[Dixielandjazz] help for tunes

[James O'Briant]

Hyena & Billy Goat pages from Anderson Collection emailed
off-list.

Tito Martino wrote:

> Anyway, my band is going strong but some people 
> say "you are very good, but seem too serious at 
> stage..."    and I agree.
> 
> So, mainly for the specialists (you know who...) I ask you 
> please if you can help me sending chord changes for Hyena 
> Stomp and Billy Goat Stomp (from Jelly Roll's Red Hot 
> peppers) and Maria Elena (version Bunk Johnson).
>  This will make the people laugh...   and the Band also...

The solution to "being too serious on stage" is not to play a few
tunes with funny names. 

The solution to "being too serious on stage" is to enjoy what
you're doing, and to let the audience see that you enjoy it. Don't
just sit (or stand) there with a frown on your face. (At one
festival, a couple of years ago, we enjoyed the music of a certain
band, but if you looked at their faces, you'd think their dog just
died.) Just relax and smile. Interact with your audience.

On the other hand, I'm not recommending a lot of "clowning
around," either. A little of that goes a long way, and unless
you're VERY good with humor, it fails easily -- that is, it comes
across as forced, or corny, or gimmicky, or just stupid. I can
think of one band where one member is always bringing out a rubber
chicken or a silly hat or some other "funny stage prop," and it
gets really old, really fast. It gets in the way of communicating
what the music has to say, which is too bad, because otherwise,
it's a really good band.

Jim O'Briant
Gilroy, CA
Tuba & Leader, The Zinfandel Stompers