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Originally Posted by ALL*MYTEE  Why does not making money make him "cool" and "humble"? |
Read the OP again. I never said his coolness or humility was due to his (lack of?) income. Nor do I advocate that position. It's easy to dismiss people who make it more about the money than the music. I also find it equally easy to dismiss people who are proud of thier humility in poverty, like poverty somehow validates their art. That's so last millennium.
I assume he scrapes by just fine. I mean, I don't hear of him working the nightshift at Krispy Kreme or anything and he hangs out with some of the cooler people in entertainment.
He comes off as a humble guy because he continuously indicates how honoured he is to be on stage with his players and friends. I find that honourable in such an accomplished musician. He apparently doesn't make money off units, so he works harder at touring. He admits that he'd like to make a little off unit sales, but that apparently doesn't affect his motive for doing what he does.
He explicitly says that he puts together his Large Band for his summer tours because it's his chance to be with his friends and do what he loves best. That's kind of cool. What a fun gig. That joy comes out in the performance.
Things like saying, "Y'know, I'm so glad that I had parents who worked hard doing the things they had to do so my generation can do the things we want to do". He's demonstrably thankful that he gets to do what he loves, and he does what he loves really, really well.
And here's the thing. I don't believe in starving for my art. I chose not to pursue professional musicianship because I find it easier to make money elsewhere, and that's more useful to me than the gratification I get from pursuing an art. This will likely simply remain a costly hobby for me.
So if you read that I was somehow equating coolness with derision of money, surely it's misread. I think he should make money off sales, he thinks he should make money off sales, you think he should money off sales, but that he isn't doesn't stop him from doing what he does.