[Dixielandjazz] Licensing songs for CD redux

[Elazar Brandt]

Shalom Jazz Fans,

I hate this topic. No, I detest it. But the time has come once again where I
have to deal with it, and it makes my blood boil.

My band recorded our first CD last summer, and made 500 of them. We are almost
sold out, and want to make another 1000. Last year when we produced the disk, we
were un a hurry to get it done before making a trip to Holland to do street
music. We tried to contact the local version of ASCAP. We got the form and faxed
it to them, dutifully listing all our songs, with the proper information *from
their database!* They never responded to us, nor would they return calls. So we
ran the first run without them, simply listing the composers and other info on
the jacket. We're not trying to sell in Blockbuster, or on Amazon.com, or even
on CD Baby. We just sell them at our gigs.

Now we're going through the same useless exercise, with the same non-response. I
can't stand it. I feel no obligation to chases these SOBs in order to put good
money in their pockets for nothing in return except the alleged right to record
the song for sale, which right they bought somewhere along the line. But my
partners are scared that they will lower the boom on us if we attract their
attention with any real success. And that is probably true, and the claim that
we tried to deal with them and they didn't respond probably doesn't stand in
court as a valid defense -- nor I suppose would the claim that they are all
crooks and they do more harm to the music industry than the pirates.

Incidentally, for your amusement, the organization here is called AKUM, which is
an acronym in Hebrew for Association of Composers and Musicians, or some such
thing. But the Hebrew word AKUM means "crooked", and in classical Hebrew it is
also an acronym for "idolaters". Truth can be stranger than fiction.

So far when we've managed to get any exposure on radio, I discretely ask that
they play the "Saints", the only track on the CD that is public domain, though I
imagine they will argue that they own that one too.

So what am I supposed to do? Go stuff about $1000 bucks under the door of their
office with a note? That's more than it will cost me to print the &^% things.

I do not approve of the Mafia-style stranglehold these idiots have on the music
industry, which is supposed to be a creative enterprise. I have colleagues here
with good bands who are afraid to produce a CD only because they don't want to
deal with these thugs. This results in a lot of good music not being played,
recorded or heard. And to me that's a much greater crime than recording jazz
without a license.

My 4500 shekels' worth (approx.).

Elazar
Doctor Jazz Dixieland Band
Tekiya Trumpet/Brass Ensemble
Jerusalem, Israel
<www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz>
Tel: +972-2-679-2537