[Dixielandjazz] Another Stake In The Heart ofProfessionalMusicians

Sat Apr 19 21:00:46 PDT 2008

Larry wrote:

(snip)
I have to confess to a certain amount of pleasure now that technology is
catching up to even the kings of the music business.
(snip)

I can't believe that a working musician would be happy and have pleasure in
seeing something that will put even more musicians out of business.  Not
just piano players but all musicians.

--Bob Ringwald

 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
To: "Bob Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
Cc: "1-DIXIELAND JAZZ POST" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Another Stake In The Heart
ofProfessionalMusicians

> First of all let me say I would rather play with live musicians than a
> computer but having said that there have been times when I have wished for
> my computer to magically appear on the stand because some dunce wasn't
> doing
> his job or more usually wasn't versatile enough to do a wide  enough
> variety
> of tunes.
>
> The piano player for as long as I have been alive has enjoyed an almost un
> broken reign as the king of the band.  Without a good piano man the band
> would suck.  The demands made by many of them have caused a lot of heart
> burn to me
> personally over the years.  It ranges from simply walking out in the
> middle of the
> job to demanding far more money than the gig even paid for the band.  It
> also includes such tricks as taking another gig a day or two out and
> calling
> at the last minute to simply not showing up.
>
> Over the years piano player antics have cost me a lot, if not always in
> money, in good will.
>
> I have to confess to a certain amount of pleasure now that technology is
> catching up to even the kings of the music business.  What completely
> amazes
> me is that many are ignoring it.  Most are completely resentful but not a
> one ever felt sorry that a trumpet player or sax player might not be
> working or care very much for what a leader might have to go through.
>
> One of the best piano players I know is using BIAB in his act.  I am
> really curious as to what he's doing with it.  He's not only a great piano
> man but is smart too.  I think more piano men should have a digital plan
> "B" out there if I were them.  He's the only one that I know of is using a
> computer and playing too.
>
> The band I have played with for almost 10 years is now for the most part
> defunct.  Why?  The piano man has decided to take a gig in a piano bar.
> This will happen as long as they can find better pay as a single
>
> I respect and want to work with guys that are good players but I also want
> them to at least be loyal to the gig that they have accepted.
>
> Personally I find rhythm section guys to be a very mixed lot and the
> biggest
> problem is having a strong section because one poor player in the rhythm
> section can wreck a band.
>
> I went to a medical center this afternoon and they had one of the player
> grand pianos just setting there and plunking away.  They seem to be
> popular in medical buildings.
> Besides being a great tax deduction it's cheaper in the long run to buy
> the piano rather than the
> piano and then hiring someone to play it.  I will have to say that whoever
> made the midi file (or whatever) wasn't the best piano player I had ever
> heard.  They might not have to pay for the use of the recordings either.
> Larry
> STL
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 8:21 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Another Stake In The Heart of
> ProfessionalMusicians
>
>
>> Payback is sweet.
>>
>> This is just payback for all those keyboard (piano) players who have put
>> so
>> many other instrumentalists out of work over the years. (Think drum
>> machines,
>> bass players, string players, etc.)
>>
>> The wheels of justice sometimes turn real slow, but thankfully they still
>> turn.
>>
>> :-)
>>
>> Bill
>> 414-777-0100
>> BillSargentBands.com
>>
>> Just released:  "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"
>>
>> Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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