[Dixielandjazz] Target audience for Dixieland, Swing, etc.

[Ministry of Jazz]

Shalom again,

Upon re-reading my last post, I thought I should clarify that I did not mean
to suggest that the Stompers were doing anything wrong. Please do not take
it that way. I was merely taking the occasion to make the point that somehow
we need to be drawing younger audiences.

Stan Ross and the Stompers were probably the first Dixieland band in Israel,
and they are still the largest and most active one. I've had the pleasure
and privilege of performing with them on many occasions at some impressive
venues, and have become acquainted with some of Israeli's finest trad-jazz
musicians through them. And some of them, including Stan, have been gracious
enough to perform with me under the Doctor Jazz flag when I've needed
players for a gig.

My sincere apologies if I inadvertently suggested they were doing something
wrong. The problem of aging OKOM audiences is endemic to the genre. What I
intended to communicate was that my band, still near the beginning of our
run, are trying new things in order to reach the younger and more culturally
distant potential audiences.

On the other hand, my band is not yet drawing 160 customers at $20 a head.
So meanwhile the Stompers have been doing something very right!

So please read what I meant, and not what I wrote!

Elazar
Doctor Jazz Dixieland Band
Tekiya Brass Ensemble
Jerusalem, Israel
www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz
+972-2-679-2537




-----Original Message-----
From: Ministry of Jazz [mailto:jazzmin at actcom.net.il]
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:54 PM
To: DJML
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Target audience for Dixieland, Swing, etc.


Shalom Jazz Fans,

Last week I played tuba in a Dixieland band called the Stompers over in one
of our coastal cities about 1 1/2 hours from Jerusalem. This band has been
around for some 30 years, and I've played with them many times since I moved
to Israel 12 years ago. Their show sold out -- over 160 paying customers in
a synagogue social hall. The audience was almost entirely Anglo, and I don't
think there was a person among them under 60 years old. ...