[Dixielandjazz] Folks who spend money to hear jazz

[Steve barbone]

on 4/9/06 5:22 PM, Richard Stevens at richard at thejazzfactory.net wrote:

> Hi Steve,
> I have been talking to some of our younger jazz musicians in Australia about
> the age issue. Many have expressed their concern about always playing for an
> "old folks" audience. I have been telling them to find the old "rich" folks!
> Our Jazz club car park with a full house last Saturday was full of high end
> motor vehicles and the "Budget Bar" took almost $2,500. The music was not to
> shabby either with jazz legend Bob Barnard on trumpet and 20 something Y.O.
> Jason Downes on reeds. A lot of "old folks" spent the extra to be bussed to
> the show so they could have a good night without the drink- drive concern.

Hi Richard:

Man, you nailed it shut. Here in the USA there are also lots old folks who
have money and will spend it to hear good music. I think many of us do not
seek out the "rich" old folks and thus defeated before we even start.

I find here in Philadelphia/Wilmington (Pennsylvania & Delaware) a large
group of older folks like that. They spend, they like Dixieland, and they
come to dance and see us perform in various upscale venues, as well as hire
us for private parties. Few of them attend OKOM Festivals or belong to Jazz
Societies and they are therefore a totally different/untapped audience as
far as some other US Dixieland bands are concerned.

Lucky? Well maybe, but we've been seeking out the rich older crowd as well
as the upwardly mobile younger crowd for the past 10 years. Took a while, to
figure it out, but now we have the best of both worlds.

Perhaps it is a matter of aiming high, and at the right targets? Want to
marry a millionaire? Want to play for rich folks? Well then, hang out where
they hang out, simple as that because they sure as hell don't hang out where
most Dixieland Bands play these days.

Cheers,
Steve