[Dixielandjazz] more on Jazz Clubs

[James Kashishian]

>Don't rely on the bands or musicians to "bring in" customers to your
club.
>You should take it upon yourself to seek out your own customers

Wow!  How many times that has happened to us.  As our band has a 35 yr
record of constant existence in the same time, new clubs...or old clubs
trying new formats, think we'll just pull 'em in off the streets.
Doesn't work that way.  Our old fans go to the old clubs they know &
like.  They don't venture out to new ones in particular.  

I always tell the "new" boss that it's up to the club to circulate the
word, not just hope our magic will work.

Bob Romans, I believe, mentioned the importance of a large sign on the
street, also.  Another trick is to have a "secret" place.  Our band
played a one nite a week gig for 25 yrs at a place that was just a big
wooden door to the street.  No sign at all!  You had to be "in" to know
where Bourbon Street in Madrid was.   I played there the other 6 nites a
week with the house band, a pseudo modern jazz group that would play
umpteen hundred choruses of Green Dolphin Street just to get through the
4 hr gig.  Yawn!!!    Only did that for a few yrs, before divorce set in
with the first wife, and the 12 hrs a day of studio session work, along
with the 4 hr gig every nite almost did me in.  Were you boozing, you
ask?  What?  When would I have had time to do that     :>  

The joint looked like the London underground at rush hour when we
finished our midnight to 4am gig in the late '60's, early '70's.  There
was a "rebirth" of the club in the mid '70's when Franco cracked down on
the gays.  The place was renamed Whisky Jazz Club, after the owner's
other club which had been torn down, and this particular type of crowd
was barred from entering.  Must have upset some of Franco's head
ministers of gov't that used to frequent the joint with their
boyfriends!   :>

Burned down in '90, was resurrected several years later, fancy decor,
sign outside....flopped in about 6 months!  Keep it a bit dodgy.  The
most successful club now in Madrid is run by the doorman of the club
mentioned above.  (He hit the lottery several times...bigtime!)
Sometimes we stomp on the cockroaches as they run across the stage while
we're playing.  The audience think we're "grooving" with the beat.  

Jim "Look, the trombonist FEELS his music so much he can't stop stomping
his feet" Kash