[Dixielandjazz] Re: Starting a Jazz Society

[Rebecca Thompson]

Will,

Guess we should have called you last year.  We were in contact with
quite a few people across the U.S. of A. picking their brains.

Tommy Loy and a group of us got together to try to get something going.
Everything seem to point to the fact we needed PEOPLE and MONEY.  Even
the few in this area who profess to "like" OKOM wouldn't go across the
street to hear it, much less support it.   On Tuesday nights at the
Bavarian Grill while Tommy was playing, we had about 2 regular couples
and 3 or 4 singles (who were regulars).  Even the other musicians are
not really "into" the music and wouldn't do anything if they didn't get
a buck for it.  

It just seemed that Jim and I (and Tommy at that time) were the only
ones really wanting it.  Country music has a REALLY big hold over this
market.

Rebecca


-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-admin@ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-admin@ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Will Connelly
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 4:05 PM
To: Don Ingle
Cc: rebecca.e.thompson@verizon.net; SelmerFudd@aol.com;
dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Starting a Jazz Society


Dear Rebecca -

Steve is right! If you want a jazz society at DFW, grasp the bull firmly
by any convenient protuberance and start it! The DFW metro area is
easily large enough to support a society, and if you're willing to work
at it, you can do it and make it succeed. 

I am a founding father of the Hot Jazz & Alligator Gumbo Society and the
Gold Coast Jazz Society in Fort Lauderdale, so I speak with some
authority. I ran HAGS from its creation to about 1300 cumulative
members, through concerts, our 'house band' in the Orange Bowl parade
and a Jubile patterned on Pismo with sixteen bands (including Buck
Creek, Chicago Six, Hot Cotton, the Black Dogs and K.O. Eckland's Pismo
Experimental Jazz Band) at three bus-connected venues. I did this for
10-1/2 years.  	

Some years ago, the American Federation of Jazz Societies published a
series of booklets including one on how to start a jazz society written,
as memory serves, by Dave Robinson who was serving on the AFJS board, as
was I, at that time. Get that booklet, read it, and press on - and feel
free to call on me if you have questions. 

Kindly,

Will Connelly


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