Make Spontaneous Improvised Music Cool Again

How to make Spontaneous Improvised Music (formerly known as "Jazz") Cool Again

After many, sometimes very spirited, discussions on the subject, I've arrived at one possible solution to the image problem that plagues this music that many of us hold dear.

Behold, the REAL reason that the music has suffered a decrease in popularity. It has nothing to do with trends, the death of the music industry, online streaming services, institutionalized music education or "Neo-Conservatism,"

I would assume that the decline is actually because no one has creative and catchy NICKNAMES anymore! Colorful nicknames, whether self appointed or acquired, added to the mystique and lore of the idiom because the question of their actual origins was always at he center of discussions. In fact, I don't know ONE musician under the age of 70 that answers to "Sonny" and there are very few players on the current scene that I can identify by nickname alone at all. There are many fine artists that are active, to be certain. But few have names that are actually quirky and memorable enough to warrant a double take. It's time to fix that.

Let's update things a little. Give a friend a nickname.

Need #nicknames

Here are a few off the top of my head that I can think of. Feel free to submit any that I may have missed. (For some, I don't know their actual given names.)

JAZZ NICKNAMES

Zoot Simms  
Blue Mitchell
Flip Phillips
Sonny Stitt 
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Clark
Sonny Criss
Sun Ra    Herman Blount
David Fathead Newman
Eddie Cleanhead Vinson
Lester Young  Prez The President
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Cab Calloway
Chick Webb
Johnny Rabbit Hodges
Bean. Hawk.  Coleman Hawkins
Ben webster   Frog
Louis Satchmo Armstrong   Pops
Fats Waller
Fats Navaro
Slide Hampton
Baby Dodds
Bird 
Buddy Tate
Harry Sweets Edison
Eddie Lockjaw Davis
Doc Cheatham
Red Holloway 
Red Garland
Red Rodney
Shorty Rogers
Slam Stewart
Lucky Thompson
Papa Jo Jones
Hot Lips Page
Pee wee Russell
Tiny Grimes
Von freeman Vonski
Milt the judge Hinton
Billie Lady Day Holiday
Sarah Sassy Vaughn
Julian Cannonball Adderley 
Earl Fatha Hines
Gene Jug Ammons
Wild Bill Davis
Willie The Lion Smith
Roy Eldridge. Little Jazz
Chu Berry
Bix Biderbecke
Junior Cook
King Pleasure
Pepper Adams
Kenny Clarke.  Klook
Clifford Brown Brownie
Dizzy Gillespie 
Milt Jackson bags
Milt Hinton Judge
Philly Joe Jones
Big Nick Nicholas
Jelly Roll Morton
Gigi Gryce
Nanton, Joseph --- Tricky Sam 
Hot Lips Page
Sonny Rollins Newk
Eddie Cleanhead Vinson
Cootie Williams 
Bunky Green

This is only a partial list. It’s all that I could think of in one sitting. 

 

(And folks, please don't take any of this too seriously. I truly think that we all need to laugh a little bit more. Thanks.)