[Dixielandjazz] The Gig

[Creole Dixieland Jazz Band]

Yes! I recorded this movie off HBO or something (don't tell anyone) about 15
years ago. It's a terrific show. Obviously written by a professional
musician whose seen it all -- the gifted players who chose not to take
advantage of their talent, the wanna be pros who just don't have the talent,
the idiot club managers, the good players feeding the chords to those less
talented, etc. It's all in this movie and more. As you say, it's not a great
movie, but if you're a musician, you'll smile most of the way through this
one.

:-)

Dave
=======================
"It's a treat to beat your feet."
The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band
Dave Gravatt
417-581-5626
www.CreoleJazz.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Augustine" <ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu>
To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 4:01 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] The Gig


Folks--
    Dave Stoddard loaned me a videotape of a movie called "The Gig", which i
watched last night.  It was made in 1985 and wasn't bad.  Here's a synopsis
of the plot from the Internet Database:

"User Comments:
Hermit C-2
Marietta, GA, USA
Date: 30 April 1999
Summary: A wonderful sleeper.
    This film gave me probably the most pleasant surprise of any I've ever
seen. It was not a big-budget production and its premise, middle-age amateur
jazz musicians get an unexpected professional engagement at a Catskills-like
resort, seems rather modest. What's not modest is the film's success. This
is a little slice-of-life movie that is most entertaining throughout.
Director Frank D. Gilroy also wrote the script and it's full of interesting
subplots and unexpected twists.
    The actors are journeymen who do a solid job. The biggest revelation to
me was Cleavon Little. He plays a professional musician who is hired to fill
in for an ailing band member. His attitude immediately clashes with the
others. While they see it as an opportunity for big fun and a once in a
lifetime thing, he sees it as his job and not a particularly interesting
one. This leads to conflict but when the group gets in trouble, he steers
them through. Little, who died too young, really showed me he was a fine
actor with this film.
This movie is a true sleeper, the kind that a film fan always hopes to
discover. I recommend it wholeheartedly."

User Rating:  6.2/10 (31 votes)

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wayne Rogers    .... Marty Flynn
Cleavon Little .... Marshall Wilson
Andrew Duncan   .... Jack Larmon
Jerry Matz .... Aaron Wohl
Daniel Nalbach .... Arthur Winslow
Warren Vaché .... Gil Macrae

    Warren Vaché was pretty good as an actor, and he also blew some nice
figures.  Don't know who the other actual players were.  For those of us
wistfully imagining ourselves as Professional Dixieland Musicians, this
little movie furnishes ever-increasing doses of what pros sometimes have to
put up with.
    Don't run right out and buy it or rent it, but if you like Wayne Rogers
(from M.A.S.H.) or Cleavon Little (from "Blazing Saddles"), you might give
it a shot if you run across it.

    Dan

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