[Dixielandjazz] New Years Eve Gig

[Stephen Barbone]

About a year ago, I was contacted by an upscale retirement community
locally to play New Years Eve. These communities here in Eastern
Pennsylvania USA are self contained apartment and/or condominiums that
older folks buy. They get 2 meals, and full medical care should they
need it, activities, etc. All for a fixed fee per month.

Usually their entertainment budgets are fairly tight. When our band
plays one hour concerts for these venues (30 to 40 a year) we use up
half their monthly budget.

Surprisingly, our New Year's Price was only a few hundred dollars over
their New Year's budget and so they found the additional money and hired
us.

The party went from 8:30 to 11:00 PM. Then they counted down, celebrated
a last dance while we played Auld Ang Syne (spelling?) and went to bed.
Audience age from 65 to 90, about 200 people, mostly women. (they do out
live us)

We did all the slow dance Dixieland for the couples. Stuff like "I'm
Confessin", "Wonderful World", "If I Had You", "Georgia"  plus some
medium tempo tunes like "Honeysuckle Rose", "Li'l Darlin", "They Can't
Take That Away From Me". And even a Glenn Dodson feature (tbone) on
Stardust (Db). (You have never really "heard" this tune until you hear
that fat sounding trombone do it with Sonny Troy on guitar, Ace Tesone
on Bass, and Joe Mongillo's tasty brush work)

We also did the up tempo stuff, "Blues My Naughty Sweetie" and "Sweet
Georgia Brown" for the listeners and were a bit surprised to see a
couple of older ladies, widows, get up and sway with the music as if
nobody was watching. Made us think "Hey they might like to do a line
dance".  So we announced a line dance and decided to do a very bouncy,
bluesy "Night Train"

The response blew us away. The widow ladies jammed the floor along with
one older man in a tux. I got out the mardi gras beads, draped a few
ladies on the dance floor and gave the rest to the man who proceeded to
go around the room giving each lady a string and a hug. IMO, you ain't
seen nothin until you've seen a group of 65-90 year olds doing a
"Continental" to hip band playing Night Train. What a blast.

We then did 'Hello Dolly" by request and they all got up again and did a
line dance to Hello Dolly, swiveling hips and swinging those beads. So
we went into a "Mummers Strut" medley, Alabama Jubilee, Golden Slippers,
etc., and marveled at their strutting energy.

Well, it was a great New Years Eve gig. Over at 11 PM so I got home at
11:55, just in time to celebrate with my wife. First time in 10 years.
The money was good. (more than they paid for a 13 piece band last year),
the audience was superb and we played JAZZ.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone