[Dixielandjazz] Jazz & Classical

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Tom said:
If the Symphonies would all start presenting some Blues they would quickly 
sell out all those empty seats that they can't seem to give away.   Just like 
the major Jazz Festivals do when they hire Big Name Blues Acts on their 
Festivals to sell the tickets.

Oh really - don't know what your guys sound like but our symphony guys don't swing.  When they try to do something like that its like a grand opera star trying to sing pop.  It just doesn't make it.  It just sounds wooden.  On the other hand guys that swing just make rotten classical musicians most of the time.

And before everyone jumps on me I know there are exceptions.  A true miracle is the guy that can do both.

However I agree with the premise that if they loosened up a bit not only might they learn to swing and improvise but the audiences would love it.  I took in a concert at $100 per seat to a capacity audience by Andre Rieu and his Vienna orchestra.  What a performance.  With light classic Music, some jazz, lights, good looking women in colorful dresses and a little humor this guy is something else.    By the way he did 14 encores that lasted about 45 minutes with the audience standing and cheering the whole time.  They would have gone on all night.  A little show biz goes a long way.  It was the best $200 I ever spent.  They sold out of their DVD's and gave everyone there a CD. (estimated 2000 seats times $100 = $200,000 and that isn't chump change).  I don't know how many DVD's they sold but there was a line.  I got the last one.  Also they played dead on in tune and that's something of a rarity.

This was in St. Louis Missouri and let me tell you they just don't support music here but they went nuts for this guy.

If the symphonies would lighten up they would lose their major snob appeal both as musicians and to some of their supporters so I don't think it would happen.  Right now the Symphony here is in deep (as usual) doo doo financially.

I just don't know why they don't take a lesson from the Boston Pops or Andre Rieu.  They seem to do well with their audiences as well as financially..
Larry