[Dixielandjazz] The Worm Turns - selling oinstant CDs.

[Stephen Barbone]

MARKETING 101

1) IMPULSE buying, as Tom Wiggins said, is the key. You will sell more
"on the spot", to hyped up concert goers than you will several days or
weeks later after cognitive dissonance sets in.

2) What is the PRODUCT? At these concerts, the product is NOT MUSIC, it
is the "TOTAL EXPERIENCE" Therefore, a clam here, or an imperfect ending
there doesn't amount to a hill of beans. And the attendee may damn well
want that 3 minute applause because during it, he/she was PARTICIPATING
in it, or copping a feel, or who knows what. It triggers the memories of
what was "happening". E,G. All that background noise at Newport in 56
when Ellington ignited the crowd, and that blonde got up to dance,
during Paul Gonsalves 27 chorus solo (plus or minus), on Diminuendo and
Crescendo in Blue was a part of the experience. If it were not there
(interfering with hearing the music of the solo) the attendee loses a
good part of the total experience. Those of us who were there almost 50
years ago will never forget the experience. And will never tire of
reliving it by listening to that imperfect recording.

Maybe we are too hung up on perfection?  Heck, if the musical
performance is mediocre to begin with, it ain't worth trying to perfect
it. On the other hand, if the concert experience was a gas, leave it
alone.

If we want perfect music, then we should all quit playing and have the
computer geeks manufacture it. They can do it better than we can and
totally without errors, clams, etc. In any band format the audience
desires .

Cheers,
Steve Barbone