[Dixielandjazz] Subbing? was Piano Player

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Oct 15, 2011, at 3:00 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> "Larry Walton Entertainment" <larrys.bands at charter.net> wrote  
> (polite snip)
>
> Good luck - piano players are the bane of my existence.  Now you  
> might find
> out why I use a computer.  I just gave up about 10 years ago.  The  
> guys that
> are interested aren't that good and the guys that are good aren't
> interested.
>
> If you have a band you just can't have some guy cutting out on you  
> when
> better jobs come along, he just doesn't want to play or booked his  
> own gig.
> That's OK if you have several players to call but if you don't then  
> you lose
> the job and worse appear unreliable to the customers.
>
> There aren't that many good players here that are available  
> especially for
> pick up jobs.  There's a really good friend of mine who plays really  
> well
> but he makes $200-250 a gig.  I don't even ask him - there's just no  
> way.

Hi Larry:

You must live in  a musically challenged part of the country. here in   
the Philadelphia area there are scores of competent players on every  
instrument that are available if a regular can't make it.

One example was the recent absence of our regular bassist Ace Tesone.  
He was out for 3 months because of a colon cancer operation. We had an  
instant replacement and quite a few bassists who called me when they  
heard Ace was sick with a view towards subbing for him. Ace is back  
with us from next Sunday on and feeling great at 81.

Regarding pianists, guitarists, banjoists we have a plethora of them  
who would love to work as the chord instrument with our various  
configurations from 3 to 7 pieces.

One difference with us and other OKOM bands in this area (and I  
suspect in the USA at large) is that we work quite a bit more than  
most other bands and we pay well. So I can occasionally even offer sub  
work to friends of mine who live in Washington DC or NYC. 100 miles  
away and they are quite pleased to do those gigs with us and rive the  
200 mile round trip to do so.

Regarding cutting  out on  Barbone Street it rarely happens because my  
guys/girls are loyal even though I  tell them to take better paying  
gigs if they are offered them. They are professionals who make their  
living performing and if they are offered a $400 gig when one of mine  
only pays $200 I urge them to take it and simply call a local sub or  
one of my friends from 100 miles away.
And there is nothing extraordinary about a $200 Barbone Street gig.  
Last night's paid the sidemen $300. And those who work the few  
"Society" gigs remaining can earn $500 or so. I certainly would not  
complain if a musician chose to take that one and asked me to sub.

Subbing is a fact of life in the music business these days and has  
always been so as far as I can remember.  (Roughly 1948)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband