Re: So, this means that jazz fans . . .

Date: 18 Jul 2003 19:27:20 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Size: 2,111 bytes

Jasbird <jasbird#deletethis#@myrealbox.com> wrote in message news:<email-address-deleted>...
> On Tue, 8 Jul 2003 19:48:57 +0900, "Sum1"
> <email-address-deleted> wrote:
>
> >
> >Downloading of music on the Internet seems to have affected retail sales of
> >all genres except jazz and blues, according to a new report from Statistics
> >Canada. In 2000, jazz and blues recordings accounted for nearly $55-million,
> >or 6 per cent, of the $861-million in sound recordings sold in Canada -- an
> >increase of almost 46 per cent from 1998.
>
> The rise of the internet has seen jazz sales increase!
>
Apparently not so:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2076022/
Here are some more possiblities for why jazz downloading isn't worse:
1. Bragging rights. Some people are into jazz as a "lifestyle choice."
When your hot date comes to your pad for late night drinks, you
feel suave and sophisticated as she coos over your jazz collection.
The same effect cannot be achieved by saying "hey, babe, why don't you
saunter over to my computer, open Windows Explorer, and check out all
my pirated Jazz MP3's ... !"
2. Force of habit. Since most jazz listeners are older, they are
accustomed to thinking in terms of "albums." Owning "Kind of Blue" is
much more psychologically satisfying than having a scattered
collection of the MP3's that represent the cuts on the album.
3. Availability. I haven't been in touch with the downloading scene
since Napster was hot, but even as pervasive as that was, there was
still lots of jazz you just couldn't find.
4. Sense of fairness. Many jazz fans are conscious of the fact that
jazz is not big business and the labels, especially smaller ones, need
support in terms of $$$ to keep going. (Most teenagers I've talked to
who are downloading pop and rap think I'm out of my mind for actually
paying for music).
5. Discerning ears. If you absolutely have to get the latest
remaster of your favorite jazz CD, even though you already own several
prior versions, you are probably not the type of person who is willing
to settle for the sonic quality of MP3's.