This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.

Good evening and welcome once again to the black industrial revolution I'm Rayman turning a moderator and there's evening we have our gas Mr John Lewis who is president of jazz musician the salvation with Mr Lewis is the vice president of the same Association Mr John Black welcome gentlemen is a black and after revolution. Tonight we're going to talk about jazz jazz has been a part of the American scene for generations and many of us have benefited from his words but have the black jazz musician benefited for the profits or concern from his music over the last one hundred years let's say not really and this is why we formed the jazz musician Association and. The. Association is a nonprofit organization and in one thousand nine hundred eighty eight we formed like an extension of the association and we call the call this. Jazz musician jazz yet and this is an international Production Incorporated Now this corporation will meet the needs of the musicians and right now like. Mr Blair to. The prospectus before you do that Mr Blair what do you mean all meet the needs of the jazz musician just give us a brief description of the needs that you talk about well we have set up a publishing. Censor publishing agency. Where musicians can put their music into the corporation and reap all the benefits of their music and instead of paying other corporations because we think it's very important for musicians. To. Do there are things that you know other words they get all the publishing as well as the royalties etc that are given to B.M.I. and ASCAP and. We set up a booking agency where a corporation can meet the needs of musicians and you know we have the. Like ten percent coming back to the corporation as and always giving it to other other people and. We also are in a process of setting setting up our own record company where musicians can reap benefits in that direction I talk about young musicians who haven't played with an organized trio or sextet or what have you well musicians that aren't really signed with and really have fun and life away you know with other. Large corporations in America Mr Blair Why don't you read the letter the brief description of what you have and the category of the new organisation which was formed from the jazz musician to association business the prospectors of the international productions incorporeal. Was written by John Lewis Jap J M I P was founded in one thousand nine hundred eighty eight in response to the critical need among jazz musicians for a dignified vehicle for self expression free of outside ownership it is a liberation movement geared to diverting the profits of music to the musicians. In the past Jasmine have been puppets dangling on strings they never pull. For the pleasure of strangers and aliens to their art. Corporations have grown fat managers have prospered publishers have become millionaires record companies have been rich themselves and the poor performer as Weist and listen to his music being stolen along with his living first jam provides for the first time a jazz cooperative and full ownership by the musicians it revives a way of our own to make records publish its music collect royalties perform in public and share the wealth of our genius your investment in jam is an investment in yourself your future your gift to yourself and your family your participation in your musical history jam or stage concerts advertise itself make photograph records have writers for films publish music police our royalties and generally do everything for the dignity and profit of the musician as a productive human being we will book and manage our own jazz musicians will have the exclusive opportunity to buy stock in Jap Ana manage their own affairs build with us. This there is room in our house and it is our House saying President Bush now if someone wants to contact a jazz musician Association how would I go about it if they want to purchase say a starker So I just want to have a lot more information about what you're doing can I call a number or write to you you have a number one and you give us the number early in the program so we can give it again later on yes they can call seven seven seven two two three two or four seven five zero six six two or. They can write to ready all city station box one two seven New York City one zero zero zero one nine you know we certainly understand what you mean as far as the cultural activities of the black people are concerned it's bestially the black jazz musician we realized that he hadn't really profited from his own music Mind you you know cats like Charlie Parker Wes Montgomery or people like Dinah Washington or even belly holiday they have sold millions and millions of dollars worth of recordings and their words were published but today really profit John Yes I think some of the musicians have. Profited but made a living man you know yes but I don't think they make the money they should have made and yet in their field you know because they were more involved. In other people taking care of their business and you know when someone else is taking care of your business you really don't know you know what's happening you have and I think capital books you know. You know so and this is. One reason why we haven't formed. To you know take a look at you know the music. Possibilities you know I fought a few through jazz musicians and songwriters and we're also interested in the younger musician who's an aspiring to be. You know we are going to ask you about this I mean what facilities do you have a jazz musicians Association for say young cat he may be a high school student but he'd been interested in Jad for many years and he plays a musical instrument you know he wants to get together with people who are doing the same thing you know so you want to get his thing together can he come to you people at jazz musicians Association for information or advice as far as his activity is concerned in jazz Yes because when a process of getting a building where we can have young musicians you know workshops just come on in and work in the workshop you do their thing to learn something about what we're doing you know because every little bit helps you know well seems to me that what's happening here is the jazz is going to be liberated in that sense I think Mr Blair you pointed that out very briefly while you were reading the description there of some of the activities of the association can you elaborate a little more on the liberation of jazz from your standpoint of you and jazz musicians of your age and what I think the real the real Kramer and real. Reemphasized emphasise that is disgusting Shane little is it exactly that all the music that is prevalent today in this society that really makes of. Millions of dollars for managers and corporations that accepted it. Comes from jazz jazz is the only music in America just totally American totally American Its origin is Origin is America and. For too long. Because. Certain groups and individuals. Are able to. Psych the younger generation with along here and the whole bit. Do through the whole. Idea of we must catch you here and to look sharp these days is that right that look the obvious psycho at the businessman uses course to bring over the Beatles from Europe who got their tradition from Chuck Berry comes from rhythm and blues which is as a basis is Jazz is a so was I what you're saying in reality is that jazz is really something that's real American you know it is American let's say but John mentioned you know the Beatles the but the only way. They non-musician been what I mean not musician the businessman. The businessman is in a position to produce. The Beatles without Austria was a relative already formed so out so this is. The reason why the corporations form so we can get in position you know invest in ourselves so we can put ourselves out there rather than be discovered by businessmen because see you wait on business cover you man your die you know you know what I mean you know if you take it upon yourself to do something I was going to put in a sort of putting down the businessman for for his business because he's very smart. But if you don't want to be taken you know you're supposed to be taking That's my philosophy or what you're saying here for a jazz musician association there's concern that you people are capable of nowhere and all the. The aspects of the business I think we are aware of that and you will directed not direct interaction and. And I think we know what avenues to take to capitalize off our talent I think I would say to this happen to really kind of Previn to. A pretty to the black person as well as a black musician is affected as Greer says in his book on black rage psychologist once I graduate the black rage. Corporations and managers that he said to have put luxury in the face of. Certain musicians and and the black man in general so he gets blinded by the luxury and he can't see past the luxury into the business it psychologically affects him when he's in a certain luxury a surroundings that is not used to those surroundings to. Become choked up wanting wanting what he sees around him but not being able to reach out and grasp it like like younger white fellas who are in the same circumstance a condition they just flow into it very naturally and easily and also I'd like to add that there are a lot of black musicians who have and peed. On the black musicians progress. By not. Showing him the way I mean he makes a few dollars you know I think that for any interest yeah I think what I want to say here is that the established jazz musician we won't mention any names but a cat who's been out here but we know who you are we know they are you know I they in the position are they willing to come back and help that struggling young jazz musician make his way and given the roots and ends of the business and also the music yes there are quite a few that I've talked to that are very interested you know very interested and you know it takes it like it. Is getting to be like a chain reaction you know where it's happening or yeah there really. A joy was happening but there's always a few that are. That play it safe how do you know I mean OK with people as far selling you know start how do you do it do you do with advertising I suppose we do a lot of radio on T.V. Yes we do in quite a bit of that you know you know that we're on the Wii I be one hundred seven point five right now and I don't want to advertise nobody. But we know about you know about it already right you know you have some new things coming up we have a few T.V. things you know quite a few you know T.V. things politically and things going on to cover University was the thing of the year demonstration and. Going out to San Francisco Los Angeles land you know and we're trying to get to you know the young or the young group. Because we like to you know so we talk it's all in a way very important too I think is to understand it. Number one as John was saying. Much about the musicians and establishing that is coming in with several who are coming in but there are certain others as John would say that was asleep in their stardom like Van Winkle you know you know but at the same time but. Because the stars align that controls the money and the movement I suppose of new musicians right now when I would say that I want to see the stars enjoy the money because I don't think we would be less of a star is that well I just yeah if they were the stars I mean we would have to we would have to go through these changes of setting up this cooperation for the sociology I feel that the star is the one who. Has a ministry you know I think a musician can be administrator and and a business in the business yeah at the same time I think it's necessary I mean you know I'm an M. and A stress and I think it's absolutely necessary because there's been a myth that just play your your horn or your drums for twenty four hours a day and I never believe I don't believe in that philosophy you are I don't believe in it nor to be a good as you have to start that that's another myth that's a myth that's out here you know take you where you don't want to be and all the so-called stars that are with us in one thousand nine hundred sixty I think they should look at themselves and they because yeah yeah just understand what's happening because they won't be around for forever you know and. If they don't face reality you know that's why that's why the jazz as as. Gone you know gone down there the very thing is not starving you don't think that you had it really gone down it just haven't profited I mean profit I mean gone as far as musicians making a living you know that you don't think now I'm not saying that music is disappearing Well let's stipulate that very clearly it's still a very high focus point of the black man and they are what I consider active and America today now let me ask you something as far as the Association concerned how many people are affiliated with your organization yes we have are approximately about four hundred twenty members and you're set up on a corporate structure more or less where each one has a specific duty just like any other corporation as members and so we have read what you are a nonprofit organization now we know Jamie was founded. Jamie is the jazz musician Association is a non profit organization and. Does incorporate extension so we have a nonprofit and profit and the reason we did this is because look. You know you get tired of being. You know. Foundations with this you know only way that we can bring dignity you know read your prospectus previously Yes it is to do it yourself you know discuss and then is there's not a myth about talking about foundations This is another myth about. Another myth about the foundations that is prevalent. People think that Mr Ford or Rockefeller is out of kindness in his heart giving you that money for specific. Constructive thing that you want to do and that's not that's not true you see every time he gives you a million dollars he makes about five million after you you see he only thing is that he must make sure that it is a constructive measure other words there's a there's a myth around this thing of when you go to a foundation that you. Are giving you something money is only it's just a revolving thing is there's no one really better in a sense than anyone else is just one man handles ten dollars a man hands to me and that's on your world Yeah I'm sure what you're saying is that we live in a capitalistic society. Where I'm sure we're all aware that our goal here at all revolves around one circle but what you're mainly interested in there is that the black jazz musician gets his own thing together get it get himself together and face reality leave that fairy land you know because Wall Street's nothing when the fairy land you know Wall Street think about one thing the green green and they didn't and I think there's a myth around the word jazz that every time people mention the word jazz it's associated with the old whore houses of yesterday you know were only black What were in those days a there was only place black and white to get together on any basis that you could get together in the churches. So so there's a whole myth around jazz as being just a whorehouse music you see but jazz I was going through a lot of changes and a lot of development to do to get to the point where you can perform an improviser where you know Bach and Beethoven were using them and cite them examples they were certainly improvisers of their own music just their own just like any jazz music only we have today but you know really I don't want to. You know to get a context but what you know we're here for you to let the people know that we have stark. And if they're interested in approaching. Some stock. They're welcome to do so how much is each year a star well we're selling a share for fifty dollars a share and I'm and we're really selling them and it's a funny thing that when I say fifty dollars. They say eighteen T. is sixty three dollars as they say this is another thing that we got to. You know do get get these people off your brain see because if you base your development on eighteen T. or Bella you know I'll telephone. You can you can spend your put your own energy and then write anything new no you see because the fifty dollars we're not thinking about eighteen T. see we think about a corporation and. You know you know every other number once again so anyone in the audience that who wants to purchase a stock they can call your contact or whatever the case what's the number their number is seven seven seven two two three two seven seven seven two two three two. And they can also write to a post office yes they also can write they can write to ready to say the station marks one to seven New York City one zero zero nineteen New York. Gentlemen you know it's really a pleasure that you know sit back and talk to some cats are really doing something really progressive than their starting out from just about nothing and they're going to build it up into quite a vast corporation that's going to have movement it's going to have the green dollar flowing in it and it's going to be very profitable for for the black jazz musician also for the jazz as a whole now what advice can you give to the people in already interest for the young people are concerned who are interested in the. Jazz scene as far as the shows that you'll be giving in the movement that you'll be taking on as far as traveling and doing some more radio T.V. work in information can you give them related to your organization. To young to be aware of what's you know we you know young people get knowledge and on the brain. It's not there it's not a question of black and white in America it's a question of economics. The partial to black because black has been abandoned and you are black but the same time. First part should be economics economics on the brain or I think that you would get any disagreement from the audience on that Mr Blair and thanks a lot men for being with me this evening and to my listening audience we once again say that. The black industrial revolution is communicating the needs of the community as far as new activities are concerned and if you want and more information on this particular program please write black industrial revolution W N Y C radio when Isbel building New York karma New York and we will get you information that you request and till next week this time there's a great turn saying good night.