[Dixielandjazz] Speaking Generally

[Steve Barbone]

Tom Wiggins . . . tcashwigg at aol.com wrote (polite snip)

> Here I go speaking generically again,  Sorry about that.

In defense of his earlier statement below, which was challenged because it
did not cover all cases.

> Never split the money up equally, that will eventually break up any
> band.

If anyone ever comes up with a statement or opinion on the DJML that covers
all cases, please be sure and tell us. Damn, I miss Charlie Hooks at a time
like this and his insights on absolute truths versus mine on relativism. Of
course some bands will exist as cooperatives BUT.

Like Tom, I sometimes pay the band guys more than I make on gigs. By the
same token, sometimes I take an unusually large leader fee which then goes
into my band "slush" account. Why?

Because I pay them during the first set of every gig, regardless of whether
or not I've been paid yet, or will be paid at the time of the gig, and/or
whether or not I will ever be paid.

And because sometimes I donate the band (without telling them), and pay the
sidemen out of that account. And sometimes I hire a sideman from out of town
and pay him more than the other guys, because of travel expenses. Etc., etc.

And when we do a gig for promotional purposes, and it doesn't pay very much,
I make up the difference from that account because I will not ask the
sidemen to work for less money than my normal minimums, even though most
gigs pay them far more than that minimum.

They do not understand the concept of "average" where sometimes they make
$100 and sometimes they make $500. Therefore they should be happy to work
and occasional gig for $80. Nope, and so I make sure that those $80 gigs pay
at least $100 by using my fund. We're talking some club dates or some Jazz
Vespers, or some Assisted Living Facilities, or some Elementary School or
some Charity gigs here.

There are lots of reasons why bands might not split every gig pot evenly.
Especially with a working band such as mine. Or Tom's, or Duke Ellington's
when he kept his band working by making up the difference in gig pay and
total sideman pay from his record & composer royalties.

Had Ellington not subsidized his band nut with his royalty money, it would
have died like the rest of them. Imagine, not hearing what they played at
Newport circa 1956 because he decided to fold his tent due to lack of well
paying gigs prior to that date.

Like sometimes you eat the Bear and sometimes the Bear eats you.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone