[Dixielandjazz] Be Flexible - was Newport Jazz Festival

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

Ditto
I enjoy the hell out of performing.  My work is down mainly because I got 
poisoned around Christmas last year.  It really knocked the stuffing out of 
me for several months.  I have pretty much recovered but I lost several 
months of bookings.  My regulars are keeping me going right now but I have 
to start hustling again if I want to keep going.

What I'm doing works for me.

I don't see you as a dinosaur at all.  You are innovative and I'll bet 
clever too and while I talk about my plan B's that's just another word for 
thinking ahead and doing what you have to do to stay in business.  Playing 
for free or for $50 just isn't an option for me.

Let me give you another example.  I have back problems to the point that 
moving amps just doesn't cut it so I installed an electric hoist in the back 
of my van, now I don't have to lift anything.  How many guys would think of 
that or do it?  The whole thing including a battery was less than $200 and 
my back thanks me.

The music business is ever changing and bears absolutely no resemblance to 
what it was 30 years ago.  Come to think of it neither do I.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton Entertainment" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 12:17 PM
Subject: Be Flexible - was Newport Jazz Festival


>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>