[Dixielandjazz] Bored at the festival??

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Good points Pat:

Even after many many years some bands still never get to a PROFESSIONAL 
MUSICIAN level, no matter how good they play their instrument, and 
unfortunately sometimes as you so accurately stated neither do the 
STARS,  who came from similar bands and apparently never learned about 
stage presence and how to entertain an audience and keep their 
attention focused.

Yes it takes all kinds of musicians and players to make a festival, but 
they should be artistically presented in the proper circumstances of 
the caliber and professionalism of their acts, and that is not the job 
of the bands but of the Festival artistic director who should know the 
difference and make those hard decisions about the integrity of the 
event and keep an eye on the big picture for future success of the 
festival.   Not all acts will please all in attendance, nor will every 
ticket buyer go to see or hear every act at the festival.   Many will 
only go see the same ones year after year and do not really care about 
expanding their musical tastes and horizons beyond that circle.   There 
is and should be a place for them to do exactly that, and they should 
not have to go too far to enjoy their particular kind of TRAD. Blues, 
Zydeco or what ever they come to hear.    That is why I favor 
designated venues for designated types of music in a multi music genre 
event,  Then those that don't want to participate in the variety do not 
have to they can see just what and who they want in the one venue that 
is most comfortable for them.   The whole idea of a festival is to 
present a variety of styles and activities to combine a wider based 
musical audience in the same event for the overall outcome of financial 
success, a series of mini concerts if you will spread around in various 
situations hopefully in such an artistic way that the style of the act 
and or artists is best showcased to their audience.

That way those that like to be bored ( or in their way of  thinking 
perhaps low keyed or intimate setting) as opposed to the higher energy 
entertaining acts that get an audience on their feet dancing and 
hollering for more and having more fun than some folks wish to have.

You can please all of the people sometime but you have a hard time 
pleasing all the people all the time. :))

Just my .02 worth.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: patcooke77 at yahoo.com
To: billsharp <sharp-b at clearwire.net>; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 03:45:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bored at the festival??

    Bill, the "problems" you mention about the Sacto jubilee, are band 
problems more
than jubilee problems.  An almost univesal fault (at any festival) is 
the
attitudes of the bands.  When you are on stage with everyone sitting 
(or
standing) there staring at you, it's a little different from a gig 
where they
are eating, or dancing, ot otherwise occupied.  You can't spend time 
between
tunes discussing what you're going to play next.  Make a list of tunes 
and keys
before you get on the stand, and stick to it.  If there's any talking 
on the
mike do be done, know what you're going to say, say it quickly, and get 
on with
the music.  And it's a good idea to keep the rhythm section vampng 
through the
talking in the key and tempo of the next tune.  The blank stares may 
turn into
smiles if you do it right.  And don't talk to each other while someone 
is
soloing....keep the audience's attention on the soloists.  If you talk 
during
somene else's solo, it looks like you too, are bored.
  Talking during someone's solo is also impolite......ask any bass 
player.
        The "stars" are necessary.....they're the reason I go to 
festivals.  When
I read a festival ad, I look at the soloists' names first.  A few 
bands' names
will grab my attention, like Bill Allred and a few others, but it's the 
big
stars that make me put up my money and make reservations.  The big 
stars are
even more guilty of talking between tunes.  They too should take a few 
minutes
to make a list before getting on the stand.  The audience will wait 
patiently
for you to get on the stand, but they get bored quickly if you're up 
there and
not playing.

     Pat Cooke