[Dixielandjazz] Jazz appreciation

[Ivor Jones]

Well we haven't made it yet, and we know we have a lot to learn. Take 10 musicians, most of whom are young guys, all are pros, that is, all earn their living in music, but are mostly music teachers at music colleges, and what we call 'filarmonicas' here in Portugal, and know, or knew, nothing of jazz.  Just try getting them all together at once for a band rehearsal. We started playing together last year and after only five rehearsals played our first gig which was at a very progressive social centre set in an old museum in a small town in the Algarve. A very appreciative audience, about 60 folk turned up. We got $120 each. We have since played at the same venue four times. Last time was Sunday, the place was packed, in a hall that was licensed to hold 100 people, over 150 people were packed in, of all ages, teenagers to old folk.. and people were listening at the doors. Some travelled for 1 1/2 hours to hear us. We have repertoire of only 39 tunes, and had to play 36 of them. Oh I forgot to say, we play 'CARTOON' music from the 20's, you know, stuff like Shanghai Shuffle, Deep Henderson, Black and Tan Fantasy, Doing the Voom Voom, Wild Man Blues, to 'pop of the day' music, My Blue Heaven, Top Hat, White Tie, From Monday On, etc. We are currently negotiating for a series of concerts throughout Portugal, and residencies and events at local big hotels. We had a photoshoot on Sunday and are well into an advertising campaign. Our band comprises of musicians from 7 different nations from Moldavia to Brazil. We have got a booking for a 'Roaring Twenties' dress suit event next New Years Eve, and a couple of municipal Concert Hall gigs. Stagecraft has not been rehearsed at all, but on the menu, but we are told that we all appear to be 'having a ball', so it's a start. We are called OO-BOOP-I-DO. and unfortunately the brother of one of our trumpets players decided to video our very first appearance and put it on YouTube,  NOT GOOD. 

In closing I would say that we have always taken the view that you have to work hard on promotion and be professional. Our singer, before she came to Portugal, was a Marketing Executive, while I earned a living in my own company specialising in design and production of visual communication in Industrial Theatre, so I suppose we have a head start in promoting OO-BOOP-I-DO and our smaller sister band, the Good Time Jazz Band.

I've written the above to strengthen the view that Jazz appears to be thriving in Europe in spite of the crap we all get on radio and TV ... and boast a bit.

If anybody wants to know anything else about the band or a pic......not very likely, let me know. 8>))

All the best

Ivor

www.goodtimejazzband.com