[Dixielandjazz] Your Weirdest Gig

[Kurt]

One of the weirdest gigs I have played occurred a couple of years ago.  My
dixieland band was hired by the Chrysler Corporation to perform on a car
transport carrying the 5 millionth Chrysler mini van produced.  They had a
nationwide contest with their dealers to determine the most loyal Chrysler
customer in America and the winner was found in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The
transport holding the new mini van (and my band) was all decked out with
balloons and streamers. The truck drove through a residential neighborhood
until it arrived in front of the winner's house at 7:00 a.m.  They had a TV
crew and guy from Chrysler with a microphone (Ala Publisher's Clearinghouse)
to capture the surprised looks on the winner's faces when they opened the
front door when the doorbell rang.

The winners were presented with the keys to the van and the band played for
about half an hour to an excited crowd of neighbors.

As I recall, the gig paid real well, and each guy in the band received a
limited edition hat with a photo of the 5 millionth Chrysler mini van on it.
I think I sold it in a garage sale for 50 cents.

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Mike Marois
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 7:13 PM
To: jazzfact; Djml
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Your Weirdest Gig


As a tuba player who plays all forms of jazz from ragtime to bop I take
offense to the exclusion of banjos and tubas to the jam session.

Anyway my weirdest gig occurred back on fathers day 1990.  Once again a
Mickey gig call time was 8am at the Dolphin Resort in Orlando.  This was the
weekend that the flick "Dick Tracy" opened and all of the stars of the film
were in Orlando for a big press thing.  Well Saturday night late we got a
call from Talent booking for a trio to go up to Dustin Hoffman's suite and
jam tunes with him sitting in on the 9 foot grand that was in the suite.
Well we showed up and met in a room across the hall from the suite where we
were greeted by the big Eisner himself pacing back and forth hoping the
group was going to show up.  He was very appreciative of us making it on
such short notice and of course reminded us that we'd be "On-Stage" (A
Disney phase meaning that you were in the public's eye, so you'd better obey
the Disney commandments of on stage etiquette).  After some management dweeb
ran down to the gift shop and brought back 3 cabana boy shirts, we changed
into them and went across the hall to Dustin's suite.  When we got into the
suite we took our positions near the piano and immediately Dustin's wife
offered us coffee, donuts, and told us to make ourselves at home.  Right
there that was three etiquette strikes, so we all looked at Eisner for the
OK which he gave us immediately.  So we're on the gig chowing down, drinking
coffee, and talking with Dustin and his wife, when we finally realize "WE
SHOULD BE PLAYING MUSIC"!  We ended up playing 4 or 5 tunes with Dustin
sitting in on piano, he did quite well.

After the gig is when it go weird.  We rode all the way down from the top of
the resort to the lobby with Eisner in the elevator and he didn't say two
words to us.  That made the group fell like a bunch of cheap Dixieland
whores.  It was that event that drove home the phase whoring yourself out
for a gig.

Mike "and I don't mean Eisner" Marois



-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of jazzfact
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 3:30 PM
To: Djml
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Your Weirdest Gig


Hi All,

I was asked a few months a go to do a "set" at a "Giants of Jazz" concert
with 90 year old Australian piano player Graeme Bell. The gig was last
Sunday week.  Unfortunately the show was mainly not OKOM and the musical
director obviously not a fan either. The set turned into 2 songs, Graeme
played beautifully and has not lost a bit of his wit, Bob Barnard, Len
Barnard, Paul Williams, Ed Wilson, John Withers and I swung our way through
the two numbers chosen then were invited to stay for the rest of the day.
The footnote on the running sheet said all players would be presented as
they mounted the stage at the end for a jam session EXCEPT BANJO AND TUBA
Lucky for us we didn't dig what they did to music so we could leave early.
Fee/ about $1 a bar! (2 beat = 50 cents a note, but I put in a few extra
notes as a bonus!)
PS I was not listed as a "Giant", but an "others including"

regards,
Richard Stevens
www.thejazzfactory.net


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