[Dixielandjazz] Be Flexible - was Newport Jazz Festival

[Stephen G Barbone]

Larry Walton Entertainment wrote: (polite snip)

> Although I haven't stayed very current and most of the gigs I play  
> are for older people it's still very true.  I have reinvented myself  
> over and over.  Who could have known about the internet or web pages  
> or digital photography or computers that could perform like a person  
> forty years ago.  Then how many musicians do you know that those  
> things don't exist for even now?  Then think about how many who are  
> in that last group that are working very often.
> (yes I know that there are dinosaurs out there that still work)

Yes, and I am one of them. <grin>

> . . .  Even though I don't really keep up with the new stuff I have  
> innovated the old enough to keep me working and making more money  
> per gig than I ever made as a sideman.  . .
>
>
> - Original Message -From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net 
> > (snipped)
>
>
>
> Like many jazz and music festivals, Newport is moving towards youth,
> but still presenting older acts, at least on the first night. Reminds
> me of  the advice I got from a musical mentor 60 years ago. "Above
> all, be flexible because the audience and their musical tastes will
> change many times as you age."

Now just a couple of years short of 80 I find myself still booking  
Barbone Street JB about 100 times a year. Down from out high of 225  
and average of 160 during the past 15 years or so. Mostly because of  
aging, infirmities (prostate cancer), less fire in the belly to play  
so much and ogle the girls, and the deaths of several of our older  
band mates..

What I find now is that the younger set which makes up a good portion  
of our audiences still respond to 4/4 rhythm, blues, vocals and  
danceable jazz. Even from a band of old timers like ours, (with one  
exception a 30 year old female trombonist) as long as we get involved  
with THEM. Joke with them. Invite them up on stage, sing double  
entendre songs to them etc. Our music is the 4/4 swinging dixieland in  
the style of latter day Eddie Condon, or of Conrad Janis when his band  
featured those Kansas City swing musicians, or the Armstrong All Stars.

Strangely enough, it is not the Dixieland bands in our area that we  
compete with. It is the young bands playing whatever it is they play.  
The Dixieland bands compete with each other to see who can get the  
most gigs with our local jazz societies and their old folks audiences  
of about 100 people who love dixieland. (Not a lot of available gigs  
there)

On the other hand, we and the kid bands compete to play in public  
venues, summer concerts, secondary schools, colleges, private parties  
etc., etc. to a wide demographic of people who enjoy music. Turns out  
they like the Dixieland that we play as well as our band stage  
persona. And audiences range up to 1000 in some of these venues. Money  
is good too. Sweet!

So what's that to do about flexibility? Well, when I started by band  
first one in 1955 and then again circa 1990, I was determined to  
replicate early N.O. Jazz. Like George Lewis did. And like Paul  
Cosentino did with The Boilermakers. Paul and I changed that format a  
decade or so ago. While we were scrambling for just a few gigs for old  
folks who liked that genre, we discovered swing dancers. The rest is  
history.

Both of us made changes to swing based Dixieland, went after kids and  
dancers, and neither of us looked back. In what other business could  
an old guy like me still be working, loving it and making money?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband