[Dixielandjazz] New Venue Question

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/6/04 6:20:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, ALSINGERPRESENTS 
writes:

> 
> TOM , while I may sound like an idealist (purist?) I contend there are ways 
> to sell good jazz without reinforcing the totally false and long-term  
> destructiveness of trying to "save" good music with bad . Just one way was my 
> suggestion of the JATP tribute .  What you support  is not much different than if 
> in the 30's and 40's  you would tie in with Mickey Mouse music (Swing and 
> Sway with S.K) .to draw a crowd for  Eddie Condon or  Billie  Holiday).   
> Again,just because it got tagged as jazz does NOT make it so. .   ! urge caution in 
> getting caught up in it's ugly trap!!!    al  singer
> 

Hi Al:

There is no doubt in my mind that we are all on the same side in this war to 
preserve and exploit and advance if possible the better sides of Jazz no 
matter how it is labeled or mislabeled by our ever fleeting expert industry.

Quite honestly Al in my opinion anyway, if they had actually tied Eddie 
Condon and Billie Holiday to that crowd that they let slip away we would have much 
greater respect and audiences for OKOM today and not even be having these 
discussions of differing opinions.

Case in Point: How many successful Disney parks are there all over the world 
providing Mickey Mouse Entertainment, Vs how many OKOM events anywhere near as 
popular and generating as much revenue and employment?

If they had put Eddie and Billie on the Bill with Mickey Mouse we all might 
be whistling a different tune today.  To ignore progress and change is a sure 
fire recipe for extinction and it is a lot easier to swim downstream with the 
current and arrive faster than to swim upstream against it for the rest of our 
lives.

We are all getting older and tired and weary of the long battle, should we 
not use our experience and learning to out smart them and deliver good music in 
spite of what they do to try and destroy or ignore it?

I play OKOM music at major Jazz Festivals all over the world in front of and 
along side of and behind acts like James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, 
Havanah Report, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Gatemouth Brown. Tony Bennett, Al 
Jareau, Chick Corea, Patti Labelle, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Phil 
Collins, Ike Turner, Buddy Guy, and countless other great Jazz, Blues and R&B 
Legends and I play Traditional Jazz, Blues, Funk, Traditional Gospel, Afro Cuban 
Jazz and Latin Jazz and to their audiences who all love it.

If I am doing it wrong please show me how and why, I say take the good music 
to the people where ever they are and if it is good they will not only enjoy 
it they will buy it and keep coming back for more.  Limit your audience and you 
limit your life expectancy not to mention your financial ability to make a 
living and sustain ANY kind of music that you enjoy playing.

We have to get this MUSIC OUT OF THE BOX and take it further and to places it 
has never been.  The world and the market for this music does not end in 
Arizona, St. Louis, California, New Jersey, Philadelphia and the USA, and many 
places int he world do not even yet know what the Hell it is.  Like about 95% of 
the Far East and 85% of the Middle East.

Ever thought about promoting an OKOM gig in Dubai?  Singapore, Shanghai? 
Taiwan?
S. Africa? Chile? Korea?  Russia?  I do and I always find an incredible 
audience waiting and hungry to see and hear it.

Musical content:
This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine!  :))

Cheers, and keep swinging no matter how you do it,

Tom Wiggins