[Dixielandjazz] Free stuff was The State of Traditional Jazz in the UK

Sun Apr 29 09:39:20 PDT 2007

Expecting free anything as Tom and others point out has become a thing of 
the past.  When I stated playing there was always buffet style serving lines 
and musicians were always invited to eat.  Today with dinners costing 
$20-$60 so it's a major expense for the client.  Many times there just isn't 
enough room to seat the band.

If there is no provision to sit down and eat, such as a band table set for 
dinner, then you aren't invited.  A cash bar speaks for its self.

Drinking on the job is a poor idea for any professional.  Personally I don't 
use alcohol and I have no objection to those who do but drinking beyond a 
beer or two on the job is a really poor idea.

On the other hand, jobs that go much more than three hours might very well 
need a lunch break.  Personally I am diabetic and have to eat or risk a 
crash so I always bring something.  My comments about paying for drinks only 
extended to paying for drinking water.

The band eating is another problem in that it's almost impossible to get 
food, find a place and eat in 15 minutes.  Eating leads to excessive break 
length which gives bands a bad name.  Many clients provide a break room with 
snacks and soft drinks which fixes the problem for everyone.  The MAC 
(Missouri Athletic Club) is one of the more posh places in St. Louis and 
they almost always have a break area for bands.

Another time honored tradition, at least around here, is virtually gone and 
that is bringing the wife to affairs.  In the 50's and 60's wives were 
encouraged to come to the weddings.  If you have a 10 pc band and they bring 
wives and girl friends the food and bar bill can get to be sizeable.  I 
think it's the best thing to leave them at home but I suppose everyone has a 
take on this.

Bringing the wife may have been the result of the huge number of Italian 
weddings here.  They almost always had huge amounts of food and it was a 
given that the bands ate too.  Everyone sort of joined into the party and a 
few dozen extra made no difference to anyone.    One big happy family.

I played at the St. Louis Club last month and they had trays of Cigars 
sitting just outside the main ballroom.  The hired help including the band 
were helping themselves to as many as they could stuff in their pockets.  I 
don't know how much they cost but I do know that cigars can get to be really 
expensive really fast and these weren't the two for a quarter variety. 
Attila the Hun had nothing on these guys.  The only saving grace was the 
band, unlike the waiters, waited until the people had gone before pouncing.

Musicians have a problem deciding if they are hired help or guests.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 1:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] The State of Traditional Jazz in the UK

> In the USA  musicians who NEED or want free booze  should simply get a day 
> gig with an Alcoholic beverage company, they generally give ALL their 
> employees a free case of whatever they sell a month.   Even if they are 
> not musicians, I hear lots of stories about their next door neighbor 
> musicians always coming over to drink up or help them drink up all that 
> excess free booze.
>
> YA SEE THAT REPUTATION ABOUT MUSICIANS BEING DRUNKS OR DRUG ADDICTS IS NOT 
> ALL FAIRY TALES MANY OF THEM HAVE EARNED THAT REPUTATION.  And many of 
> them still give a bad name to those of us who outgrew it years ago :))
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom  who ain't no party pooper  but does have respect for the client and 
> the outcome of the gig and chooses to celebrate after the gig when I have 
> the money in my hand and a satisfied client who will hire me and my motley 
> crew again to provide the Party for them and not be the party. :))
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jazzjerry at btinternet.com
> To: Tcashwigg at aol.com
> Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Sent: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] The State of Traditional Jazz in the UK
>
>   Hi All,
>
> A free booze story from another perspective. A few
> years ago I booked a group (jazz but not traditional)
> to perform and when they arrived at the gig I was busy
> getting things organised so just told the bar staff to
> get the musicians what they wanted and I would pay.
>
> When I went to pay the tab was a lot higher than would
> be expected for four drinks and on querying it was
> told that one player had decided to have the most
> expensive cocktail he could order and 'make it a
> double'.
> He was also heard to joke to one of the others how
> clever he had been in pulling one over on me. Needless
> to say I did not even think of booking that group
> again and I warned anyone I could about the habits of
> this particular musicians!
>
> Incidently on the matter of musicians expenses etc.
> for jazz weekends in the UK all the performers at the
> Norwich Jazz Party next weekend will be receiving half
> board accommodation (DBB) for the three or four days
> plus travelling expenses on top of their fees whether
> they are travelling from Southwold (50 miles) or
> California (5334 miles) which is the case for two of
> our drummers. I don't think their booze will be free
> for the whole weekend though!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jerry
> Norwich
> U.K.
>
>
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