[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Funerals

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Is there anyone out there who does Dixie funerals?

I have been thinking about it for some time and did at one time talk to a funeral director that was interested and played one for a guy I knew. I have also done solo sax w/o accompaniment at a couple of funerals which was received really well.   I can put together a band at almost anytime.

The one I did for the friend was sort of a rink dink affair organized by another band leader (who has the worst OKOM band in St. Louis).  We stood around the coffin and played a couple of tunes until the funeral director panicked because the sound was going into other rooms.  The tuba player was a little rude to the director.  Obviously it wasn't cleared with the director first.  I really didn't think the tunes were all that appropriate and ended up with the guy in a snit and a minor scene.  Obviously I don't want to go in this direction and I'm sure that funeral home won't be real receptive to having a band or recommending one after that.

How big a band do you use?

How do you do them generally?  what is the structure?  example: At the service play several tunes before the service, a hymn or inspirational tune during and at the end play 4 or 5 tunes.  Taps?

Appropriate Tunes?

Price structure? Night vs. day? What will the traffic bear in your area?  What's the average gig pay?

Do you do wakes or graveside or both?  Are there different prices?  How long does it take to do a service and then go to the graveside?  Are we looking at two or three hours?

Advertising?  Direct to funeral directors or in the Obit page of the papers? Both?

At present there is no one here in St. Louis doing  Dixie funerals.  I thought that advertising in the obit pages might bring in other business because older people who tend to hire this kind of music read the obits to see if they are still alive.  They do not read other kinds of advertising or look in the yellow pages for bands.   The down side is that this could get to be expensive.

The other problem that I have is that St. Louis does not have a tradition of bands at funerals like New Orleans and some other cities.  This might take awhile to catch on.

Any advice would be helpful
Thanks
Larry Walton
St. Louis