[Dixielandjazz] Long Tie Different suits

[Stephen Barbone]

Gene Mayl wrote (polite snips)

>Saw a couple of signs in North Beach in SF in the '60's---one
advertising
>"Topless College Girls Band", but my favorite was the the one that said

>"Topless Berkeley Housewives Band".

Listmates & Gene

I saw the "housewives" band. Funny scene. Playing great jazz until the
record got stuck in a groove and repeated, and repeated etc. Everybody
but the drummer was synching jazz records. (Drum, Sax, Piano, Bass) When
it got stuck, they all blushed, completely, from the waist up. The
audience broke up too, even though we'd been had.

and then wrote:

>if you want to look like 6 guys that wandered in off the street with an
instrument in hand, then come to work in t-shirts, jogging
>shoes, etc. Want to look like an organized band (even if you are a
throw together group), then wear some kind of uniform. This >works even
when the audience is in t-shirts.They expect a band to like like one.

Listmates & Gene

Absolutely. The key sentence is at the end of Gene's quote: "They expect
a band to look like one."  "They", being the audience. In current times,
if you are going after young people (under 40) what "they" expect a band
to look like is very different from what "we" (older and wiser) expect a
band to look like. Just check out any of the "bands" kids love today.
For the most part they look like hell.
Now, I'm not suggesting we go that far with Barbone Street, but we do
strike a neat, casual compromise which seems to fit with the audience's
expectations, both young and old.

and then he wrote:

>In the 50's we were working in NY and Boston and switched from
dixieland
>blazers and vests to Brooks Bothers suits. We did it because Miles
Davis'
>band had them and we thought they looked good.

List mates & Gene:

Yeah, lots of East Coast Small Bands did that. (Condon - DeParis et al)
I gigged 4 nights a week, for 6 months, at the Melody Lounge in NYC in
1957. All six of us wore the "Brooks Brothers - Ivy League" look, but
different versions and colors of the 3 button suit, with long thin tie.
It was hip during that era. Not really a uniform, but certainly a well
dressed similar look. We were copying Condon, DeParis- Brubeck, but not
going as far as the MJQ.
.
Cheers,
Steve Barbone