[Dixielandjazz] Using Lap top Computers

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Tom Said --- 

I especially love the guy on stage with his Laptop, and I see events 
around the San Francisco area featuring such guys for parties and clubs.....
 
I have now embarked upon a new revolution for OKOM,  I shall hence 
> forth disband my band of merry music makers and piece together snippets 
> from every old DIXIELAND recording in history and put them on my laptop 
> and book myself out on the Trad. Jazz Society Circuit as the Hottest..... 

You're too late Tom.  I have been using a computer for a long time to fill in the rhythm section and each year I look at the figures.  I make more money with my computer than I do playing standard gigs.

What we do is sort of like a Karaoke for Horns.  For years I was at the mercy of rhythm players who almost never returned the favor of a gig.  This happened because they had their cronies or would hire guys that were better.  There has always been an excess of horn players at least here.

When the new technology came about I jumped on it.  It wasn't universally accepted by other horn players but money talks and they found out it wasn't half bad.  My biggest problem was finding guys that were good enough to play with the computer.  Computers aren't very forgiving.

Today I have about 600 or so tunes in my computer and can field most requests and  can do a big variety of shows.  Also the rhythms are correct and steady for the ball room crowd.  There are gigs that I had never ever done before.  I put together a Latin show and now I get Cinco De Mayo parties.

Do I like it?  Well I get tired of playing with a computer and would much rather play with a group but I have to keep the chops up and I like to make money.   I have larger groups but they don't work as often as I would like and I work for other people to fill in the dance card.

There is another factor in that I can play at any odd hour and musicians aren't always available.  I got a call as I was returning home from one gig.  The band didn't show up so I was able to beat feet to the second gig and do a single.  Oh, I also used another piece of new technology, the cell phone, to get the call.

Before everyone starts shaking their heads I would ask how many sax players can do a single?  I can and get paid very well for it thank you.  It has forced me to be a better entertainer.  Rather than just sitting on a stand and playing when someone points at me I now sing and talk to the crowd.  

Am I a particularly good singer?  Well no but no one seems to mind.  Interacting with people was something I almost never did before 15 years ago.  I didn't have to then, now I do.  I now think of myself as an entertainer who plays a horn.

I also can fit in places that a regular band can't fit into.  I play a country club and two private parties that only has room for a music stand and an amp.

I should turn down these gigs because.....?

If anyone wants to hear what it sounds like go to my new website www.thelarryshow.com or Google Larry Walton Entertainment.  The site is a work in progress.  Sorry, Tom And Steve, if the cloths aren't on the cool list.
Larry Walton
St. Louis