[Dixielandjazz] Sitting in, again!

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

> The lone musician, who first listens to the band & then has a chat with
> members during the break will be a better risk..............it is
> a risky affair...accepting sit-ins.

Thanks Jim -This is so sensible and anyone who wants to sit in with a band 
should follow it to the letter.  I think you run into sit in's in clubs more 
often than dances and private parties.

I did NYEve for several years for a prominent minister and he wanted his 
guests who played to be able to sit in.  I let them pick tunes and keys that 
they liked ahead of time.  I printed out a little book with the dozen or so 
tunes in it and they got up and played with the band.  Several were really 
terrible but we were being paid to let them sit in and it was pre arranged. 
I have worked weddings this past year where various people in the wedding 
parties sang.  Some of them were pretty good.  They weren't my gig but all 
of this was pre arranged and IMHO all of this is perfectly acceptable.

If it's not that way then it would be very cool if anyone would follow Jim's 
suggestion and also maybe carry cards to help the leader see that you aren't 
just some guy off the street.  Better still have that conversation with the 
leader by phone before hand if you can.

Yes it is risky in many ways.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:46 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Sitting in, again!


> Going back to the "sitting in" thread, once again I find that my 
> particular
> situation is a bit different from many others on the list as I am in the
> middle of a major European city with gobs of tourists dropping by the 
> clubs
> we play at.  So, we occassionally get the travelling person with horn in
> hand.  It's not easy just to say no.
>
> My first cue should always be, and I have come up with this idea after our
> last rather poor experience, is "does the musician have a huge entourage
> with him telling you how great this person is?".  If so, say no!!  It
> invariably goes wrong.
>
> The lone musician, who first listens to the band & then has a chat with
> members during the break will be a better risk.  This happened awhile 
> back,
> and the trombonist travelling with Springsteen (it turned out) had a great
> blow with us.  He was thrilled to be able to just play & not have to stick
> to the "show routine" he was involved in at the moment.  A very gracious
> fellow, and a lot of fun to play with.
>
> So, a flat out "no" to everyone can rob the band of an experience, but it 
> is
> a risky affair...accepting sit-ins.
>
> p.s.  as in the case of the Springsteen trombonist (from NYC), the really
> good players will not tell you first who they are playing with or have
> played with.  They will talk about your band, and be interested!  They 
> will
> let their playing do the talking.
>
> Jim
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