[Dixielandjazz] Struck by a comment

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  Gluetje1 at aol.com wrote
>
>
> This morning I was in a locker room of ladies making small talk  
> while we
> prepared for a fitness class.  I spoke some unrecalled sentence  
> which  contained
> a reference to listening to jazz.  A friendly senior lady  quickly  
> responded,
> "Oh, no, I don't want to hear any jazz.  Only music  where I can  
> recognize the
> tune."  The incident made me wonder if we do  ourselves any favors  
> in seeking
> audiences by still using the word jazz when we  describe what we do.
> Actually in this area jazz is almost always used  to refer to music  
> created later
> than 1940.  I did tell her that I offered a  guarantee she could  
> recognize most
> any tune I played and sing along if she  wished.

Hi Ginny:

That's the trouble with many seniors. They don't know what jazz is.  
<grin>

As you know, my band courts the young audiences in our area  
(Philadelphia metro). We promote Dixieland Jazz. For listening,  
dancing, drinking to, foot tapping, getting involved with the band,  
etc., which they understand. We've been doing it for 15 years or so.  
It works for us and we get lots of gigs.

I also work as a sideman for a 22 year old pianist/singer/showman  
named Drew Nugent. He does the Fats Waller book plus other songs of  
the 1920s/1930s. He promotes it as jazz. It works for him and he gets  
lots of gigs.

I also work as a sideman in a couple of other Dixieland Bands in this  
area. They promote Dixieland to old folks. It does NOT work for them  
and they DON'T get many gigs. Because that audience is either dying  
off, or doesn't get around much anymore.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband