[Dixielandjazz] Re: Uniforms

[Bill Horton]

At Pismo, the Basin Street Regulars turns out about 300-400 fans for our 11
monthly concerts, and we have about 25 bands for our Jubilee each year, and
about 20 for the Mardi Gras, so we see a LOT of bands.  Almost all of them
have some kind of uniform, ranging from white shirt and matching ties, to
matching vests or logo-imprinted shirts.  Igor's Cowboys and a German
Firehouse band are the only ones I can remember having full uniforms, except
Chicago Six with all black outfits, if you can call that a uniform.  I can't
remember one of them wearing "staws & stripes."  Very few of them have no
band identification.

Having some type of band identification has the advantage of making band
members identifiable between sets, when there's a jam or house band set and
they usually mingle with the audience, garnering compliments and a few free
drinks.

Dick Johnson of the Mardi Gras JB says he bought shirts for the band years
ago and they wear them until they begin to smell too bad and then donate
them to the Salvation Army.  A few days later he goes to their Thrift Store
and buys them back for about 4 bits each, all laundered and pressed.  Says
it's a lot cheaper than sending them to the laundry.

Bill Horton
www.PismoJazz.org