[Dixielandjazz] Re: Band stage set up

[Russ Guarino]

My Two Cents worth.

As the band leader [ clarinet ], I like to position myself on the far right [ my
right ]  of the front line.  I place the banjo on the far left of the front line
because he needs to keep his fret board clear of players. I have him face "in" if
he is acoustic or turn his amp toward the front line  if he is hooked up to power.
The cornet and T-bone are in the middle.  the rhythm;  bass, drums and keyboard [
if a keyboard is used ], are behind us.

I like to be on the right because I can signal everybody without having to twist
from side to side.

In this configuration, I like the front line to be in a concave position so I can
see everybody.  So often, the the two center players gradually move forward [
especially if we have mics directly in front of the band ] and we become a convex
band in which I cannot see beyond the guy next to me on my left. So, sometimes it
becomes an effort to keep everybody in position   Thus, for me, front four in a
concave set up, rhythm behind.. We pretty much can all hear each other all the
time.

Every now and then I play in someone else's band in which they  set up
helter-sckelter and there is a hearing problem. I quietly move around until I am
close to the piano or the guitar or the banjo.  For me, hearing the chords is my
number one priority.

Russ Guarino

Stephen Barbone wrote:

> No, we prefer it that way. When I say "biggest" problem, in relative terms that
> problem is very minimal. Like if I said Bill Gate's biggest problem was not
> having enough money. That could be true, but in relative terms, not a "big"
> problem at all.
>
> Guitar and Bass have been gigging together for 40 years so they know what the
> other is doing all the time. Bass plays tonic, never a wrong note. In some
> Dixieland tunes guitar may not know a chord or too if we are doing it the first
> time. (we do not rehearse). By listening to the bass tonic, he automatically
> goes to a chord that fits.
>
> If the guitar complains "I can't hear the bass", it is usually because the bass
> amp is positioned so that the bass is in a direct line between amp and guitar
> player. Sometimes bass man forgets to make sure there is a clear path from amp
> to guitar.
>
> The "problem" is minuscule, occurs very infrequently and is corrected on the
> gig.
>
> But I have to do it because guitar and bass, being together for 40 years,
> sometime get touchy with each other. :-) VBG They ride to gigs together, have
> known each other since childhood in South Philadelphia along with Frankie
> Avalon, Mario Lanza and all the other Italians. It is really a lot of fun to
> see the interplay between them.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>
> Patrick Cooke wrote:
>
> > Steve said:
> > >Guitar not hearing bass is the biggest problem
> > >we have.
> >
> >     I can believe that...you have the drummer right between them.  Easy
> > problem to solve, or is someone telling you "it looks better that way"?
>
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