[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixie Vs Swing, a solution.

[Russ Guarino]

There are two bands in my line up.  A Dixie band and a Swing band.  Right
now I have eight swing gigs booked and three Dixie Gigs.  By the end of the
year I will probably have a split of about 50-50.  We often play the same
titles, but the Dixie band uses a banjo and bass sax while the Swing band
uses piano and stand up bass.

Russ Guarino

Stephen Barbone wrote:

> Dan Augustine writes:
>
>      I guess you're right. We don't deserve notice. We better die
> right now, save the audiences the messy job of killing us themselves
> by staying away. There's no point in playing this stuff anyway,
> because nobody loves us or the music and never will.  I guess i
> really don't like it either, don't know why i bother playing it and
> listening to it and reading about it.  Just something to do that
> doesn't really matter. The audiences are really putting us on to
> laugh at us when they show up and pretend to have a good time.
> There's no point to it, it's useless, just as life is.  Hand me that
> knife, there, would you?
>
> Hi Folks:
>
> Did I imply that? I don't think so. Not, me. My band does a whole bunch
> of gigs over a year's span. In 2002 we played before LIVE AUDIENCES that
> totaled more than 125,000 people. We had a great time both playing OKOM
> and acknowledging the cheers of adoring audiences.
>
> We are fortunate enough to be relatively famous in our territory. Our
> players get recognized walking down the street. We play some of the
> great performing arts venues in our area. We charge high prices and get
> them. We get plenty of notice from TV, the Press and other media in our
> territory. We play before young (most under 50 years old) fans.
>
> However, most other OKOM bands do not. That is why OKOM does not show up
> in the general music scene. There is a stunning lack of fans.
>
> Please folks, don't misunderstand what I write. The music is wonderful,
> play it however you like. Just don't bitch and moan if the public
> doesn't like what you play. It is not their fault, it is yours.
>
> We might examine our own knowledge of ou own music. I can remember folks
> on the DJML asking; "Who the hell is this Jim Beebe?" when he first
> joined the list. Some today may still not know. Who indeed? Just one of
> the GREAT OKOM trombone players who excelled in both est Coast Revival
> and Chicago Styles. If we OKOM talking heads don't know who Beebe is,
> how can we expect the public to know who Beebe is?
>
> Last weekend I talked with 91 year old drummer Johnny Blowers. Do we
> know who he is? Again, just one of the GREATS who played with just about
> everybody in OKOM from 1935 through 2003, as well as Sinatra, Holiday,
> Ella et. al. And he is still busily gigging OKOM this year in the
> Secondary and High Schools around New York City, as well as doing
> regular OKOM gigs.  And yes, he has updated his band style to fit the
> times.
>
> My point is a simple one. There is plenty of OKOM opportunity out there.
> Trouble is, most of us don't want to do it, we want to talk about not
> doing it.
>
> Paraphrasing Jack Nicholson's line in "A Few Good Men". "You want the
> truth? We can't handle the truth."
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
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