[Dixielandjazz] Beginner sit-ins

[Steve Barbone]

"Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com> wrote (polite snip)

> And, when I am on a paying gig, I am not going to ask a rank amateur to sit
> in with my band.  AS I said in an earlier post, if one comes in who is good,
> maybe not pro quality but I see the potential, I will ask him/her.
> 
> But to inflict a beginner or no-real-talent on the audience and on the
> person signing the check, no way.

Dear Bob:

That gets back to my initial point. that in the past, the pros would indeed
let a beginner sit in for a tune or maybe two.

My first sit in at Nick's was exactly such a case in point. I was 16. I was
a beginner. I had some talent, but was certainly just a beginner. Erwin,
Pace, Russo, Traeger, Maxted and Kenny John were the band. I knew Trager and
he asked me to sit in. Played two easy songs. (like Bill Bailey and Tin Roof
Blues) Obviously nowhere near as good as Pace on clarinet and very nervous.

Pace was very encouraging and showed me a thing or two that evening. Later
on, age age 18 I was gigging in NYC and ran across Pace at the union hall.
He asked me how I was doing etc., and asked if he could come sit in with the
band I was with a time or two, Sure, of course. He did, many times, showed
me a whole bunch of things that improved my playing etc., then, and when I
returned to NYC from my Army service. Even called me to sub for him a few
times as I had improved on the axe. He continued to take a personal
interest. And he invited the band I was then with (Beale Street Stompers) to
come sit in at Nick's which we did during one of their breaks.

The paying customers at Nicks didn't come there to see me that night, and no
doubt realized that I was a rank amateur. But they two gave me a nice hand
and came over to where I sat with my parents and were very encouraging. And
the pros in the band were just as nice to me.

Fast forward to my band now. Whenever a young person asks to sit in, I
always say yes . . . for one tune. I figure if a 15 or 16 year old has
enough guts to get up there with us, then we should oblige.

Our audience didn't come to see him and he is probably not going to be very
good, especially since the jazz they learn in High School is from The Real
Book, or Ferguson Big Band stuff. BUT, in my experience, the audience
appreciates the fact that Barbone Street will encourage the young beginners
to get up there and do it. And even if they are totally inexperienced in
OKOM (most seem to be) that young person will get a big hand from the crowd.
Especially as I preface the sit in number with how happy we old geezers are
to help pass the torch and how much courage the young wannabe has to get up
there and perform with us. "Show your love for . . ."

>From a band standpoint, I know that we can cover for a kid who is weak. From
the audience standpoint, I know I am responsible for a good performance and
we deliver a good performance. My attitude is that If the audience cannot
appreciate what we are doing, and take time out for a kid on one tune, then
they are really not my kind of audience and the hell with them.

While that sounds arrogant, it isn't really, because with all the kids who
sit in with us, I have yet to hear one negative comment from the audience.
Quite the contrary. In all of these kid sit-in situations, more than one
person has come up to me on the break to tell me how wonderful it is that we
are giving a young wannabe a chance to perform with us. And the folks who
writes the checks have never complained yet about any of our performances
with kid sit-ins even though you and I would rate some of those kids as not
very good. Not only that but the kids bring the parents and friends and we
expand our fan base thereby.

Jonathan Russell had talent when I first heard him, but still had holes in
his performances. He could only play the lead, and then improvise on solos.
Couldn't play counterpoint in the ensembles. That didn't stop me from
inviting him on some of our gigs as a PAID BAND MEMBER at age 8. Later, I
spoke by phone with Ed Polcer about counterpoint and Ed worked with him in
NYC to develop that skill. Now at age 12, "J" is equal to, or better than a
lot of jazz players on the circuit. He got there by performing with Polcer,
and Les Paul, and Bucky Pizzarelli, and Dan Levinson, and Svend Assmussen
(spelling?) and Dick Hyman and Bob Finch and countless others who spent some
time assisting him on the job, covering any deficiencies that he had back
then, and helping him eliminate them.

Now, he is a little pro. He played Shine with us on July 4th, having never
played it before. And he played it like he'd been rehearsing it for a year.
I hear he was pretty good at Sacramento too and just maybe that was because
some old guys helped him on the job when he was starting out, talented, but
still a beginner whose playing some who had never seen him live, panned.

Bottom line? The only way to become a competent jazz musician is to perform
live with a professional band and ANY young person who wants to explore that
avenue should get the chance as I see it.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone