[Dixielandjazz] Resting Chops

[Stephen Barbone]

Forgot to mention in my previous post about chops. Occasionally, I work
as a sideman in more commercial Dixieland Gigs. Party stuff, with one of
the Lanin groups or a Meyer Davis group, as do some of the sidemen. in
Barbone Street. Often these are "continuous" music gigs for "high
society" folks.

That is to say the band plays 55 minutes out of every hour. Even if you
are not blowing hard, that's a lot of work when it is a 3 hour gig, and
you get 2 hours more of overtime because they love the band. Here again,
we work the sub units within the band when someone needs a break.

But the main thing is that if you work enough gigs, you can almost play
forever. One of Barbone Street's trumpet calls is over 75 and can out
blow guys 1/3 his age. And he is no slouch. He has done it all,
including going over the pond to England & Europe for "Society Gigs"
with Lester Lanin, et al. He played both Princess Diana's and Fergie's
weddings. (To Princes Charles & Andrew).

That's how he makes his money. He is a fine jazz player who came up
through the big bands first, Johnny Long, and both Glenn Miller and
Tommy Dorsey retro bands in the 40s/50s, as well as small band jazz here
in the Philadelphia area. He gets his kicks playing with us several
times a month, ogling the girls like the rest of us.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone