[Dixielandjazz] The Audience - Was Front Line Only

[Steve Barbone]

Loved Bill Haesler and Tom Woods comments about hating horns only. Don't 
agree with them but then so what? They are still great mates who excel 
at what they do.

For Bill, send me your address and I'll mail you a CD that includes a 
VERY EFFECTIVE and well done 2 horn only chorus. (Cornet & Fluegelhorn) 
on Sweet Georgia Brown.

The discussion points out that all of us have likes and dislikes, and 
ALL are valid. The tricky part is for the band or band leader to realize 
that and not accede to the "personal" likes/dislikes in the audience, 
but satisfy the audience as a whole, while perhaps ticking off a few 
individuals.

I have some pet peeves of my own:

1) The self important musicians in the audience who request esoteric, 
little known tunes to "stump the band". They seem to be out to flaunt 
their musical "knowledge" rather than add to the performance. Hey folks, 
get your own gigs and play those songs.

2) Bands that don't play requests of any sort.

3) Musicians that wear a look of "I wish I were somewhere else" while on 
the stand.

4) Overly arranged Dixieland that lacks balls.

5) Bands proclaiming that the warmed over dance music of the 20s and 30s 
was real "jazz" and so repeat it ad nauseaum while waxing eloquently 
about Armand J. Piron.

6) Bands that insist upon dredging up "obscure" tunes that don't swing. 
Guess why they are obscure in the first place.

7) Folks that have a neat compartment, with boundaries and rules, for 
jazz and insist that theirs is the only true path and that others must 
follow it or be left out of jazz heaven.

8) Etc. ;-) VBG

Cheers,
Steve Barbone