[Dixielandjazz] Sound

[Lowell Busching]

Bob Ringwald made the following comments among others.

So often sound is not needed at a venue.

snip

That is true, but few bands are willing to play totally acoustically any 
more. Even in the smallest venues somebody in the band wants to be 
miked. Bob may recall the problems Roger Drum had in getting enough 
bands to play acoustically for even 2 days in a venue at the Red Lion 
Inn in Sacramento during one of the Jubilee's.  That being the case the 
bands have to learn to live with sound systems, good and bad, and 
mixers, good and bad. You make your bed, etc.

Bob says:
   I have seen bands standing around
and starting 15 minutes late because the sound men are not ready.

snip

This usually only occurs if a musician or musicians in the previous set 
have played overtime on their set and the sound people do not have 
enough time to set up properly before the scheduled start of the next set.

Most leaders would not think of bringing their group on stage, 
especially if it is a small one, while the techies are working trying to 
set up the mikes specifically for their band all over the stage. Imagine 
a trumpet player getting ready to do his solo and have a sound person 
walk in front of him and set up a mike!  Not practical unless the venue 
is a designated acoustic venue.  If so, what are sound people doing 
delaying the start of the set anyway?


Bob Says

In truth, if the band would have played without the sound system, they 
would have sounded much better.

Snip.

If pre-arranged with the sound man, I think most of us would be happy to 
put all the mikes down except an announcing or singing mike and go take 
a break if the leader wants to go that route.

The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is one of these. Miking the guitar/banjo is 
really the only miking he wants except for an announcing mike. He will 
tolerate the piano being miked. although as you can hear on the 
Riverwalk Live show, the piano is seldom, if ever miked. It is as close 
to a true acoustic JB playing today, I think.

No attempt by the soundman to put up mikes on that band should even be 
attempted unless Jim OK's it.  A couple other bands are close. The 
leaders need to establish what they want even at a rotating festival 
stage. Does it say in their package they MUST use the sound system?

Bob says:

We recently did a Library concert in a hot (sound-wise) room.  I used 
one mic for singing and talking to the audience.  Other than that, we 
played  completely acoustic.  There were 300 people in the audience.

Snip

Because it was in a library, Bob had to speak at a whisper and lip sync 
his songs. The musicians were not allowed to make any noise with their 
instruments.  The audience thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

bob says:

During the concert, when I pointed out to the audience that we were 
totally acoustic, we got a big round of applause.  The audience loved 
hearing us  with a natural sound instead of through a P.A. which we 
obviously did not need.

snip

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Bob said concerning a loud group:

When I talked to the sound man about it, he said that the band insisted 
on having the sound that loud.

Totally ridiculous...

snip

I will not mention any names, but I know there are some other European 
and stateside groups that do indeed pride themselves on being loud. One 
of the biggest draws in the US festival circuit today is one of those 
bands. They have good musicianship also.  The crowds love them. They and 
Igor are at almost every festival.

Get with it Bob!  Get Funky!

Mad Dog