[Dixielandjazz] GRAMMY'S AUDIENCE SHARE - BAD NEWS

[Steve barbone]

Why is it bad news that the audience for the Grammy presentations may be
shrinking?

Simple.

Regardless of what we think about the musical quality of today, WE ARE NOT
THE AUDIENCE. We are either musicians, or fans of dead music. Our opinions
are not worth a hoot in hell, regarding what will, or what will not be
performed on television or radio or in concert.

That being said, it is bad news because the show was not CRAPPY enough to
attract more of the AUDIENCE. Did we all skip over the part of the article
that opined had Michael Jackson performed, another 20 million or so would
have tuned in? Why, to hear his music? Of course not. TO OOGLE THE FREAK.
That defines "CRAPPY".

Or, IMO, if Alicia K said she was going to have a bottomless performance on
the Killer Piano, that would have attracted another 20 million more.

The entertainment business is, and always was, driven by $$$$$$$. NOT MUSIC.
Why do News programs suck today? Because they have become entertainment, not
news and $$$$$$$ via audience share rule.

As that club owner told Artie Shaw 70 years ago after Shaw told him he was
getting the best band in the World. (Paraphrased because it's late and I
don't want to look up the exact quote) Look Shaw, I don't give a damn how
good your f***ing band is. I pay you to fill this place up. If the audience
wants to come in here to watch you take a s*** on stage, then I'll pay you
to drop your pants and do it. Whatever fills the joint.

Folks, nothing has changed in those 70 years. Except, perhaps, in our dotage
we are losing our naivete.

Now, some good news. BARBONE STREET (my band) just finished a performance
tonight for the Red Clay School District's "Festival of the Arts". This is a
Wilmington DE district with 4 middle schools and 3 high schools, plus the
Cab Calloway School For The Arts. (Wow, are they talented kids)

The Schools presented 10 Choral groups tonight in a 1200 seat auditorium.
They even did a little Bach, as arranged by Ward Swingle, and Vivaldi as
well as some contemporary pieces. MARVELOUS MUSIC, MARVELOUS PRESENTATIONS.

Our gig was 20 minutes of jazz prior to the start of the evening and then a
"palette cleanser" OKOM song between each performing group. We played 12 or
13 numbers over a 2 and 1/2 hour period. AND WE WERE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL with
an audience of about 1000, 25% black, age range from 11 to 81 (he bought a
CD, proudly telling me his age).

The kids danced, racially mixed, in the aisles. The parents clapped, tapped
their feet, and nodded their heads. The audience SCREAMED after each number.
Best audience reaction for us this year so far in a concert setting. It
energized us and we busted a gut for them. I regret we didn't record it.

Young High School Kids came up in droves and asked us to autograph the
programs. We spent our break times signing autographs and selling CDs.

School Districts like this one are TEACHING MUSIC AND MUSIC APPRECIATION.
BUT (all you band leaders) HOW MANY SCHOOLS HAVE YOU PLAYED THIS YEAR? Damn
few, I'll wager, because you are too busy bitching and moaning and not busy
enough getting gigs in schools. Who else out there besides Mike Vax and me
plays more than 12 gigs a year in schools, for the kids? MAN IF YOU AIN'T
PLAYING THERE, HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT YOUNG PEOPLE TO HEAR THE MUSIC?
     
BUT: We did all this with our more modern Dixieland. You know, the kind Mike
Vax talked about also in an earlier post. IT IS NOT YOUR FATHER'S DIXIELAND.
Most of you would probably hate it because it isn't the rookie dookie 70
year old pop music that passes for OKOM Jazz these days. It is REAL JAZZ. Of
this moment, not pseudo jazz copying those who went before.

But guess what? It lives, it attracts audiences and the rest of you will be
batting your heads against the wall, downing music, downing kids, downing
your own misfortune because you have forgotten, or maybe never knew how to
be relevant. SOUR GRAPES? Hell, you'll probably be downing me and my music
even though you've never heard it.

Like Mike said, the musos who played jazz 70 to 100 years ago were pioneers.
What we hear on record today is a 70 year old moment in time. That moment is
gone, and will never exist as pioneering jazz again.

Unlike Mike, who misses the OKOM festivals I am happy that Barbone Street
does not depend on the OKOM Festival circuit for a living. That circuit (at
least in the USA) is dying a lingering death. The average audience age is
dead and the music is dead, except for a very few excellent bands of
"professional" (read competent) jazz musicians. And that, of course, is bad
news for you attendees, because to survive, those festivals will have to
offer more up to date music. Tough noogies. So spend the day listening to
Draga Vax, instead of one set and then moving on to hear some oafish band
because your cousin plays in it.

What else can I say except, that OKOM as you knew it, or think you know it,
AIN'T COMING BACK. GET OVER IT.

Move on and make the music sing. If you make the music relevant to your
audience, they will dig it, just like the kids did a few hours ago. BUT
DAMMIT, YOU FIRST YOU HAVE TO GET OFF YOUR COLLECTIVES ASSES AND INTO THE
SCHOOLS AND OTHER VENUES WHERE THE KIDS ARE.

Like this Sunday, we are in concert at the Pennsylvania Jazz Society, with a
9 year old violinist added, plus an invite to area high school jazz wannabes
to come and sit in with us old farts. HOW MANY OF YOU DO THAT? Musicians
and/or Jazz Societies? Try it, and if that doesn't work, try something else.
What could be simpler?

Damn, so many ways to get to the audience and so little time. And such
little enthusiasm from other OKOM bands about getting pro active. I guess
Alzheimer's has already set in and we've forgotten that it was the advance
men that drew the initial audiences to jazz. PITY

Cheers,
Steve Barbone 
Barbone Street Jazz Band
http://www.barbonestreet.com