[Dixielandjazz] Tribute to Miff Mole and getting an audience

[john petters]

Randy said
> In order to make our jazz society meetings a little more interesting we
> took a page from the Jim Cullum book and featured or dedicated one set
> to a famous musician from the past.
This is an excellent way of injecting something new into jazz club or
festival presentations and can help attract pubicity via press releases etc.
I have used this method for years to great effect. For example, the
programme for my series of concerts in Harlow, just north of London, this
Spring is:-
29th Jan    Swinging Down Memory Lane, which salutes the American songbook
26th Feb    George Webb and Friends featuring the 86 year old father of
British Jazz
26th March    Wild Bill Davison Remembered with young trumpet star Allen
Beechey
29th April An evening of Ragtime, Stride piano & silent movies with Keith
Nichols (yes Keith accompanies Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy silents and it is a
great act)
27th May This Joint is Jumpin' celebrating the centenary of Fats Waller.
A similar programme last Autumn attracted over 100 people to each concert at
a ticket price of £10. This generated enough money to pay the musicians a
viable fee, print, mailout and distribute a glossy dl folded colour
brochure, which itself  created an upmarket image of the venue, St John's
Arts Centre, an old church. It also created a profit which enabled me to
increase the print run of the spring brochure. Seating at St John's is in
the round, theatre style, there is no smoking and no bar (2 pubs are within
a minute's walk). Amplifcation is used for vocals and announcements only.
So if your patrons are bored with the standard 6 piece trad band belting out
Dixieland standards at full pelt why not try Randy's suggestion. There are
many jazz giants from the past on whom an entertaining and creative show can
be built around. Then do your publicity. My Harlow brochure is on my website
as a pdf file. have a look. www.traditional-jazz.com/images/harjazz04.pdf
Cheer sand happy new year to all


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