PIANISTA RAMSEY LEWIS COMANDA PROGRAMA DE TV

A edição de abril da Revista Down Beat traz como destaque na sua capa a foto do pianista Ramsey Lewis, músico de jazz atuante há décadas e que alem de programas de rádio, passará a comandar em abril um programa na TV sobre Jazz.

Tomo a liberdade de transcrever parte da matéria, que discute a importância do veículo TV na disseminação e difusão do Jazz.

Em tempo, tive o prazer de vê-lo tocar em Chicago em 2003, e gostei bastante.

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Jazz has not been the focus of naturally syndicated weekly network television show since the Steve Allen-produced "Jazz Scene U.S.A." started its run on the air in 1962, with Oscar Brown Jr. as its host (although the show was not available in some major U.S. markets, including Chicago). Since then, there have been documentaries such as Ken Burns’ "Jazz," the jazz guests on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" and the occasional performance aired on PBS. On cable BET Jazz broadcasts shows about the music every day, but it reaches a limited percentage of U.S. households. And it’s still a dream of seeing prominent jazz performances on the Grammy Awards telecast.

Television, of course, harnesses enormous power to influence taste, and with jazz relegated to the sidelines of network TV for more than 40 years, the music has suffered an enormous handicap. This has contributed to its diminished profile. So, when "Legends Of Jazz" starts to air nationally on PBS in April, it presents a significant opportunity for the art form. If the show succeeds in attracting an audience, the market for jazz in the United States could begin to expand, and will gain exposure as long as the show continues to be produced. But if it fails to attract a significant national interest over its 13-episode debut run, and season No. 1 becomes the series finale, the prospects of seeing a jazz series on network television again in the near or distant future are slim to none. "

Aproveito o gancho da matéria da Down Beat para imaginar como seria interessante ter nossa TV mostrando o Jazz em horário nobre, mas acho no fundo que isto é uma ilusão, pois a dinâmica local das emissoras privilegia o descartável, com exceção de uns momentos nas novelas de Manoel Carlos, que parece gostar muito de Bossa Nova e quem sabe do Jazz.

Fica o tema para discussão...

Beto Kessel