[Dixielandjazz] Re: Jazz Festivals

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/9/03 6:43:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> 
> I don't think one could properly call that a "great jazz festival" in the 
> context we are using for this discussion. It was more like a jazz concert with 
> a couple of acts. Similar to Benny Goodman's concert at Carnegie which 
> included some very fine musicians other than his band.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve
> 
> 
The term Festival does indeed have various interpretations depending upon 
where you are in the world.

In Italy for example a Festival happens of some kind almost every week 
somewhere, and the Italians are fond of the word Festival.  Some Festivals last six 
months, but are really no more than one day or night concerts held over a 
period of several weeks or months in various venues.

What we commonly refer to as a Festival in the USA is one day gigantic event 
or several days with many acts performing on a variety of stages and or 
venues.  Some are held in Sport Stadiums, and some are held in parks or even open 
fields such as Woodstock, we all remember that one don't we, even if we did not 
attend.

In Europe in the winter time Blues festivals often move indoors and are 
called Blues Parades, because they feature several acts on the bill at each event.

I have also toured in Europe with four or five acts in a show and they 
promoted it as the San Francisco or Chicago Blues festival.  Hardly considered a 
Festival by American Standards, we would refer to that as a musical Review 
playing one nighters and often for a week long engagement nightly.

So it is partially in the Billing, and many folks promoting one night 
concerts like to make the public feel that it is a much larger event than it really 
is so they call it a Festival.

Out west we have Tomato Festivals, Bean Festivals, Zucchini Festivals, 
Strawberry Festivals, Blues Festivals, Jazz Festivals, Flower Festivals, Honey 
Festivals, Mustard Festivals, Wine Festivals, and just about anything else you want 
to make a festival for.

Most of them feature live entertainment in various forms, and would always 
welcome OKOM if you go looking for them and book yourselves, some of them pay 
and some of them don't have an entertainment budget, but you can always perform 
and sell the heck out of your CDs and tapes and book other gigs that do pay.  
It is called Promotion and advertising for your Band Business.  Give you 
excellent opportunities to cash in on some other organizations advertising and 
promotion budget to promote your own business and attract new followers and fans 
of OKOM and your music.

Playing for a few hours at an outdoor event with 10-50 thousand people will 
get you a lot more fans and CD sales than playing for a year in a pizza parlor 
or small bar once a week or once a month.  The more folks who see and hear you 
the more famous you get, and every event you play like this attracts you new 
fans that will then come and pay to hear and see you at other events.  It is 
also a good live rehearsal for your group as you are allowed total freedom to 
play whatever you wish since it is your stage.  Insist upon getting newspaper 
and media coverage for your group for performing at these kind of events, and 
always ask for it in advance of the event, not afterwards in the form of a 
review, as that is useless for drawing any people to the event, although it can be 
useful for your future promotion kit to help sell you to other events that 
have a budget.

It is always fun to meet new people who walk up to the stage and tell you 
they came to hear you because they saw you in the newspaper or on TV etc.  lets 
you know your marketing is working, and make sure you tell the event organizers 
about it as well so they know that people actually came to their event to see 
you, therefore you do have drawing power to attract folks to their event and 
you can then negotiate for payment or increases the next year.


Remember if there is NO OKOM MUSIC at any event you go to it is usually the 
fault of the local OKOM bands for not doing their homework and marketing 
themselves to the events available to them every week.  You don't call on them and 
try to book your group you can bet they are not going to call you, there are 
simply too many other groups of all sorts of music genres banging on their door 
begging for a place to perform, even for Free.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band