[Dixielandjazz] Mixing "listeners" and "dancers"

[Marek Boym]

Hello folks,
Tonight, at the New Orleans Function show, there unfortunately were no
dancers.  Unfortunately for two reasons:
1. The gig is by definition for dancers.  If they don't come, it's
likely to fold.
2. The band always plays better when it has dancers in fron thereof.
Luckily, there were some older people in the audience tonight;
usually, my friend, who is 15 years my junior, and I are the oldest,
and considerably raising the age average.  Tonight I was still the
oldest, but there was another over fifty couple and the parent's of
Eli, the trumpeter, so I did not feel such an outsider.
Despite the absence of the dancers, the gig went quite well, leaning
more towards swing than Dixieland because of the guest guitarist; I
was amazed that he could play the old tunes and fit in with the band
at all.  He seemed to be reading his parts, but when his music fell
down he did not stop playing.
Cheers

On 10 January 2012 21:51, PHIL WILKING <philwilking at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> In the 1980's and before, The Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble of New Orleans played every Wednesday night in a tough neighborhood in the most termite riddled old "joint" you could imagine.
>
> They filled the place with college students who danced to all the tunes, and not just foxtrots, but waltz, schottishe, and more.
>
> Those who wished to merely listen to the music did so at the tables and a good time was had by all.
>
> By the way, as I remember it, the band played without amplifiers and yet everyone could hear everything because no one was screaming.
>
> Phil Wilking, K5MZF

>
>