[Dixielandjazz] The Dixieland or Jazz Look

Thu Apr 26 10:16:56 PDT 2007

Larry,

One of the reasons I use a vest is that it has a lot of open space- arm holes, open
neck - and loose fit. Consequently it is cooler and also helps hide the fact that
now at age 71, I've put on a few pounds and need to hide it as much as possible.

Russ [ shy about being overweight ] Guarino

"Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote:

> Russ that's what I said in an earlier post.  The customer is always right
> and I try to make sure that the guy that signs the check is happy.  I also
> said that they virtually always pick the vest and that look.  I think that
> the people that hire me want the flash and show.  I work a lot of Senior
> venues and I think they respond to bright colors.  My stands are flashy too.
> My thing about vests is that I don't overheat while playing and we can go
> either way more or less formal easily.  I just don't care for jackets and I
> don't think I look good in polo's.  That's personal taste and preference.  I
> would never say that other groups should follow my formula but it seems to
> work for me.
> Larry
> St. Louis
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Russ Guarino" <russg at redshift.com>
> To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 12:21 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] The Dixieland or Jazz Look
>
> > Why not ask the customer.  I usually do.
> >
> > Russ Guarino
> >
> > "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote:
> >
> >> What to wear is the question my wife asks a lot - is it formal or is it
> >> casual and if so how formal or how casual?
> >>
> >> Musicians need to ask the same question too.  Red suspenders and or fire
> >> hats might be out of place at a Junior League party where the diamonds
> >> and
> >> jewels are out in force or at the local country club unless the customer
> >> OK's it.
> >>
> >> Park concerts, picnics or the like would call for the red suspenders etc.
> >> and a jacket would be out of place.
> >>
> >> Most OKOM bands won't be doing many formal parties but if they do their
> >> outfits should be capable of being formal.  I have red, fairly expensive
> >> paisley vests and can wear a tux shirt, cummerbund, probably tux pants
> >> and
> >> bow tie.  We can always easily slip on the jacket if necessary.   If
> >> someone
> >> asks me to mix a drink I ask for a tip.  My advice is don't stand behind
> >> the
> >> bar if you think you look like a bar tender.   I feel that what we wear
> >> can
> >> go either way easily.
> >>
> >> Is this right for the college crew?  Probably not and Steve makes a valid
> >> point but It seems to me that with the instrumentation (Guitar, Electric
> >> Bass) that Steve has that his group is more of a crossover group that
> >> would
> >> appeal to the non OKOM buyer also.  It's a good business plan to be
> >> versatile.
> >>
> >> I guess it depends a lot on what your market is.  I could even see where
> >> this kind of band would wear sandals and shorts and a T.
> >>
> >> Last summer I worked most weekends with a guy that has pink T's with bone
> >> khaki pants and White Tennies.  It really looks gay.  Some lady drove by
> >> and
> >> hollered at us "You Look Gay".  Do you think its the outfit or that the
> >> band
> >> was all holding hands?
> >> Larry
> >> St. Louis
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
> >> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> >> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:40 PM
> >> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] The Dixieland or Jazz Look
> >>
> >> > David Dustin <postmaster at fountainsquareramblers.org> wrote (polite
> >> > snips)
> >> >
> >> >> I agree with Ted?s point, but the standard for professional dress
> >> >> depends
> >> >> on
> >> >> where you are in the world.  .  .  .  . snip to
> >> >
> >> >> If you want to score with audiences, most of whom are not jazz critics
> >> >> who
> >> >> fly around the world to attend the latest OKOM festival, you have to
> >> >> consider yourself an entertainer first and a musician second.  To do
> >> >> that,
> >> >> you have to adopt some sort of a band look, and yes, take a cue from
> >> >> some
> >> >> of
> >> >> those OKOM LP covers in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.  This is what your
> >> >> audience
> >> >> remembers and expects. Looking like Miles (in either early OR late
> >> >> manifestations) or Monk ain?t going to help sell your band to any
> >> >> normally
> >> >> distributed OKOM crowd (in the USA) these days outside the major urban
> >> >> areas.  The old folks who pay our fees want to see the snappy (or
> >> >> mismatched) socks, the bright vests or jackets, the loud suspenders
> >> >> (braces,
> >> >> to our listmates in the former British Commonwealth) sleeve garters,
> >> >> the
> >> >> straw boaters/skimmers or panama hats, derbys/bowlers, or maybe even
> >> >> the
> >> >> New
> >> >> Orleans classic style fireman?s hats worn in the early bands.
> >> >
> >> > I agree with Dave's points above.
> >> >
> >> > 1) Depends where you are
> >> >
> >> > 2) Depends on your audience.
> >> >
> >> > I would only add a perspective from the point of Barbone Street
> >> > Audiences.
> >> > We seek and find a broad audience of young people who were not around
> >> > in
> >> > the
> >> > 40s, 50s, or 60s. So they do not relate to straw hats, red striped
> >> > shirts/jackets, suspenders and the shtick that we normally associate
> >> > with
> >> > Jazz Society members and/or old folks memories.
> >> >
> >> > They were brought up on what went on in the musical scene after Elvis
> >> > and
> >> > The Beatles. They don't know a hell of a lot about Dixieland.
> >> >
> >> > Since we seek to bring a new audience into the OKOM orbit, we dress
> >> > like
> >> > we
> >> > normally dress walking around. Casual, different, current fashion,
> >> > relaxed
> >> > etc., etc., etc. And we play a brassy, loud, high energy style of
> >> > Dixieland
> >> > and/or Swing.
> >> >
> >> > At jazz society gigs, usually a couple of old folks come up and tell me
> >> > the
> >> > guitar is too loud. I politely listen and then ignore their suggestion.
> >> > Because the majority of the people there are quite happy with our
> >> > sound.
> >> >
> >> > Our band sound is different from the usual OKOM played these days. Yet
> >> > we
> >> > book several Jazz Society Concerts a year as well as grammar schools,
> >> > high
> >> > schools, colleges, swing dances, private parties, Society events,
> >> > public
> >> > park concerts, Modern Jazz Festivals, Gambling Casinos, Corporate
> >> > events
> >> > etc., etc., etc.
> >> >
> >> > Yesterday, we played the final three numbers at The Curtis Institute of
> >> > Music in celebration of Glenn Dodson monumental classical and jazz
> >> > contributions to the music world. We followed a couple of numbers by 13
> >> > of
> >> > the finest classical trombonists in the world. They were superb. We
> >> > dressed
> >> > for that audience in jackets and ties. We brought the house down,
> >> > playing
> >> > the third number as an encore because of the prolonged cheering and
> >> > applause
> >> > and an audience that would not let us leave after our scheduled two.
> >> >
> >> > When you have an audience like that, with educated musical ears, who
> >> > give
> >> > you that kind of reception, you can't help but feel you've brought a
> >> > few
> >> > more new people into the OKOM fold. Most of them were classical music
> >> > lovers
> >> > or classical musicians, except for a group of about 20 of Glenn's young
> >> > fans
> >> > from the Jazz and Swing world who came to say goodbye.
> >> >
> >> > Ask Doug Finke, leader of of Independence Hall. He was there. Or ask
> >> > list
> >> > mate Nancie Beaven. She saw us a few days earlier at a Tri State Jazz
> >> > Society Concert in New Jersey dressed in our usual casual clothes.
> >> > Nobody
> >> > really cared how we dressed. They cared about what we said to them and
> >> > how
> >> > we played. Same for the classical players on the Curtis program who
> >> > dressed
> >> > as individuals, dark suits, light suits, sport jackets, slacks and
> >> > shirt,
> >> > etc. The musicians looked exactly like the audience.
> >> >
> >> > Barbone Street shtick is not clothes. It is patter with the audience
> >> > and
> >> > making them feel comfortable with what we do. (and beads when
> >> > appropriate
> >> > which seems to infuriate some on the DJML who can't buy a gig)
> >> >
> >> > Point being, whatever works, works. Which goes right back to Dave's two
> >> > points above. Where you are, who your audience is. I would only add
> >> > that
> >> > who
> >> > YOU are is also part of the equation.
> >> >
> >> > Cheers,
> >> > Steve Barbone
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
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> >> >
> >>
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