[Dixielandjazz] Re: Band leaders, put your local DJ out of work

[Jrtnft at aol.com]

Stephen Barbone wrote:

<<Why not become the DJ?

Barbone Street gets asked do a lot of weddings for young people who hear
us at our various general audience gigs. They want our music, but they
also want to have their young friend's music too>>

Back in 1973, before the days of the "DJ", a Minneapolis band, The Riverboat 
Ramblers, solved the problem their own way. 

At my daughter's wedding, Bob Gilbertson, the leader, started things off by 
saying something like "Don't let these striped vests fool ya; we'll play a 
couple R&R tunes for the young folks, a couple big band tunes for the old folks 
and a dixieland tune for Jack, and keep things going like that."

Well, all my daughters friends said they had never had so much fun at a 
wedding reception; same for all my and my parents friends.

What a group! But their regular gig was in a club in Mpls. where they played 
alternating dixieland/other sets. The "other" ranged from "Hair" to Beatles to 
Irish at St. Pats Day, etc.so they had all that "other" stuff down pat and 
used it effectively at weddings.

Jack Thomas