Europe's not far behind. There's a traditional five-year gap. But I understand and empathize with that view—absolutely, yes. What a lovely idea and a terrifying one isn't it?

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