[Dixielandjazz] Band Loyalty

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com> wrote (polite snip)
>
> Cooperation, understanding & respect go along way in business....IF  
> you're
> dealing with good people!   :>

Amen Jim, you nailed it.

I should clarify that Barbone Street is several different bands  
depending upon venue and show theme. For example, when we do our  
January New Orleans Funerals for the previous year at Unitarian  
Churches, we use 3 different players from those who normally work in  
our six piece band.

Different trombone, banjo instead of amplified guitar, and tuba   
instead of string bass. We also do several other New Orleans Marching  
band themes with this lineup. Much different sound for a much  
different show.

And sometimes I double or triple book dates. A couple of times I even  
had 6 different bands booked on Mardi Gras under the Name Barbone  
Street. The "A" band with the usual suspects in our usual venue and  
the other bands venues that most likely did not have audiences that  
ever heard the A" band and so there was no expectation of a particular  
sound. All they wanted was good Dixieland.

When I double book now I am always careful to state that the band at  
the second location is not the usual suspects and give the venue the  
option of booking some other band. In every case so far, the venues  
have asked if the band will be a good one and I have answered yes. So  
they booked it and were quite satisfied because there is a wealth of  
GREAT players to chose from. Simple as that.

And I have my small amount of band followers on an email list so when  
multiple booking, I tell them where the "A" band will be and who is in  
the band at the second location in case they want a change of pace.

Kind of like Derf Nolde, who I mentioned previously. Whether or not he  
had Orange Kellin, Kenny Davern, or Joe Midiri on clarinet for a gig  
under his name: Derf Nolde and The Keystone Five,  made precious  
little difference to the audience that day. The regular followers of  
that band were tickled pink to see any one of them. Of course when it  
was me, there might have been some disappointment.

But even then, the audience got over it. One of the most musically  
exciting gigs I ever played at the Temperence house was when Derf and  
the regular bass player were booked somewhere else for a high paying  
gig. The house band was then me on clarinet, Randy Reinhart on cornet,  
Glenn Dodson on trombone, John Coates Jr. on piano, Charles Fambrough  
on bass and Tony Di Nicola on drums. We had never played together as a  
band before, yet it was magic and the audience of regulars loved it.

Like Jim said, cooperation, understanding and respect.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband