[Dixielandjazz] Performing in Multiple Groups

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

While I understand that you probably get more work that way Bruce, it 
is akin to having several wives, :))

Would it not be a lot easier to just have one group and book it all the 
time ?  when guys run all over the area playing with different groups, 
they face the reality of not getting enough gigs for their own band and 
often disloyalty form it's members who then see you doing it and follow 
suit, this also does little for the image of the name of any of the 
groups and simply turns most of them into a jam session of who ever can 
show up today.   Yes I know lots of guys do it that way and have done 
so for many many years, but that does not make it proper, and is no 
doubt why there is a shortage of any Superstar OKOM acts in the market 
place.   Ya'll have all become ALL-STARS  amongst yourselves however 
the General Public has no clue who you are because the acts rarely 
promote or publicize themselves and or the events they play for.   The 
media is also often reluctant to get behind the name of a group that 
shows up with different personnel every time and simply treat you with 
little or no respect as performers.

It is a common practice in all genres of music for many people forming 
a band to surround themselves with players who are not a threat to 
their musicianship and who will work for less money so the leader can 
be the Star and make more money doing so.   Other groups operate under 
a different premise however and simply think that all things in the 
band are equal and split up the money earned that way but leaving the 
leader to pay for all the phone calls, do all the booking, print 
flyers, pass em out, mail em out and a ton of other things that they 
have to do to make a real business out of it and book the band.   This 
is also wrong,  and leads to groups breaking up more and more and 
forming five or six more dong the same thing over and over again,  in 
all genres of music.

Just some passing thoughts to ponder.  These methods of running a band 
work in varying degrees for different bands and the leaders of course 
but we have learned on this great list that not all ideas work for all 
bands and their particular situation you have to look at each situation 
carefully and make the best of it in todays market if you wish to stay 
in one genre of music alone, in particular, every okom musician with an 
instrument is your competition for every gig and with all of them 
hustling for gigs it is no wonder it is difficult to play in only one 
band.   Especially when each memebr wants to be the leader and go out 
and book their own gigs and be the Star. :))

Cheers,

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Stangeland <stangeland at earthlink.net>
To: Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 23:24:53 -0700
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Performing in Multiple Groups

   Mart,

I am a fairly new member of DJML.
At the moment, I perform with 7 musical groups in the San Francisco Bay
Area:

Jubilee Jazz Band - banjo/ guitar
Joyful Noise Jazz Band - banjo
Gateswingers - banjo / guitar
Sir Francis Drake Irregulars - banjo
Dana Street Jazz Trio - leader / banjo / guitar
Old Folkies / New Life Band - banjo
Gospel Choir - bass/baritone

Note that I only try to lead one group, the trio. For the rest of the
groups, I depend on the leader to get us gigs.

Cheers,
Bruce Stangeland
Berkeley banjoist

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