A JAZZ CRITIC Sent Me a 2-Page Critique! 

Be sure to check out 14:48 for the Jazz Critic Challenge! Head over to my Instagram for the info - have fun!!

So glad you called out Danny on that Sharon comment. The whole critique is absurd but that was just disrespectful and beyond a gross thing to type.

WOOOOOOOO Danny J is the man of the people!

The irony, of course, is that this person is the embodiment of why people are driven away from jazz. Keep making jazz fun again Dave!

Absolutely hilarious 🤣 love y’all man

Word I’ll bring a computer to the next gig, totes noted 👍🏻

5:55 "one of my favorite alto players of all time" 😂😂

Doo-Beeee-daddd boop beeep this is a great video! Also super enjoyed how he slowly starts to warm up to your playing styles. Also where he doesn't realize he's actually complimenting you. "Sounds kind of Sonny Rollins like". Wait what? Thanks bro!

Now you know exactly how music university teachers talk to each other after you played your exam concert and they want to agree on a grade...

Gotta give props to this dude for transcribing your lines before critiquing!

I was so excited about this video when I saw it on Instagram and as soon as I open RU-vid it’s the first thing to pop up. I love your videos man!

This is how my college jury notes look

Nice to see Ryan going along with the program

Laughing so hard at this "critique". I loved both sets. Hopefully you all get a chance to play together like that again!

More good stuff from my favorite sax youtuber. Waitta take it in stride, Dave! Keep up the amazing playing!

This is a jazz musician that doesn't get called for gigs anymore because he was too cocky and arrogant to the point where no one ones to play with him. He's probably "that" guy who yells out "you're out of tune" when your only 2 cents sharp. Also probably used to be that kid that would remind the teacher that we had a homework assignment the day prior. Nevertheless, great video man, this made me laugh a lot like all your usual videos!! You're a killing player and you're a good person. Don't let the haters get to you too much, even though you handle it great.

This guy really hates Ryan’s playing jeez😆.

I’m ashamed to be associated with the initials “DJ” 👀

My observation over the years has been - when someone sends you something of this magnitude, it's usually safe to take all of the negative press and simply reverse it, as you must have done something so absolutely cool that it exposed things lacking deep within their own soul. Take, for example..."tenor...usual noodling." Using my formula above, this would indicate "tenor did something I cannot do." Thanks for the laugh - this was great!

This is the quality content that will have me turn on my notifications and hit that bell. 🤣🤣🤣

Jeez, I so want to hear DJ play !!! Love your take on this, bloody hilarious

How you responded is perfect - comedy gold! My favorite part - the expressive do-wah! around the 10:10 mark 😄

Brilliantly done! The best way to handle such idiotic, unsolicited advice. I saw some clips of that gig. You guys sounded amazing!

Having haters only means the creator is doing such a good job because they’re insecure about not having what you have. Keep up the great work man.

Oh man I really need to reach out to this guy for some lessons

Wow, the new profile picture almost threw me off! Looking and sounding great

Haven’t even watched it yet and I know this is going to be fantastic 😂 Edit: This is the best video I’ve ever watched

Is the full set at Chris' jazz cafe available to watch ? I've only been able to find the 3 songs that you mentioned in the video

THIS IS HILARIOUS

Ooh the legendary jazz critic Danny J back at it again! Looks like he can’t just appreciate music once again!

Realy enjoyed you guys making this into a fun thing, cant belive you even read it, just suports what I already knew. You guys are great people as well as great jazz musicians, I am a 67 year old sax player and love what you guys do. If you asked 12 people about jazz music 6 to 8 might like it and one likes to PAY to go lisen to jazz but doesnt like the players or the way thay played the show and then sends you a critique on how to do it better, bet he didnt think you were going to call him out in a vido eather. Love you guys and your music.

Dude this is great 😂

When Coltrane was playing with Miles Davis he was described by a critic as sounding like 'an ineptly scraped cello'. There is also a saying, 'there are those that do and then there's everybody else.' So what can I say? Just keep playing!

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist but there is no way there are actually people like this in the world right

Nice vid bro

Harm-a-knee...epic LOL!

The snobby critic Is So real! I’m cringing so hard hahahaha!! Don’t listen to haters man your great.

Invite him to sit in. Send a car to his house, "no" is not an answer, get him to a show, big intro for the guy, mic him and start the piece. I'd pay good money to see that!

I'd love to hear a set from the critic! Bet he doesn't make jazz fun.

Would have been better if the critic could critique as you played, on the PA system. Spontaneous criticism. But, seriously one of my teachers played with Freddie Hubbard as a young bassist. He said he'd have afternoon rehearsal with FH and was expected to have all tunes, including originals, committed to memory for that evening's performance. No pressure, of course. Understood if there's no time for rehearsals these days. Rehearsals and places to hold rehearsals are a luxury today. Not complaining. I like practicing in the garage - mostly because family can't stand listening to me practice repetitive things! A former neighbor (no she didn't move because of my playing) once said, "I don't hear you playing any songs." I'm working on "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Let It Go", so I can entertain AND practice.

You guys took this critique really well! It seems like he really listened to the whole gig! but it's hard to believe that someone actually wrote this type of "critique" (unless it was the great Kenny G--incognito -- then you need to take it seriously (ha)).

Your my favorite youtuber!

Dave’s videos get funnier and funnier 😂😂😂

Not playing in tune is the only critique, that might really hurt, in my opinion. I myself must admit, that during gigs, especially when playing fast and high notes, don't keep up appropriate awareness to that. Great video - thanks for producing and sharing 😊👍!

I'd write a song about it using the critique as lyrics

Sometimes people like Danny just need to be ignored. Sometimes they need to be put on full blast and their smugness put on display for everyone to see. This is clearly the the latter. Good for you, Dave, honestly. No one needs to put up with that kind of garbage.

This entire video drips with sarcasm.

ooooooh this challenge is boutta be hot.

9:30 how harmony was created in jazz 😂😂😂

Lol! What a riot!😅

If I received this 2 page word doc randomly after a gig I would be very confused because I play bari.

Your transcribed solo should be a shirt.

Bruh! I didn’t think it’d be this bad

Why do all of these critics treat the Berklee chord-scale system like it's the only legal thing you can play?

Where does he work? Maybe we can troll him about why he punctuates (or doesn't) the way he does!

OMG, I have to check the gig out! Let‘s see if the piano player was too skinny:) Seriously, Word-Dokument...

Lmao I hear Danny J is currently writing another 2 page critique on this video

Whenever you do something publicly - whether it's playing jazz or urinating - there will be some people who love it and some who hate it and lots of people between. That's the thing with taste and art - it's highly subjective ( and when it comes to music and the players you listen to play way beyond what your ears are capable to digest, chances are you will not get it and, therefore, not like it.) There are plenty of positive things in this critique though. Feels like a pretty young mind and I guess it was meant for the best

Hey Dave, I understand you do not take criticism well, seeing you take the time to both respond to as well as deal with this "criticism" via your community posts. I will say however Dave, keep doing what you are doing. Haters are going to hate and although I've not been the most inclined to listen to your later content, you're still a really good player. There are a lot of altered lick, 12-tone matrix, and substitution players but the Dexter Gordons, Coleman Hawkins, and Sonny Rollins are far and few. Melody and soul over the Dolphin Shoal you feel? Most improvisation nowadays sounds like people playing Nitro Type; people boxed in, mechanically spitting out words to get ahead in the races. A lot of energy can be spent elsewhere than dealing with utter trolls. You give us what we want when you post content like this. We can see your discontentment through the satirical façade you have aboard.

If you don't write a tune called Doodle Ditty Oodle Battle, then what are we even here for?

Bro... there is no way hahaha

Do a video chat with the guy... could be cool.

Ahhhhhhhhhh 🧠 💥 🤯

You guys handled this just great. Fortunately this guy is not powerful enough to be a career maker or breaker as in 1930 through 1990 era. Ben Sidran recorded a song he wrote in response to really awful reviews-" The Critics". After that, he could not get reviewed for years and years. Things have really changed. I´m a sax player, 76 years old, been in the polls and received great reviews, blah blah blah. What counts is being true to the music in the moment one is playing. I think you guys are great! Now i have to Google meme! Oh I forgot-Read Nicolas Slonimsky´s " Lexicon of Critical Invective" It contains the worst reviews in musical history of Bach , Beethoven etc. Hilarious!

To be a jazz critic you don't even have to know jazz!

How can I tell you to ignore these people... This is so entertaining

This critic is nuts, certifiably insane without a doubt. His entire review sounded like he knows f%^@ all about music, and just wanted to bash you guys, I am so glad you made this video. And Dave, thank you for seriously calling him out for that comment he made about Sharon. What he said was completely inappropriate, distasteful and disrespectful. I personally have loved yours and Ryan's playing for a long time.

Ok I just want to say that this was super funny! Your guys' playing is totally on fire and I have a deep deep respect for you guys as both saxophone players and musicians. However... I'm not sure what the whole lesson of this video is. I'm not trying to question your guys' validity/authority as musicians or anything. I'm just genuinely confused. The vibe I kind of get is "ALL CRITICISM IS INVALID" but my heart wants to say the lesson is "Don't let anyone 'yuck' your 'yum'. We're all students of the saxophone and nobody is ever finished learning." I'm a young musician (fresh out of high school, actually.) so I have very little authority to say anything about what it means to learn from criticism/improve, but I'm part of the camp that says all criticism is valid to at least _some_ extent. But _also_ also, snobbery and vibing is a very toxic environment and It's important to take the things people say with a grain of salt. I don't know, I guess I'm just wondering what the point of all of this is??? You guys clearly know more than me. I'd like your guys' "Thoughts on the Matter" (by Ryan Devlin) All kidding and snobbery aside, I don't want to make it look like I'm 'yuck'-ing _your_ guys' 'yum' either. Please don't pin me and parade me around as a fool in the comment section :( I have a deep deep deep respect for you guys and just want to know what the big "it" is about this whole fight against criticism (as mean spirited as it is). Have a great day guys. Sorry if I pissed you guys off even a little. You're both serious big dawgs in the sax world and some of my greatest sax heroes! #WrongNotesOnly

8:14 Well he loved it then

I received an unsolicited 20-page pdf from a "friend" in the same vein. Glad to say that this person is no longer in my contacts.

If Kenny G did send this to you as a joke, my respect for Kenny G just went through the roof.

The more criticism and rules the less creativity in the world

Ah yes, Sonny Rollins the great alto saxophonist

You know what would've been even funnier and based-er Unironically taking the critique seriously and re doing the entire gig as per Danny's wishes

Wear sunglasses to avoid looking silly reading music. Haha

Man I can't believe this shit is real. What an absolutely pathetic human being. This isn't a critique- this is someone who is projecting the hate inside them onto the world, and I feel sorry for them tbh.

It's always the people who have no idea what they are saying who feel the need to talk.

I mean, you now know what not to practice, eh?

Saxophones can only play one note at a time why would we need to worry about harmony¿¿ I’m not a pianist

Be sure to return a one-liner ... but let your imagination go wild.

Usual noodling ........... man what's wrong with having a bowl of hearty ramen every other day lol

Sorry you have to endure such drivel. However, the critic got BURNED!!! LOL!!

Poor pianist... Side raises hurt lol

I have a critique of your video: the reactions were too staged Just kidding love you Dave

I really wish I could hear this set now. The only critique I have is that you dignified this nonsense. But I understand why you did it.

Stop playing complicated music and start playing real music (learn the 10 hour coffee shop jazz live stream and then you can become a real musician).

Dave, imagine how difficult it must be to be a critic and be so much more intelligent than everyone else. You should not be so glib about their sage advice. Also, a musician can only create the music but since a critic can’t do any of that, they can exist on a higher level and truly judge it. Wasnt this gig part of the Dave pollock world tour? For this gig that probably paid less than a living wage, you should have rehearsed the band non-stop for a month so that you guys were ready.

I'd probably shrug it off, Dave. They paid for the attempt, not the result lol

Dave partially exists as a musician just to stick it to the “critics” that take music too seriously and I love it 😂 keep doin what ur doin lol

In the end, music is all about sincerity and only the musicians themselves know whether they are playing what their hearts are singing or whether they are just playing patterns like a robot. Everything else is just noise.

Plot twist: Danny J is actually Kenny G The Chosen One

I Bet it was much worse of that

I hope that Danny J doesn’t stand for Danny Janklow😳

CRITICASSAHOE!!!!😡

Its awful how people are so picky off of up culture jazz. This is jazz now and literally is many peoples love language. This was prob some 90 year old man with them being upset jazz is changing. I am personally sorry you get shit mail like this.

why spent time on this man...?

God this is a mess. Being a “Jazz Critic” must be one of the worst titles to have on this blue marble.

Must be some angry ex student of yours

You don’t learn anything from a compliment. You may not like the things he said, and you certainly don’t have to like the way he said it, but you should definitely listen. If he gave you two things your band could work on, real, actionable things, then he did you a favor

LOL - simply too many notes!! but hey, you can always practice and improve on your jazz playing. Dah! Dan's the man!