[Dixielandjazz] Working in Multiple Bands

[Steve Barbone]

"Larry Walton: <larrys.bands at charter.net> wrote (polite snip)

> What's wrong with several wives?

Nothing if you ask the man who enjoys several. :-) VBG.

About working in multiple bands, just about all jazz musicians, except those
working in VERY SUCCESSFUL (Like Cullum in OKOM) bands during their lives
had to work in multiple bands because they couldn't make even a semblance of
a living any other way.

Most working musicians today probably free lance and work with multiple
bands in multiple music genres. Who else, besides the top layer, Symphony &
otherwise, can play in a single group that generates a living wage?

Loyalty? Pretty straightforward in the Philadelphia area. You give your
loyalty to the band leader who pays you the most money over a year's time.
Other less monetarily successful leaders understand when a sideman cancels a
gig and sends in a sub, because the "regular" band got a gig.

And the loyalty runs both ways. If a sideman committed to a gig with his
regular band suddenly gets an offer for an unusually high paying gig, then
the band leader to whom he has been loyal, usually gives him permission to
take that high payer.

Barbone Street competes with two other bands for the services of several of
our musicians. Since I am the primary income source for these musicians, I
retain their performance loyalty. My job? To promote gigs so that Barbone
Street stays in that position.

It is a different world out there with the guys who make their living solely
by performing music.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone