[Dixielandjazz] New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Write-Up

[Steve barbone]

Hey Larry:

I use generic ibuprofen. :-) VBG.

Tell that leader he has no soul. We often go out into the crowd and play for
them. Always a great response. Same with singing sexy songs. I put a pretty
girl on my stool and sing "I Can't Get Started" to her (special lyrics etc)
or "How Come Ya Do Me" etc. The audience loves it and that is the name of
the game. A pox on the old fart bandleaders who don't get it.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone 

on 5/30/06 3:43 PM, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis at
larrys.bands at charter.net wrote:

> Yeah Steve - You are talking to me here - Standing for a 4 hour gig almost
> kills me.  I bring a stool and sit between tunes.  Flexing my back helps.  I
> too have my favorite shoes but they really look crappy with a tux.  I sit on
> my own gigs.
> 
> I played a gig yesterday with the Gary Dammer Big band which is a killer
> jazz group.  Brett Stamps (Music staff at Southern Ill Univ at Edwardsville)
> showed up in white tennies with his tux.  He took them off for the
> performance and got razzed every time the took a solo.  We were all going to
> take our shoes off but thought better of it.  That's the second T Bone
> player that has done this trick.
> 
> I have to pop a couple of Aleve before the gig to make it through.  I keep
> looking for lighter and lighter stuff to lug in.  I can tell the clock is
> ticking before I will have to hire someone to set up.  Just carrying in
> three horns is getting to be a trial.  I have a Yamaha Custom Bari Sax and
> just getting it in an out of the car is getting to be a drag.  I use a Rock
> & Roller for it and other stuff.
> 
> Speaking of the kids.  I played a gig a couple of months ago where I (to the
> displeasure of the band leader) walked out onto the dance floor and played
> 32 bars of a rip roarin' 50's type solo.  Before I finished they had formed
> a ring around me and were all clapping.  Six of them followed me out to my
> car after the gig and told me how much fun they had and that they liked what
> I had done and wanted to know where I played etc.  I told him before we
> should do stuff like that which met with he didn't want to do it.  I did it
> anyway but It didn't go over very well with him.  It's too bad.  He also
> doesn't approve of me bringing a stool.
> 
> I know he has bad knees and I'm sure that he will gradually come around to
> my way of thinking.  This is also the same guy that bugged me because I wore
> half frame glasses.  "Makes me look too old."  He also wanted me to dye my
> moustache for the same reason
> 
> There seems to be a theme here - clue - I am old.  He and I got into an
> argument once.  He told me my playing was sucky.  I told him that I knew I
> wasn't the best sax player in town but I was the best one who would work for
> him!
> 
> The kids, at least I call them kids, often ask if they can help me carry
> stuff.   I guess they haven't gotten the "musician's are hired help" concept
> yet.
> 
> Old isn't measured in years but in the state of mind.  I have a sign that I
> used to carry in my case.
> It read:
> Old age and Treachery can always overcome Youth and Skill.
> 
> Good luck - Aleve comes in 25 and 50 gig Bottles.