guardians

The record industry tends to seize upon the latest youthful talent at the expense of older, more expressive artists. The celebrated jazz musicians of the last decade lack the individuality of authentic leaders: in setting craftsmanship as their highest goal, these neophytes resemble second-tier stars of the 1950's and 1960's, who made ideal sidemen but whose own recordings invariably lacked the ?'dark comes' of character that separate great music from merely good. Whereas critics have historically been cast as guardians of the canon, sternly measuring new work against the timeless standards of the old, musicians now seem most interested in clinging to tradition, while critics chafe at the perceived dearth of fresh, adventurous voices.


In the context in which it appears, guardians most nearly means

　　A Appraisers

　　B Authors

　　C Fathers

　　D Determinants

　　E Champions