[Dixielandjazz] Uniforms & Agents - Redux

[Patrick Cooke]

Uniforms are for identification...usually to identify the wearer as a
menial.  This notion was crystallized for me back when Nixon had some snooty
get together at the white house and had the band dressed up in some
ridiculous 'student prince' type costumes mainly so the guests wouldn't
mistake them for another guest.  They should have impeached him for that and
we would have avoided the Watergate debacle!

   Pat Cooke


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <TCASHWIGG at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Uniforms & Agents - Redux


> Hi Steve:
>
> I worked a few jobs for an agent like that,  how do you think I got all my
> uniforms, ha ha.
>
> Everytime this schmuck called he wanted something different,
>
> A gospel Show with GOLD Choir Robes for the band and twenty singers.
> I could not rent them so I made him buy them which I now own and use for
the
> Daint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band and the Pearly Gate Singers Show.
> Cost his client some big bucks for that day too.   It was actually a Big
> Funeral/Life Celebration affair for some wealthy guy that died in San
Francisco.
>
> Same agent booked us for a 4th July Parade and insisted we wear some Red
> White & Blues Uniforms,  Not a problem charged him $250.00 per man extra
and went
> out and bought them.   They have paid for themselves many times over and
have
> gotten us more Television coverage around the world than I can even keep
track
> of.
>
> I have another custom made set with Uncle Sam on the back in Red White &
Blue
> as well, we also do a Red White & Blues Festival show.
>
> We do however refuse to wear so called Dixieland attire of straw hats and
> striped vests, for much the same reason as you guys,  We don't want to be
> catagorized as one of THOSE old timey cheap bands from the pizza parlor.
>
> We also have Pierre Cardin Long Tailed Tuxedos in White, and Maroon which
we
> wear with White Baseball caps and Red & White or Blue and White Tennis
shows
> which I use for Really special occassions and Rich funerals,  I charge an
extra
> $100.00 per man for cleaning of them after every show.  They also are very
> colorful mixed or matched.   We also wear our own Custome made T or Polo
shirts
> in Red White or Blue with them, NO tie .
>
>
> I think this is what the Union used to call Grotesque costumes and made
the
> clients pay more to humiliate the musicians by asking them to wear them,
in
> stead of the regulation Blue or Black suit.   I know a few old timers who
are
> still wearing the same Blues suit forty years later to every gig, and some
of
> them have Never even been to the Cleaners.
>
> One old tuba player still wears his witht he mustard stains on the right
knee
> where he wiped his hands after eating a rather messy Hot dog at
intermission
> on a gig in 1968, :))
>
>
> Sounds like your Agent guy is listed in the Events Planner category of the
> yellow pages, or maybe the country fair agencies under circus acts.    I
just
> love those kind of sophisticated talent buyers.
>
>
> I do however like uniforms for bands, it sets them apart form the audience
> and actually gives them professional Class when folks can walk up to them
and
> talk after the shows and feel like they have met some special people and
> celebrities in show business.
>
> This can also be done without the uniforms but usually not until after
like
> Barbone Street Jazz Band has played around enough to establish a
reputation as
> great entertainers and musicians.   It works for you guys, and Willie
Nelson,
> but at the same time the Uniforms put my group on the International Map in
> 1990.  We like looking special and sounding special so we Dress for
Success.
>
> By the way the uniforms do not have to match nor even be the same thing,
just
> clothes that set the act out as something different and or special.   Now
I
> am sure Barbone Street  dresses fine but looks like a group of Doctors on
their
> day off playing a little music for the neighborhood Bar B Que Party.
> Nothing wrong with that either especially if the Bar B Que is for 10,000
people and
> sponsored by the City.  :)))
>
>
> Now on a serious note:   I supply all the uniforms and maintain them for
the
> band for several reasons besides the above mentioned ones.
>
> 1. It  saves a lot of excess baggage charges for the band,   They don't
have
> to bring three suitcases of clothes per man on tour.   I collect them all
> after every show and have them laundered and or cleaned.   We carry about
four
> different sets on tour and can mix & match most of them for a different
look
> every day or even every show.
>
> 2.  I have a predominately Black American Band, and Black American players
> like to look good and dress a bit on the Flashy side.  They actually like
> uniforms because it has proven to get them respect from some folks who
normally
> would not have any respect for them, but do respect the uniform as a
symbol of
> success.  I think we learned that from the Military training, ( you may
not like
> the man wearing it but you better salute the uniform) especially if it
shows
> higher rank than you have achieved.
>
> 3.   It has also broken down some pretty rigid racial barriers for us in
some
> places, from folks who are less tolerant of Black Folks in their
communities.
>
> 4.    It helps me keep track of my guys on the road in Train depots and
> airports and even at large festivals, where they are easier to find in a
crowd,
> when we are on the road we have to operate as a team and stick together
and look
> out for one another's back.
>
> 5.   Great for Television coverage and looks really good in Living Color
on
> the front page of the Newspapers and Entertainment magazines as well. not
to
> mention six feet tall posters all over a city when you arrive.   Instant
> recognition and a great attraction before you even play a note.    I can't
tell you
> how many times people have walked up to us and said "wow you guys look
great, I
> can't wait to hear you play".
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom Wiggins
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