[Dixielandjazz] Where are the musical jobs?

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Dec 5, 2010, at 3:00 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> Bert Brandsma <mister_bertje at hotmail.com>
>
> It look likes that versatile musicians keep in demand.You have to be  
> very flexible these days, is also my experience.
> Don't look down on anything and enjoy what you have, don't complain  
> about better times in the past.After 1929 a lot of musicians were  
> heading difficult years, look at many N.O. veterans.The most  
> flexible however, where able to change with the times and stayed.
> Louis, Omer Simeon, Earl Hines for example.
> I myself take every job I can get now as well, big band, combo,  
> weddings, just name it.In februari I play the pit of the cologne  
> opera house, since in winter there is no other work here.

Dear Bert:

Yes, there will always be gigs for a few musicians who are versatile  
and promote themselves, their gigs etc. And as Kash says, there is his  
trombone friend in the Philadelphia area that keeps busy. And there is  
my band that keeps busy in Philly. And my sidemen keep VERY busy. As  
do you. But, we are the exceptions, not the rule, here in New York  
City and Philadelphia. We can easily point to exceptions when  
discussing almost any subject. Plus Earl Hines, and Omer Simeon  
prospered because the music scene for their kind of music was very  
strong. And Louis was in a class by himself as an entertainer. There  
are no musicians of their stature on the OKOM scene today so we really  
can't compare what they did to what's happening now.

The general free lance music scene in NYC as the Times article said  
and as I can attest in Philly is declining and has been for the past  
10 years or so. Much fewer musicians are now gigging regularly in  
those cities. And those free lance bands and Orchestras are working  
half as many gigs as they did. I suspect that it is the same all over  
the USA. Even bands that work steadily, e.g. Trombonist Brian Pastor's  
Big Band here in Philly play at venues which might pay sidemen $25 for  
a night's work. Specifically at the Casino Delicatessen in Philly  
twice a month, from 8 to 11 PM.

If we wanted to play for little or no money, we could all work every  
day and night. Heck I've lost gigs to 18 piece bands,  with my 6 piece  
band at  concert venues because, according to the booker, they quoted  
prices lower than mine. Maybe I'm different. I love performing music  
but I do not believe in involuntary servitude.

The Times article gives us a view of the decline numerically. I  
excerpted some of it so that it would fit the posting limits on the  
DJML. Some of the omitted sections give an even gloomier picture of  
free lancers working about 1/2 as much as they did a decade ago. And  
working cheaper. But the article speaks for itself having been drawn  
from several free lance orchestras, the broadway show musicians of AF  
of M local 802, several band leaders and a pretty good sized number of  
free lance musicians.

Really not much different from the OKOM festival scene here in the  
USA. Fewer bands overall. Less traveling bands hired at them in an  
effort to keep costs down, a declining audience, etc., etc., etc. And  
no one on the scene to replace the likes of Armstrong, Condon, Hines,  
Simeon, JRM, Yerba Buena, or the other many other Giants who shaped  
the music.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband