[Dixielandjazz] Subbing? was Piano Player

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

There are some musicians in fairly large numbers such as trumpet and sax but 
around here piano players are in short supply.  As the group gets smaller 
the competence of the piano man has to get better.

The other thing is I am booking a lot during the week which means that some 
guy that works days isn't available.

Most keyboard players who want to work a lot are doing singles and duos. 
There is a lot more money there.  Frankly I don't know but a couple of 
musicians (side men ) who command over $125 for a gig with a band here in 
St. Louis.  That doesn't mean that there aren't any, it just means I don't 
know them.  I'm sure that if someone was paying anywhere near what you were 
quoting, word would get around.  Now I do know some leaders who regularly 
pull down $500 up but they aren't paying side men anywhere near that.

The best piano man that I know ( 25 years with an AF band ) is doing a 
single near his home across the river.  Prying him away from his gig takes 
some serious money and he doesn't like to cross the river.  He just won't 
drive the typically 50 miles or so to a gig.  If you stop and think about it 
after driving for an hour each way, playing a three hour gig and hauling a 
keyboard and amp, no one in their right mind would do that if they had a 
steady single going ten minutes from their house.

One of the best players I know works one hour nursing home gigs for $35.  I 
know that because I know what the leader pays and this guy works for him all 
the time.  I left out the name and instrument to protect the innocent.

I would agree with one thing you said and yes I do live in a musically 
challenged part of the country.  The only people who make a living with 
music (playing) are the symphony players and maybe a couple of 
leaders/bookers.  I hate to say it but St. Louis is and has always been 
backward musically.  The best musicians flee to the coasts if they want to 
make a living.
Larry
St.L
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 2:18 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Subbing? was Piano Player


>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
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