[Dixielandjazz] Getting out more - Was Why Listen To Live Music

[Steve Barbone]

Hi Ron:

Could it be that you got jaded with all that time on Wake Island listening
only to recorded studio music? (just kidding)

For those who don't know Ron, he spent more than a few years on Wake Island
in mid-Pacific where live OKOM was scarce, but Gooney Birds were plentiful.
We met at a Street Festival or two in West Chester PA when he would return
to the Land Of The Big PX on holiday to visit his son in nearby Delaware.

I can appreciate that some folks don't agree. I personally love the audience
interaction and love playing in noisy venues where the crowd becomes part of
the performance. We actually egg them on, bring the pretty girls on stage
and sing to them. Like "Salty Dog" (Remember? Nancie Beaven?) And all that
other stuff. Or throw beads for a hug and a kiss.

And I love Swing Dances where the audience is there to dance and the
artistic nuances of the music are secondary. It is still a great treat to
extend yourself as a soloist, or in ensemble, or riff, to see the enjoyment
that they get out of what you are doing on the stand. You realize that they
are listening in spite of themselves.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone 


on 11/1/07 7:00 PM, Ron Wheeler at ronald_wheeler at bellsouth.net wrote:

> Arguing both sides of the coin [I'm good at that] I love going out and
> listening to live music and do every chance I get, although there's precious
> little OKOM here in the heart of Georgia, but if I'm buying recorded music
> or listening to it at home, I vastly prefer a studio recording over a 'live'
> performance.  I find the audience sounds [God forbit they're clapping time
> to the music] way too much of a distraction.
>