[Dixielandjazz] FW: FW: Live Musicians or Recorded Music?

[Jim Kashishian]

Hi, Howard. 
 
I've done 3 lots of theater....2 shows a nite, 6 nites a week, each for
about 4 months.  Two were on stage as part of the show, the other, Jesu
Cristo Superstar (yes, in Spanish!) in the pit (unseen).  I much prefer my
jazz gigs, but I wouldn't call them easier than the theater.  Less tedious
than the theater, that's for sure!   Haven't repeated any theater since the
1970's...sticking now to my jazz gigs.
 
I'm in a city of 5 million (Madrid), so there is no lack of musicians, and
the theaters here are still using full bands for musicals , albeit the pay
is not great for the amount of work they must do.   Nice to hear your
situation & ideas.
 
My post was in complaint of those that don't use musicians  at all , and my
particular  discomfort with  "computer" backed bands, where only  a few
musicians are seen, the rest coming from a box.  I understand how these
things have come about, but I still don't like it.   My earlier comment
about a singer & a drummer live with a full band backing came from a lounge
act I saw.  I was the only one in my crowd that noticed.  The mention in the
original article about tempos not varying, about arrangements being written
in stone, etc., is true when you have these out of the box groups.  The
possibility of bouncing ideas off of a fellow musician are greatly less,
also.  
 
I realize there are those on djml that work like this, and I am not meaning
to be too critical.  I understand the economics of the thing, as I mentioned
earlier.
 
Jim