[Dixielandjazz] rehearsing

Ron L'Herault lherault at bu.edu
Sun Dec 16 14:17:49 PST 2007


Marek,

You didn't tell us where "here" is.

Due to bad weather and the fact that the dad of one of our musicians was
taken ill from shoveling snow, I had to cancel a gig to play at a mall
today.  We are all in Massachusetts, but close to Providence and the gig
site was in a town a bit south of Providence, RI.  I think it is the first
time I've missed that gig in something like ten years. Sigh.

Ron

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Marek Boym
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 4:20 PM
To: lherault at BU.EDU
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] rehearsing

Hello listmates,
We have an excellent band here - the Good Time Jazz.
A few years ago, the band played in the lobby for a jazz festival -
three hours, with 15 minute breaks - without repeating a tune.
And when pressed, they can do more, at least the
soprano-tenor-clarinet player Jacques Sany and the drummer Rami Hann.
The other musicians are younger, and have a smaller repertoire, but
still quite large (unfortunately, two of the original members cannot
play anymore due to health problems).
SEASNON'S GREETINGS TO YOU ALL,
Marek

On 16/12/2007, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis
<larrys.bands at charter.net> wrote:
> Great story but 50 tunes is, as I see it the magic number.  That's just
> enough to get through a three hour gig without repeating unless you
stretch
> each tune to ten minutes.  There are bands around here that by the time
> everyone solos they have sucked up ten minutes.  If you repeat a couple of
> tunes that can cut the number to even fewer.
>
> There is an old joke that was done, I think, on the show Happy Days when
the
> guys were putting a band together.  I don't remember the build up but the
> punch line was something like,  "Ok let's do it with words this time".
The
> other line is Ok let's do Bb blues this time in F.  There is a lot of
truth
> to all of that.  It's what three tune bands do.
>
> When I got to college I needed a band fast and when I got some guys
together
> we rehearsed about 50 tunes and we were in business.  I know a very good
> band here that has worked up a bunch of very popular wedding and dance
> tunes.  They handed me a list of about 60 tunes.  They only add a tune
> occasionally and have zero depth.  They put on a good show but it's 100%
> staged.  They play only the tunes on their list.  I will say they did a
good
> job.  I didn't take the gig with them because I knew that after a dozen or
> so gigs I would get bored out of my mind.
>
> Many bands have a pretty limited number of tunes that they play.  I would
> bet that most Dixie bands play about the same 50 tunes if that many.  I
work
> with a guy that has about a 50 or 60 tune list.  So I think my advice is
in
> the ball park and a reasonable goal to get started.  Most of my one hour
> shows uses about 20 tunes
>
> But no matter how many tunes you can play, getting into the business and
> learning can be difficult for a newcomer.
>
> It's true that a newbee needs to be able to make mistakes because we all
> make them but we learn to control the problems and a lot of time make it
> seem like we meant to do it all along.  If you get a lemon then make
> lemonade.
>
> If a person can't get over that hurdle then just how is he going to make
it
> in the business.  Music is only part of it.
>
> I know that you don't have to be the best player in town to do well and
that
> includes beginners but what you do have to do is be able to shake money
out
> of the trees.
>
> People aren't very critical actually.  Most of the time they aren't
> listening anyway.  We listen but the civilians don't really.  Musicians
hear
> differently.  We hear more and we listen carefully.  What's worse we think
> other people listen the same way.  Not true, other people talk, chew and
> watch the girls among other things.  My mother always had the radio going
> but never listened to it.  When I figured that out things went a whole lot
> smoother.
>
> When I started playing for concerts my first reaction was Gott in Himmel
> they are listening to me!  What do I do now? A scary thought.  I had to go
> from noisemaker to performer and entertainer.  That's the difference
between
> a wedding reception or dance and a concert.  Wedding music is not usually
> entertainment it's music and 90% of the people aren't listening much but
> doing their own thing.  Put anyone on stage though and it's a completely
> different animal.  You are front and center and you are the show.  As I
said
> a bunch of times " It's not about the music".
>
> I would never recommend for a newbee band to try concerts but rather
events
> where people are mobile such as a wedding reception, picnic or bar.
>
> Last week I did a thing where the people were milling and talking.  I have
> been developing my act for sometime and it was totally useless there.
There
> are two distinct kinds of performances music and music entertainment.
When
> I was young I was simply not capable of taking charge and entertaining
with
> music.  I played dances and weddings for years and when I had to start
> entertaining about 15 years ago I found I wasn't very good at it and it
> bothered me but I learned and am learning.  The choice was simple, go out
of
> business or adapt and re invent myself.  Personally I have made that
> transition from strictly musician playing gigs to an entertainer.  Are
there
> better ones? sure but there will always be someone better out there.
>
> I enjoy being an entertainer more than just a musician.  I am in control
and
> I know the music part of it will go well.
>
> A lot of actors are pretty shy people but when they put on their costume
or
> makeup they transform.  Those things allow the entertainer to hide behind
> them.  I understand that Johnny Carson was a pretty shy person.  When I
get
> behind the mike and on stage I become different.
>
> If you can't get a band to hire you go out and get a gig and then hire
them.
> Larry
> StL
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "pj.ladd" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2007 4:43 AM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] rehearsing
>
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > locally there is a `Big Band`. Plays all the good swing stuff , Miller,
> > James etc. Gigs for big bands are few and far between so they hired a
> > large room at a local pub in which to rehearse. Gradually they attracted
a
> > following of afficianados.After a while the audience got so large and
> > regular that the landlord provided the room free because of the extyra
> > beer he sold and the band began to charge entrance money.
> > This has been going on for the last 5 years and still going strong.
> >
> > Totally different. Re the advice to learn 50 tunes and go and get gigs.
I
> > know a guy who lived in Pensford, Acker Bilks home village. He played a
> > few banjo chords and was in Ackers original group. He told me that they
> > knew 2 tunes when Acker entered the band in a local talent competition.
> > They played one of the tunes and were given such a rapturous reception
> > that they got stuck with playing again. They played their second tune
> > andthe crowd demanded more and they finished up playing the only 2 tunes
> > the knew alternately for the rest of the evening so that the audience
> > could dance
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Pat
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
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