[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 7, Issue 32

[Stephen Barbone]

Richard Broadie wrote: (polite snip)

> I'm not interested in how many ghost bands
> and groups there are so long as no one's rights are being infringed upon,
> and professional quality is maintained.

That is because you are a FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL musician. In other words you
make your living in music. In my dotage, I am also a professional musician who
now makes the bulk of my spending money at it.

> You mention that you have a pool of 40 excellent musicians to draw from.
> This makes me greatly jealous.  12 years ago I was leader of the Dixie 111
> Jazz Band and had a pool of about 20 good players to draw from.

Yes and most of them are FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS making their living's
by playing music. Sometimes jazz, sometimes classical, sometimes commercial,
sometimes recording, sometimes as filling chairs for name bands that are
visiting, (eg. Maynard Ferguson) sometimes in Broadway road show pits, etc.,
etc., etc.

I am not disparaging those who are not full time, but am drawing a distinction.
What I am saying is that "Barbone Street" is made up mostly of professionals.
They know how to play. Their first love is jazz. They don't get many jazz gigs
except through me. And since we make money at it, they enjoy playing in any
band version I might book.

One can talk "quality" all night long, however, when you are a band of full
time professional musicians, that band is usually pretty good. IMO the best
"Dixieland", or OKOM band in the country is Jim Cullum's Band in San Antonio.
Little wonder, they are all full time pros. And they've graduated some pretty
fine musos out of that group over the years as most list mates are well aware.

The 40 I use are top of the line players. Unknown on the Festival circuit, but
monster musicians. Like trumpeters Bobby Hartzell, Paul Grant, George Rabbai,
Al Harrison, Bob Gravener. They range in age from 40 to 80 and they can hold
their own with anybody. Ditto on all instruments. Luckily there is a wealth of
musical talent in Philadelphia (or NYC, or LA etc). Unluckily there is not a
lot of jazz work anywhere.

Except it seems, for us. And the really neat thing about Full Time
Professionals who have paid their dues many years ago is that they can indeed
play any song in any key. So for the Nuns, besides OKOM we can do the book from
"Sound of Music" and/or "Porgy & Bess" immediately by request. And for the
College parties, we can also do "Mercy Mercy Mercy", "St. Thomas", "Gerkin For
Perkin", or "Jordu"  on the spot. Or at Italian weddings we can do the theme
from Cinema Paridiso. So depending upon venue, I can book a Barbone Street Band
that will knock their socks off, simply by tailoring the musos to the audience.
But don't be disillusioned, this is in addition to our main musical performance
which is Evolutionary Dixieland and immensely popular. I guess you might say we
are not your average White Dixieland Jazz Band.

I marketed the band heavily for 10 years to get it to where it is now. The
journey was fun and is still going on. I hope that some other band leaders out
there will see the possibilities for this music, pass it on, and like us have
an inordinate amout of fun doing it.

Cheers,
Steve

PS. Jazz Festival programs describe us as a "collective band of 45 musicians
usually performing in 6 piece Dixieland groups."