[Dixielandjazz] What we lack

[Jim Kashishian]

Bill Sharp wrote:
>It's hard enough for the musicians to be able to find a place to play it,
just on an occasional basis, let alone for listeners to find such a place,
especially the young.
 

I find it almost hard to believe that the US is in such dire straits, that
there are no places  to play.  However, I have seen the few places there are
to play there, and I've been quoted some of the prices the musicians are
getting to play these few places so I know it is true.

It's, of course, a matter of economics & the work force.  If you think as a
businessman, one can understand things.  The musician wants enough cash to
live on.  The bar can only charge just so much per drink (the public won't
put up with more), and eventually the two amounts become incapable of
sustain either the business or the musician.  

Older musicians in Spain lament about the lack of live venues to play in
now.  It's true.  When I came here 40 yrs ago, there were afternoon gigs for
the youth (7 to 10pm), followed by late nite gigs (midnite to 4 am), and
that was 7 nites a week, 11 months of the year! Of course, we were paid
peanuts per gig, but there were gobs of gigs!  However, it became cheaper (&
a heck of a lot easier)to put on records, and eventually those gigs dried
up.  I can see, by the comments on DJML, though, that we are a long way
behind the U.S.  Thank goodness for that!

I can't offer any suggestions for a culture that I am now too far removed
from.  I can say, if you do happen to play a place where the kids are, that
if you're not sitting in your chair staring at the floor (a la Woody Allen),
and your band is lively, you can wow the kids & the "common man" of any age.
You don't just have to play for "jazz people".  People in general love the
fast ones, sway or dance the medium tunes, and swoon at the slow ones (if
you put yourself into it 100%).  Oh, and adding a bit of "entertainment"
helps!

Here's two shots from the stage of our nitely crowd at a local club.  We're
at this place this month for 10 nites (usually get at least a week, if not
more there each month).  This is just a normal, every nite crowd that hears
the music from the street & wander in.

http://www.kashprod.com/fotografias/fotos_galeria/107.jpg
http://www.kashprod.com/fotografias/fotos_galeria/108.jpg

It's not just the style of the music, it's the way in how you do it.  That's
what get's results.  (& I borrowed THAT from a song!)

Jim (Madrid)