Zur Problematik von Jazz-Kritik
A jazz critic's first duty is to inform the reader via understandable, and at the same time reliably researched musicology, about musicians and musical performances (in no case with personal or emotional impressions!). This information, carefully and thoughtfully written, stimulates the reader to derive his own conclusions, instead of simply adopting the critic's own valuation criteria. A critic must also be able to question and doubt jazz, otherwise he lowers himself to the status of a mere jazz lobbyist. The author expresses the viewpoint that a basic education in music theory and sociology, a natural jazz feeling, and above all practical playing experience as a jazz musician are among the most important prerequisites for being a jazz critic. A critic should remain independent in his position; when he is a record producer, and as a jazz critic acclaims his own product, he loses his professional credibility.
Ample and detailed criticism about jazz critics is openly expressed by the jazz musicians Albert Mangelsdorff, Wolfgang Dauner and Volker Kriegel. An analysis of various press reviews concerning Wolfgang Dauner's "Urschrei", demonstrates how little real information some critics have, how they manipulate the facts, how wrong and distorted facts can be reproduced, how little expert knowledge and how little thorough reflection are still to be found in today's jazz critics.