[Dixielandjazz] freebies

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Ted - this story is incredibly typical of young bands.  Several guys get 
together and there is no clear leadership or person who handles the business 
of music.  Believe me I'm not putting you or the group down at all.  I'm 
sure that this has happened to most of us at one time or another.  Everybody 
thinks they are the leader.

You had the courage to stick to your guns but also expect what happened.  Of 
course they would probably go with the guy that had "booked" the band.  (Yes 
I know it was for free).

I am a whole lot sneaker than that.  I would have played it then looked for 
some paying gigs and left him out or cut his feet out from under him in 
other ways.  The other alternative would to bow out at some point and take 
those who were good with you.  This happens in companies all the time. 
Someone starts a new company and raids the old one for the best people.  The 
other tactic is to trademark the band name.  That way they can play but 
without the band name.

Musicians are called "cats" and like cats they hang around those who feed 
them.  So if you want a band you have to be productive in booking.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Cebuisle2 at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 10:56 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] freebies


> The subject has come 'round again.
>
> Some years ago I started a Dixie band. Since we practiced in a college
> rehearsal hall a few feet from the Southern railroad tracks we named the 
> band  "The
> New Whistlestop Dixieland band" The huge banner I had made still hangs in
> the basement-
>
> We had a lots of Tuesday night fun, and then the guys got to thinking they
> were pretty good, so the inevitable requests to "play my club, play the 
> old
> folks home, play my church benefit etc" started to come in.
> Heck, we even played the annual United Way charity drive dinner for free!
> And then, the trumpet player, a fellow with a big ego,  announced to  us 
> he
> had ":booked" us into the annual
> Carousel Festival, a biggie in our town.
> Hadn't bothered to check with me.  "No, we wouldn't get paid. Yes  there 
> was
> another band, a rock group. Yes, they would receive a thousand dollars 
> for
> their efforts." At this I finally drew the line. Flat out refused to play
> unless we were also compensated. The rest of the band went along with the 
> trumpet
> player and I found myself the ex-leader of a Dixieland band. The trumpet
> player substituted his wife on piano for me-but when they got there they 
> found
> the city had forgotten to supply a piano!
>
> Probably others have had experiences like mine, but with longer careers in
> Dixieland! Tom is right-you rarely get respect when you give away your
> services-
>
>
>           Happy New Year to All!!
>                                                            Ted
>
>
> .
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