[Dixielandjazz] Playing for the Wealthy

[Steve barbone]

on 9/18/04 5:41 AM, Patrick Cooke at patcooke at cox.net wrote:

> I remember playing for private parties where the audience was similar to
> what you mentioned.  Usually in a private home that was worth at least 5
> million or more.  The band was a very good band, all excellent players, and
> it was almost totally ignored by the guests.  It seemed there was an
> unwritten rule that anyone caught paying attention to the music would be
> asked to leave.  No one even gave us more than a passing glance.  I was
> beginning to feel like we were invisible (and inaudible).  I saw one woman
> engaged in conversation with a small group start to pat her foot for a
> couple of bars, but quickly caught herself and regained her composure.

Hi Pat & List mates:

Yes, of course. You are hired as "background music" at these parties. The
people are there to mix, not listen to the band. I'm sure, by now, you have
learned how to deal with that kind of secondary role.

HOWEVER, ON THE OTHER HAND

Barbone Street does quite a few of these each year. For du Ponts and others
who are members of the social register and among the richest 400 in the
country.

One such party (annually)  was at the Vicmead Hunt Club, for Bayard Sharp.
Very wealthy group. All members of the Biederman Golf Club, which only has
150 members and is a beautiful course, on expensive land, so you can imagine
what the golfing cost to that group is. Half of them are du Ponts

Great party. Total ignored the band for two hours through cocktails and
diner. Then, after dinner, suddenly everyone got up to dance. And for an
hour they danced, whooped and had a great time shouting to us "You got the
beat". Hmmmmmn.

Bayard Sharp? Super rich. Fine horseman, owned race horses. You may remember
one. Won a few races, made a few bucks about a decade ago. It was named
"Dixieland Band".

Moral: One never knows, do one?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Basically, the socially advantaged love Dixieland. They learned how to
dance to it. All of the "Society" bands have ersatz Dixieland sub units to
satisfy the demand for danceable Dixieland. We, on the other hand give them
the real thing which is why we get hired. Not a bad way to make a living.