[Dixielandjazz] Getting Paid

[Stephen Barbone]

Love the thread about the band not getting paid by Dick Broadie and Tom
Wiggins.

Barbone Street, on the other hand, has never has gotten stiffed. Four of
us in the "A" band are Italian Americans,  One African American and one
English American. Many times I will start to introduce the band members.
(one after each song so I can give a brief bio) with:

"This band has 5 members that are Italian so we're going to introduce
the only non Italian first". Pause as everybody expect the black guy to
step forward. I then introduce the English American, trombonist Glenn
Dodson.

Then, having set the stage for Italian American awareness, I later
introduce the Bass Player, Ace Tesone. Besides having played with many
MAJOR jazz legends of the 20th Century, (Lester Young, Billie Holiday,
Clifford Brown, Muggsy Spanier, et al) he is a custom tailor who has
made clothes for the Philadelphia Mob figures. I say:

Besides his musical career, "Ace makes family clothes. But, of course,
his family is Phil "Chicken Man" Testa, Sam "The Plumber" DeCalvalcante,
Joey Merlino, "Little" Nicky Scarfo, etc. So we never worry about
getting paid for a gig. We just send Guido around"

Also play up the South Philadelphia (Italian Section) roots of the
entire rhythm section. Don't know if it helps protect us from deadbeats
or not, but we've never had to test it.  And, of course, we do some gigs
for suspected mob friends. Like the law firm that defends all of them as
well as a few parties for individual Goodfellas. so I suppose we really
could send Guido around.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone