[Dixielandjazz] logomachy & Too Loud?

[Stephen Barbone]

What a great word. I had to look it up and was happy to find it in
Webster New World College Dictionary.
Like they say in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding, logomachy is derived from a
Greek word.

lo-goma-chy  n.  pl -chies -(Gr logomachia [<logos, a word (see Logic) +
machia - machy]  strife or contention  in words only, or an argument
about words.

Like "Jazz"  or "Dixieland"?  ;-) VBG.

Regarding Meg's question about volume. IMO It is the leader's
responsibility. Leader should go out into the audience and listen to
overall band sound (if one of the front line)

At almost every gig, someone will come up and say.

Band is too loud
Guitar is too loud
Band is too soft,
Guitar is too soft
etc., ad infinitum

What I do is get the band balanced to my satisfaction. Then ask who ever
hired us to designate one person in the audience to be our monitor and
come to me with sound requests. Usually if I am happy with the sound, I
nod my head politely and make a show of adjusting system volumes if
using amplification, while not moving anything.

Band members are used to my sound preferences and readily comply.

Also depends on the gig. If you are playing a wedding at dinnertime, we
play softly and sensibly. If I am working as I sideman, I ask the leader
how he/she wants me to play in the beginning and do my best to comply. I
ask again if everything is OK somewhere in the first set.

Generally, we find that older fans always think the guitar is too loud.
Younger fans think it is too soft. So on and so forth. Best rule? You
can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some
of the time. But you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

So please yourself in moderation.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone