[Dixielandjazz] Re: "Jazz" Festivals

[Stephen Barbone]

> TCASHWIGG at aol.com wrote (polite snip)
>
> In a message dated 10/31/03 9:00:41 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> WILLIAMHORTON at peoplepc.com writes:
>
> > I'm certainly sympathetic with the problems of bands and musicians, but it
> > should be remembered that it takes a big bunch of unpaid people about a year
> > of preparation to put on even a one-day festival.  And it takes several
> > thousand paying jazz fans to make one financially feasible.
>
> Sorry to disagree with you Bill me boy, but it does not, it take a
> Professional promoter who knows what the hell he/she is doing and about twenty
> professional people about 60 days to put on a successful festival.  I play them all
> over the world and get paid more money for one or two 90 minute shows a day than
> some of the so called Traditional Jazz festivals pay all eight of their
> headline bands.

I agree with Tom, basically because I just got back from a one day festival 10 minutes
ago. At the Rollins Convention Center attached to the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. Small
festival, to be sure, only 6 or 7 bands, but all on two stages, with no band movement.
Paid audience was about 1800 people. It was a wine festival also, with wineries there, as
well as local restaurants letting the audience sample their wares.

Tickets averaged about $12. Plus, Michele's, the hotel gourmet restaurant served about
100 lunches at $38, and 200 dinners at $75 to attendees.

Headliners were Tito Puente Jr., Barbone Street and Tom Lagana (smooth jazz from Wash
DC). The hotel's professional staff puts on events (not all jazz festivals) of this
magnitude about 50 times a year without hassle. They make a profit.

Two weeks ago Barbone Street played the Rehoboth Jazz Festival. 4 days, 50 bands, all
single venue and separate charges at each venue.
About 15,000 attended. Top ticket price for one show by the biggest star, James Ingram
was a little over $80. Our show went for $35. They were 90 minute shows. We drew 500, as
did Ingram. It is produced by paid professionals, and makes a profit.

Next Saturday, Barbone Street is playing a "one night" Jazz Festival in Media Pa. 10
bands, all night, each in 10 different venues. Within a six block walk on the main street
of this town of 50,000 or so. Two OKOM bands and 8 other jazz bands. Venues are all
restaurants, or bars. Advance sales of tickets @ $10 is now over 1000. (you need the
ticket to gain admission to any of the venues) The bars/restaurants will make a bundle on
food/drink also. This festival is put on professionally by The Media Business
Association. One honcho and about 20 paid part timers. They also did a blues festival
earlier this year, and next year plan 3 music festivals in the town. They are like big
block parties and they make a profit

We also play Berk's Jazz Festival. A 10 day affair, all bands play in separate venues.
Most play one or two 90 minute shows. About 140 bands this year. Expect 150 in 2004. All
individually ticketed. The city, Reading, makes a profit., and the merchants make a
profit.

We also perform at Turks Head Music Festival locally which presents 12 bands in on day,
all in one outdoor venue. It has 2 stages adjacent to each other. While on band plays on
the left stage, the others sets up on the right stage, and vice versa. They draw 5000
people and the costs of the festival are minimal. The city makes a pretty good profit as
many bands are "sponsored" by businesses in town.

The musicians are well paid in all of the above cases and this year Barbone Street will
have performed in about 15 such "jazz " or "music"  festivals. In front of refreshingly
young audiences mixed in with those of us in the Medicare set.

To quote an old cliche, There are many ways to skin a cat.

Bottom line. "Festivals" are relatively easily done by professionals. By all means use
volunteers, but there certainly seems reason to leave the main planning and the oversight
to the pros.

There is no reason to perpetuate shrinking OKOM festivals other than to keep the "Old
Boy/Girl" network stumbling along. Time to think outside the box for many of those in the
USA that are having trouble. If the raison d'etre for OKOM festivals is to keep the old
folks from having to walk more than a block to see the next band, then we've indeed lost
our focus. We are not expanding the audience, we are not even preserving the music. We
are doing our best to kill it by targeting an audience whose average age is dead.

But, like Tom and others, there are a few people who believe in the viability of this
music, and the profitability of it. We say, what the hell is with you folks? Haven't you
learned yet that you can't kill this music, no matter how hard you try?

If your favorite festivals are not healthy, think outside the box to make them so. Or
move over and let the professionals do it for you. THINK YOUNG. "IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC".
which is what Rehoboth Jazz Festival used as their theme last month.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone