[Dixielandjazz] Joe Mooney

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/1/05 9:41:04 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> 
> The band opened in New York to universal praise and rave revues. A Decca
> contract was gained and fame and fortune seemed to beckon. Unfortunately
> outside of the big city it was almost impossible to find the sympathetic
> venues which were so necessary for their special sound and by 1948 it was
> all over.
> 

Just a thought in passing folks, but this same situation could be the problem 
with many of the OKOM groups on the list as well.  Although I shudder to call 
them Sympathetic Venues, sounds a bit Artsy to me and causes immediate 
indigestion and high blood pressure.


I would rather refer to them as Appropriate venues and if none can be found 
then go convince owner operators of others that they are an appropriate venue 
for OKOM and get in there and play some music and prove it.

Most of you guys sat back and let Swing, Be Bop and Rock n Roll and Pop and 
then DJ's squeeze you out of good working gigs, and rather than change your 
repertoire to include some of it and keep working you retired to oblivion and the 
occasional Jazz Society festival gig.

As Jazz Jerry just mentioned about his visit to New York City, you can find 
at least four or five places every night of the week with live OKOM.

The same thing could be happening in all other major cites and even regional 
areas if more guys would get out and hustle them up.  Like we keep saying, you 
have to go where the people are they are not coming looking for you.  Unless 
of course you just like being retired and like to play just to hear your own 
horn.  :))


Get out of the Box in the storage closet and go be creative, you have nothing 
to lose but time which you can't seem to sell anyway.  I would love to turn 
on my computer every morning and find a post about one of you guys stealing a 
gig from a DJ.

Now somebody get really Brave if indeed you have a really hot band, go bust 
your way into the top Rock club in your market, Go for a night with maximum 
exposure and talk the owner/manager into letting you open for the BIG STAR ROCK 
act.  Get up there and play the hottest stuff you have as well as you can and 
watch what happens with that young Rock crowd.  Trust me they will embrace GOOD 
MUSIC and especially this kind of music if you can get it in front of them.  
If they won't let you in go to the joint next door or up the street where all 
those rockers have to walk past you, if you are hot they will stop and they 
just might come back and sit down to hear you too or worse yet learn how to 
dance to your music.  :))

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins