[Dixielandjazz] Christian Instrumental Jazz

[john petters]

"...they slap the word Christian in front of their name and create a new 
following and market for themselves primarily in Churches and church related

functions."
My band does a lot of concerts in churches with our Walkin' With The King
Show. Not all of the musicians are Christians or even religious. We have
played in RC, Anglican, Methodist and next month (11th September) at Saffron
Walden Baptist Church. The programme is all hymns and spirituals. It is a
concert of praise, in that the subject of the material is the Almighty, it
is multi denominational, yet can be enjoyed by those of no religious
conviction or belief. It is a case of everybody's happy. The band earns on
the gig (and we sell a lot of CDs - more than at jazz clubs), the jazz fans
are happy because the music is good, the church is happy because it brings
into its walls many folk who normally do not go near a church, so it is
evangelising if you like. The other spin off is that we get a new audience
of church goers who come to our jazz concerts, riverboat shuffles and
festivals, because they find that they like the music. 

John Petters
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ
www.traditional-jazz.com

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of
Bigbuttbnd at aol.com
Sent: 13 August 2004 15:33
To: BillSargentDrums at aol.com; TCASHWIGG at aol.com;
dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Christian Instrumental Jazz


I would have to go with Bill Sargent on this one...

I don't think there's any advantage, from a marketing standpoint, to tagging

yourself "Christian" in the music industry unless you really are a
Christian. 
The 'Christian instrumental Jazz' niche has got to be among the smallest 
niches in the music business (except maybe for the 'muslim polka niche!')
and, if 
anything, is probably a hurdle to get over in selling instrumental jazz. Add
to 
that the fact that the consumers for your music, presumably other
Christians, 
pay more attention to the lifestyle and committment of 'Christian' artists
to 
his/her belief than secular fans pay to secular artists... and you've got a 
tough 'row to hoe.' The audience is ALWAYS watching.

I admire Christian artists who tackle the dilemna of reconciling 
self-promotion, and even making a decent living with their talent, and the
committment to 
devote their time and talent to serving God. It's a treacherous course at 
best. If they are too successful they could alienate their audience.... not 
successful enough and they can starve out there. That seems to be an even
tougher 
strategy than that of the secular jazz musician.

I read recently that Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, one of the most 
successful jazz, bluegrass, jam band banjo artists, rarely begins to make
any money on 
an album until the EIGHTH (8th!) year of distribution. His money is made
from 
touring each summer. The article said he rarely sells more than 100,000
copies 
of an album. I don't know his religious orientation... he certainly would
not 
be considered a Christian Instrumental Jazz artist. If someone of his 
stature, that most of us have heard of, who tours incessantly, can only
muster 
100,000 sales... how much of a market can there be for Christian Jazz 
Instrumentalists?

Makes me think they're not just in it for the  money...

Rocky Ball
Banjo

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