[Dixielandjazz] THE GIG

[Chuck Kercher]

Great report, Steve.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 10:10 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] THE GIG


> The anticipation started about 2 weeks ago. The December gig for our
> favorite University of Pennsylvania Fraternity was fast approaching and
> we were looking forward to it. It would be our 3rd gig for them this
> year. Four hours of Dance oriented Dixieland Jazz at the 23rd Street
> Armory in Philadelphia.
> 
> The University is one of the finest in the United States, Ivy League and
> all that. The students are all very bright and like typical college
> kids, the love to party. This end of semester event is the crown jewel
> in their social schedule. So, they dress up, some in formal wear, the
> rest in coat & tie or party dresses. Everybody is looking good for this
> special occasion.
> 
> Best of all, they make a special effort to book a band that they can
> dance to, relate to, and that they feel comfortable with. Yeah, guess
> who? For 3 years running now, The Barbone Street Jazz Band. Even though
> we are their Grandfather's Jazz Band. (Their age range is 18 to 22 give
> or take a year or two)
> 
> Yesterday (Saturday) I got a 10 AM call from Ron, the guy in charge of
> this year's event. "Hi Mr. Barbone, Just want to make sure you and the
> band are coming Sir", Ron said.  I replied "Of course, we love to play
> for you."  "Well," he said, "I was a little nervous because of the snow.
> We all love your jazz band and this will be our best attended event of
> the year. Especially after we announced that Barbone Street was booked
> again. We expect about 400 people."
> 
> We got to the armory at about 9 PM, parking inside among the HumVees and
> Tanks. Then we discovered that the elevator was not working. It is a 4
> flight walk-up to the room and that was daunting, given the drums,
> electric piano, and my 250 watt portable? fender sound system, and our
> ages. Never to fear though, a group of husky pledges had been assigned
> to carry all of our gear up, which they did cheerfully and quickly.
> 
> After set-up, I plugged in a Kenny Davern CD prior to our band start at
> 10 PM, while waiting for the two CDs from the event organizers. They
> were delivered shortly and to my surprise were "latin" jazz and salsa.
> The newest dance craze in the Philadelphia area.
> 
> As we got ready to start, a young man in a tux came up, introduced
> himself as Mike and said I am here solely for the band. Anything you
> want, I will deliver it. Drinks, food, anything. "Anything?", we
> laughed. What a nice touch.
> 
> The gig? It was phenomenal. There were at total of 440 young people.
> paid attendance last night. They loved the band, and danced to the music
> like nobody was watching. Very, very  sexy. I went out among the dancers
> and draped mardi gras beads around the necks of the girls. (Some even
> brought last year's beads with them) When asked why, what were they for,
> I replied "They are because I love you." In return, I got hugged and
> kissed by at least 30 pretty ladies. And when I automatically turned my
> head for a cheek shot, at least half turned with me and planted it full
> on the mouth. Wow! I still got it. Or did they have Grandfather
> complexes. ;-)
> 
> They told us we were awesome. We played a couple of requests like.
> "Here's a number one of the more romantic guys here asked us to play for
> his date. "The Way You Look Tonight"  At least 50 young men claimed
> credit with yells of that was me. We also did "St. Thomas" as a segue
> number between the CD and the live music, to a great response. I sang "I
> Want A Little Girl" to one of the best looking "little girls" I have
> ever seen. Big hug and kiss from her. We played stuff like "That's A
> Plenty" for some high energy dancers. etc., etc., etc.
> 
> The hired us again for next year's bash saying that it looked as if they
> would have to move the venue because more folks now want to attend this
> party which is becoming a minor legend at the University. The armory
> will not hold any more than 450.
> 
> No, they are not jazz aficionados. They may never be, because there is
> no easy access to jazz, like there was when we were kids. Heck, at their
> age, we didn't know much about jazz either, unless we were musicians.
> But we knew we liked it and we could hear Benny, or Artie, or Sidney, or
> Wild Bill on the radio. All they know is hey, they've got THE JAZZ BAND
> coming again. Great dancing, great fun, six neat, sexy old jazz men and
> let's bring our friends the next time. To them, jazz equals Barbone
> Street. To us, that ain't all bad. And they do come and hear us a some
> of our club dates.
> 
> The may not clap after each solo (a habit some musos do not like as they
> say it impedes the idea flow from end of one solo to the beginning of
> the next), but they get up and cheer mightily at the end of a tune. And
> they dance their butts off to everything we play which gives energy back
> to the band.
> 
> Gig ended at 2:10 AM after we played a slow dance encore for them.
> "Please sir, play one more slow tune so we can hold our dates and sway
> to the music one more time." We played "I'm Confessin That I Love You."
> Yeah, 10 minutes over but we didn't begrudge it. And then to our
> surprise, we got $20 a man extra for the encore. On top of a gig fee
> that well exceeded union scale.
> 
> The pledges respectfully waited till we packed up and then carried
> everything back downstairs. What a high. The bass player on this gig,
> Norm Elliott a sub, is 82 and he couldn't believe it. "Just like the old
> days", he said adding, "Hey, let's stop at the Melrose diner on Passyunk
> Avenue for breakfast on the way home". And we did, at 3:00 AM, just like
> the old days. And after driving Norm home, I got home at 5:10 AM, just
> like the old days. Best of all, the young crowd adulation for Barbone
> Street is becoming routine. just like it was for other bands, in the old
> days, on 52nd Street and in the Village.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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