[Dixielandjazz] Unwritten rules??/
Elazar Brandt
jazzmin@actcom.net.il
Wed, 11 Sep 2002 21:39:10 +0200
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Shalom Jazz Fans,
So far I'm usually the side man and not the leader, but I am now a side man
who also has my own developing band, and who also does solo work. I have to
respectfully take issue with my pal Bill on this one. In my experience and
humble opinion, there is a difference between a sideman offering his card to
a club manager or whoever booked the band he is working with at that gig, as
opposed to going back the next day and talking to same manager or booker. It
may be an ethical nuance, but if I'm working with the Jerusalem Jazz Band
one night, and someone asks me for a card, I give him the JJB's card, not
mine. No, of course the JJB does not own that venue or me from now on, but
for that night it is their show. I'm there because of them. They're paying
me to be with them, not to sell myself. If I want to go back the next day
and try to sell myself, that's another story.
I have actually been on a gig where a party planner has asked me if I'm
available to play solo banjo at parties. My reply was, I certainly am, and
you can reach me through [the guy who I was working for that night]. If the
same party planner had called me the next day, I would not hesitate to work
with her directly. Maybe there is no law, but it seems to be a stab in the
back to the band leader who hired you for the present job.
At a bar mitzvah once I was schmoozing with guests whose own son's bar
mitzvah is going to be in a few months. I was working with another band, but
these folks started saying how they wanted a more traditional instrumental
sound, with horns, no electricity, etc., precisely what I and my budding
band do. I told them about my group, and said if they're interested they can
contact me through the leader I was working for this time. He, knowing I
don't operate behind his back, will either refer them to me, or he'll book
the gig, take a reasonable cut, and pay me and my guys for the job. And I
have no problem with that, because I know what he spends in advertising and
promotion, and how hard he's worked to get to where people call him for
music, and slowly but surely I'm getting there too, and I won't like one of
my guys trying to take short cuts and stomping on my hard work rather than
doing his own.
My two shekels' worth.
Elazar
Chief Banjoist
Ministry of Jazz
Jerusalem, Israel
<www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz>
Tel: +972-2-679-2537
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2>S<SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>halom Jazz =
Fans,</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>So far I'm usually the side man and not the =
leader, but=20
I am now a side man who also has my own developing band, and who also =
does solo=20
work. I have to respectfully take issue with my pal Bill on this one. In =
my=20
experience and humble opinion, there is a difference between a sideman =
offering=20
his card to a club manager or whoever booked the band he is working with =
at that=20
gig, as opposed to going back the next day and talking to same manager =
or=20
booker. It may be an ethical nuance, but if I'm working with the =
Jerusalem Jazz=20
Band one night, and someone asks me for a card, I give him the JJB's =
card, not=20
mine. No, of course the JJB does not own that venue or me from now on, =
but for=20
that night it is their show. I'm there because of them. They're paying =
me to be=20
with them, not to sell myself. If I want to go back the next day and try =
to sell=20
myself, that's another story.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>I have actually been on a gig where a =
party=20
planner has asked me if I'm available to play solo banjo at parties. My =
reply=20
was, I certainly am, and you can reach me through [the guy who I was =
working for=20
that night]. If the same party planner had called me the next day, =
I would=20
not hesitate to work with her directly. Maybe there is no law, but it =
seems to=20
be a stab in the back to the band leader who hired you for the present=20
job.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>At a bar mitzvah once I was schmoozing with =
guests=20
whose own son's bar mitzvah is going to be in a few months. I was =
working=20
with another band, but these folks started saying how they wanted a more =
traditional instrumental sound, with horns, no electricity, etc., =
precisely what=20
I and my budding band do. I told them about my group, and said if =
they're=20
interested they can contact me through the leader I was working for this =
time.=20
He, knowing I don't operate behind his back, will either refer them to =
me, or=20
he'll book the gig, take a reasonable cut, and pay me and my guys for =
the job.=20
And I have no problem with that, because I know what he spends in =
advertising=20
and promotion, and how hard he's worked to get to where people call him =
for=20
music, and slowly but surely I'm getting there too, and I won't like one =
of my=20
guys trying to take short cuts and stomping on my hard work rather than =
doing=20
his own.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>My two shekels'=20
worth.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002>Elazar</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D240420219-11092002><FONT size=3D2>Chief Banjoist<BR>Ministry of=20
Jazz<BR>Jerusalem, =
Israel<BR><www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz><BR>Tel:=20
+972-2-679-2537</FONT> </DIV></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></BODY></HTML>
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