[Dixielandjazz] SF Jazz Collective/Nicolas Payton

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Right on Mike:

You said it perfectly, The Entire S.F. Jazz scene is controlled by Mr. Klein 
who has always ignored any and all San Francisco Jazz players and groups.  
Todd Barkan who used to live here and booked the Keystone Korner, finally moved 
back to New York after they killed off the Jazz scene in San Francisco back in 
the 70, s.

Many of the great S.F. Bay Area Jazz players fled here because the place to 
work dried up and they migrated to New York looking to make it big time. 

I find it very funny that when I run into many of these guys in Europe at 
Festivals they all hand me a card and tell me how much they want to play San 
Francisco and to get booked out of New York because they are not making any money 
there because the costs of living just eats up the money from every gig as 
fast as they can hustle one and the competition is fierce for the decent gigs 
there as well.

The San Francisco Bay Area has been a fantastic breeding ground for many 
musicians and entertainers for many years but does not get the respect and 
recognition it has long been due.

This so called Jazz Collective is indeed a sham, and although it has great 
players, calling it S.F. is a far stretch as not one of those guys could live 
here and make a living at that level without the grants, and the Randall Klein 
control.  

I would venture that the same Politics as Lincoln Center operations are at 
play in this situation.

I played in San Sebastian Spain at a Jazz Festival a few years ago with both 
Joshua Redman and Nicholas Payton and they were both playing OKOM at that 
time.

I have said it before and I will say it again, the WRONG FOLKS are in charge 
of the Festivals and Events in the Jazz World for the most part, and they 
maintain the attitude of presenting who and what they personally like and want and 
the public can just be damned.

They no longer Promote Jazz Music, they simply collect Grants and sponsor 
money from folks who don't know any better and PRESENT the names, and yes the 
yuppies and local folks show up to see and be seen and have little or no clue 
about the music or the artist and really don't care.

ON the other hand yesterday at the S.F. Easter Parade we had lots of folks 
coming up to the band and asking us who we were and how to get in touch with us 
for future events, I have already had calls this morning for six more gigs for 
this year as a direct result of yesterdays performance which was cut short by 
the Rain.  The people were starting to get into the music when the rain hit 
and I am certain we would have booked even more gigs if we had not had to stop.

By the Way  Saint Gabriel's Was the ONLY BAND and live music hired for this 
event, so we have now opened up the door once again for gigs where they did not 
exist before.

The People are ready for this music but it is up to us to be creative and 
find ways to take it to them the folks in charge of the festivals are simply not 
capable or going to do it.

It is time for the REVOLUTION,  VIVA la REAL JAZZ!!!

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band