[Dixielandjazz] Thinking Outside The Box

[Steve barbone]

Below are two examples of "thinking outside the box" methods of getting
music heard by the public. (both articles snipped for brevity)

Starbucks anyone?

Cheers,
Steve


NY TIMEDS Musical Shift at Starbucks
By JEFF LEEDS  April 5, 2005

Starbucks, which has shown that it can market music by established musicians
like Ray Charles as easily as it does Frappuccinos, now plans to test its
reach by selling the debut CD of a little-known rock band.

Starbucks is expected to announce today that its 4,400 shops in the United
States will begin selling "From the Ground Up," the first major-label
release by the all-female quintet Antigone Rising, on May 11. The album is a
live acoustic performance recorded specifically for Starbucks, which will be
its exclusive retailer for an indefinite period, according to Ken Lombard,
president of the company's entertainment unit.  .  .  .  .

Starbucks previously demonstrated its marketing strength in the sales of
Charles's duets album "Genius Loves Company," in which it was also a
financial partner. Sales at coffee shops account for roughly a quarter of
the more than 2.7 million copies the album has sold domestically.


April 5, 2005 MUSIC REVIEW - JOHN ZORN - By BEN RATLIFF

For Jazz Musicians and Fans, a (Tiny) Room of Their Own
By BEN RATLIFF 

The Stone, John Zorn's new performance space at Avenue C and Second Street
in the East Village, has no smoke and mirrors. The club, which opened Friday
night in a tiny ground-floor space that was once a Chinese restaurant, is
about 15 feet wide and 50 feet long. Rows of plastic chairs back up to the
front door, and in front of the musicians squares of foam rubber have been
arranged for cross-legged sitters. There is a basement and a restroom, and
that's it. 

As the club's creator, Mr. Zorn is working to turn the glory back onto the
musicians and the fans that support them. There are no drinks or merchandise
at the Stone, and the club is giving all the door proceeds to the musicians;
each month's six-nights-a-week programming will be booked by a single
musician (commitments have been made into 2007); and the operating costs
will be covered by Mr. Zorn's record-making on his own label, Tzadik. . . .

The place was packed for opening night, and the first set was eight rounds
of free improvisation involving musicians from Mr. Zorn's circle. It's the
kind of show Mr. Zorn has often put on - most recently at Tonic, which was,
before the Stone, the closest thing to his performing home base in New York.

There were eight people standing, and Mr. Zorn pretended that he would have
to play in the bathroom; he was almost serious.