[Dixielandjazz] (Not) Preaching to the choir of old folks

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  jakpiano at bluewin.ch (jacques) wrote:
>
> Yes for focusing or playing for young generations but then  we  
> should perhaps include in our bands teenagers and/or young musicians.
> Regards from Geneva
> Jacques
> Envoy? par mon BlackBerry Smartphone de Swisscom


Yes indeed Jacques, we should.

But in my experience many other OKOM bands (not mine) are very  
protective of their performances and refuse to allow young players, or  
sit ins to come on the band stand with them. Some say they are afraid  
to take a chance that a guy who can't play might ruin their  
performance. Or that the client wouldn't like it.

IMO, that's nonsense. If a band is composed of reasonably good  
musicians, they should be able to "cover" any mistakes or shortcomings  
a youngster might have. In my experience clients love it when you  
involve the audience, be they kids or otherwise in your show. And the  
audiences love it also.

We routinely encourage kids to sit in. How else are they going to  
learn to play jazz? Camps give them a start, but there is nothing like  
paying your dues on the bandstand.  I fondly remember Pee Wee Erwin,  
Billy Maxted, Phil Napoleon, and others letting me as a young teenager  
sit in at Nick's. I remember countless jam sessions with older jazz  
musicians in NYC when the Giants of jazz encouraged me. I remember  
them getting me paying gigs as I developed my jazz vocabulary.

So it is now pass the torch time. We old folks need to bring the young  
ones on stage with us at as many gigs as we can. We need to experience  
the thrill (as Barbone Street has) of watching a Jonathan Russell  
develop his now huge jazz vocabulary. We played with him from age 8 to  
now 14 and will continue to do so as long as he puts up with us. And  
we paid him for every gig he worked with us.

Another musician who plays with the young musicians in the USA is Ed  
Polcer. He busks with Baby Soda and Loose Marbles on the streets of  
NYC. At 72 he is having a ball and makes about double the regular set  
fee paid at OKOM Festivals here in the USA, for every set he plays on  
the streets.

Being old is fine, but thinking old is a drag.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband