[Dixielandjazz] Where is the music going?

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Hey Tom if you want to feel really old just go to your favorite (no such
thing) drum / guitar shop and look at the bulletin board.  Read the notices
or help wanteds.  I defy you to tell me what they are talking about.  In the
old days they read something like this.  At Liberty - sax/clarinet/flute
player, read, fake, Latin, jazz, big band lead.  You will not see any of the
words that I just used ever.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <TCASHWIGG at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Where is the music going?


> Well, guys and Gals:
>
> This is indeed a very good question: Where is it Going??
>
> I say it is going where ever we decide to take it, and the decision is
> entirely ours and should not be left up to anyone else.
>
> Why?  Because the idiots in charge of hiring it and presenting it don't
know
> their asses from a hole in the ground.
>
> I just came back from a So called Smooth Jazz Concert at a local Shopping
> Mall presented by a major radio Station here in the San Francisco Bay Area
> purporting to be "THE SMOOTH JAZZ STATION" of the market.
>
> The headline act was an old friend of mine from the sixties, who I found
> strange to be playing a Smooth Jazz Show.  He did not play Smooth jazz at
all but
> old rock songs from groups like Blue Cheer, Cream and Iron Butterfly, and
the
> dumb ass from the radio station was standing beside me getting his groove
on
> even if he was clapping off the beat, ha ha.
>
> This clown would not know a jazz chord if it bit him in the ass, but he
sold
> the bill of goods to the dumb twit shopping mall director who knows even
less
> than he does about music of any kind and she was there trying to impress
all
> her family and friends that she invited and introducing them to her famous
> Radio Station friend and jumping up and down to get an autograph from the
artist.
>
> I could be wrong but I don't think Inna Goda Davida and Sunshine of your
Love
>  played at half volume from the original versions are Smooth Jazz Hits.
My
> friend whom I booked many a Rock show for back in the sixties was laughing
all
> the way to the bank, and said if they want to call it Smooth Jazz it's OK
with
> me I got a fat check and did my gig.
>
> A short discussion with him and his current manager who used to work for
me
> when we sold real music shows enjoyed a beer and lamented about how it
used to
> be when we were in the music business and what a drag it is now to have to
be
> in the advertising business to get a gig.
>
> Worse yet was that the audience who came there expecting to hear Smooth
Jazz
> did not know the difference either and gave the group a standing ovation,
and
> that was not for elevator music I assure you.
>
> So I guess the moral of the story is just book the gig and tell them it is
> whatever they think they want it to be and then show up and play OKOM, if
it is
> good the audience will love it and henceforth call it Smooth Jazz.
>
> Tonight's show was good for what it was, but sort of like serving doggie
poop
> on graham crackers rather than the promised peanut butter.
>
> Damned I feel old, been out to a concert and to dinner and got back home
> before 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, holy crud I must be a Senior
Citizen.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom Wiggins
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