[Dixielandjazz] THE GIG

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  geohunt1 at aol.com  wrote about a gig report i posted about being a  
> sideman in, at a old Speakeasy location in Bethlehem PA where the  
> audience was 100% under 25 years old (I think) and very appreciative  
> of the 20s-30s style of leader Drew Nugent:
>
> Hi Steve:
>
> Sounds like fun.  Did the proprietors of that "speakeasy" make any  
> money that night?  Did they pay the musicians?
>
> If the answers are, "yes", "yes", the old guys should be hiring Drew  
> Nugent every night to front their bands.
>
> George
>
> PS What do I MapQuest?  336 Adams Street in Bethlehem, PA?

Yes, map quest the address above.

Yes the owners made money. No cover but drinks are bottled beer at $8  
and booze higher.

The bands are well paid there. Well above the going rate for a weekday  
night in Pennsylvania.
I hope no cheapo OKOM band goes in there and cuts price, thereby  
ruining the market. I'll have to send Guido out if that happens.

Drew's gigs there were/are 12 nights evenly split between November and  
December. I did some but not others because he rotates personnel (Dan  
Levinson, Marty Grosz, and others) plus I was sidelined for a while  
with dental surgery and then a busy December gig schedule with my own  
band. He also did/ is doing 10 nights at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem  
Nov/Dec plus New Years' Eve there. I think Dan Levinson is with him  
there this coming Saturday. Not band for a 24 year old skinny, white,  
version of Fats Waller.

It is not that we should be hiring Drew to lead our bands, but that  
perhaps, we should be asking enterprising young kids to point us to  
these young people venues, with a bonus if we get hired. The young  
club scene today is just like it was 60 years ago when I was a  
teenager. Less jazz, perhaps, but there is enough jazz club young  
audience out there to support an OKOM band or two on a regular basis  
in just about any major metro area in the USA. And these young people  
go out clubbing frequently, stay out late and spend money. And just  
like we did when we were kids, they idolize old jazz musicians,  
especially once they get to know you and you them.

But like in any employment situation, the problem at the club owner  
level is a prejudice against hiring old people. So we old folks band  
leaders have to figure out a way to market ourselves as jazz legends,  
who have a special appeal. To swing dancers, and college kids etc. The  
other problem is that we old timers have to readjust our schedules to  
stay out late, becoming night people again, getting home sometimes  
after 3 AM. etc. Some of us are doing that now, having a lot of fun,  
and being idolized by a  young audience, just like 60 years ago. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve (Don't phone me before Noon) Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband