[Dixielandjazz] Re. Fwd: Another Stake In The Heart... CDs, etc.

[Nancy Giffin]

ED METZ, SR. WROTE:
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:25:57 -0400
From: edmetzsr at aol.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Another Stake In The Heart...
> Right on Bob. 
>  Further, if the piano players that you know Larry, are so unreliable, DON'T
> HIRE THEM. I don't like to see all of the great, reliable pianists being put
> down because of some jerk in St. Louis who cancels two days before the gig.
>  For your information, I've never once walked out of a gig, or even threatened
> to do so. Nor have I missed or cancelled a job that I accepted, at least not
> one that I committed to without warning the leader that there might be a
> possibility of not getting back from out of town travel or the like. I turn
> down those gigs with a questionable aspect to them when I'm called so as to
> avoid having to cancel at "the last minute".
>  All I can say, is that if you want to work with the "Big Boys", those players
> in high demand (like New York is full of), then stop your bitching when they
> can't make it. Pull up those big boy pants and deal with it.
>  Good grief!!!
> Ed Metz

And those NY musicians work hard and build their reputations enough to be
able to sign contracts that charge the gig boss if the gig doesn't happen.
Once they are in demand, they earn the right to make you prove you mean
business when you ask them to hold a date. Admittedly, there would not have
been a Feb. 26 fundraiser in Sacramento if not for some very substantial
contracts signed with two NY musicians. The contracts were signed seven
months in advance, and a major supporter backed out a month after that. If
not for those contracts, I would have given up then and there.

Maybe Larry doesn't have enough good players in the area to be choosy. If
not, and if those musicians really want to gig with him, maybe Larry can
make tougher demands in his contracts with them.

Back to technology:
Q. Should we be mad at all the early musicians who made recordings that can
now be played by DJs in lieu of hiring a live band?
Q. Isn't it odd that, during a musicians' strike, someone could play a
recording of those musicians rather than hire them?