[Dixielandjazz] Saturday - some thoughts

[david richoux]

This thread almost takes us back to "Straws & Stripes!"

I have known Clint Baker since he was a sprout, and his band has played a
most authentic OKOM to a very appreciative worldwide audience for several
decades. If his band has chosen to wear whatever they want for
a performance (usually at a casual restaurant in Menlo Park where they have
played to huge crowds for many years) I have no problem with that. When
they play at Jazzfest New Orleans (one of a very few non-Louisiana bands to
be invited to the traditional stage)  I recall they wore a shirt and tie.

But really, in the long run, the idea of "dressing up for jazz" is not all
that big of a thing. If the music is right, most audiences will not care if
the band is not wearing matching clothes. I have been playing this stuff
for 40 + years - sometimes in "uniform" and sometimes not.

Whatever, but it really is not all that important! If we are trying to
continue the tradition to young musicians, I am not sure we need to enforce
a dress code.

David Richoux


On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 8:56 PM, Larry Garrett <lrg4003 at aol.com> wrote:

> I'm with my clarinet pal Dave on this one.  The venue and audience dictate
> the apparel.
> The Loose Marbles are probably better suited to whatever they woke up in
> for their audience.  It's funky and it fits.    But playing gigs in New
> Orleans in certain venues and in Kansas City, I opt for a classier dress
> code.  When I show up at Fritzel's on Bourbon St. they'll probably let me
> play in anything, but I feel more comfortable in a tie since that's what
> they're wearing.  Mr. Jones and Mr. Laughlin, Tom Fischer, Gerald French,
> Richard Scott, etc.---they show up classy.  And Lynn Zimmer and the groups
> in K.C. do the same.
> Just sayin.
>
>
> KC Clarinet
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Washburn <tootn4u at gmail.com>
> To: Larry Garrett <lrg4003 at aol.com>
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Tue, Jan 29, 2013 5:21 pm
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Saturday - some thoughts
>
>
> I, for one, agree.  I play in a couple of groups in which the guys show up
> in jeans and tee shirts.   When I front the group, however, I always ask my
> client what will be the appropriate attire. And even if it is casual, I
> like the band to look sharp.
>  Just my opinion,
> Dave in Dallas
> On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 4:56 PM, <vaxtrpts at aol.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >  I enjoyed LISTENING to the videos of Clint's band.  But it would be
> > interesting to see want others of you think about the LOOK of the video.
> > I come from 50 years in the music business and truly lament the fact that
> > musicians these days, come to the gig looking like they are sitting at
> home
> > watching TV or sometimes worse, like they should be working in the
> garden.
> > (Not so much the later in these videos.)
> > I have a theory that to be a musician on stage or in another realm, a
> > teacher infront of a class, you should look like you mean business and
> > respect yourself, the music (or subject) and the audience (or students).
>  I
> > think that a big part of the problem with deportment and lack of respect
> in
> > our schools today is that the teachers look exactly like the students.
> >  Other then on the "special Friday's" at Peggy's school - where the
> > teachers wore Levi's and the school golf type shirt with the logo on it -
> > Peggy always looked very nice when she went to school for those 32 years
> > before she retired.  Her students treated her with more respect than
> other
> > classes I saw where the teachers were wearing t-shirts and Levi's all the
> > time.
> > I truly believe the same goes for music.  When my band plays, the least
> we
> > wear are sport coats, nice shirts and slacks.  Sometimes we wear suits
> and
> > ties.  I even like the look of many of the bands that used to be on the
> > trad jazz circuit who work nice slacks and golf-type shirts with the band
> > name on them.
> >  I remember a review by the wonderful Jon Hendricks in the San Francisco
> > Examiner of my big band when we first started, back in 1973.  (I'm sure
> you
> > all know Jon as a very influential jazz vocalist, but he also did many
> > reviews for the Examiner many years ago.)  He loved the band and the
> music,
> > but he put us down for not "looking" the part of an important (or
> striving
> > to be important) big band, and talked about how great the bands looked
> > during the big band era.  HE WAS RIGHT.  And I never forgot that.  Since
> > that time, I have never walked on stage, not looking like I "meant
> > business."  Is it just me, or do others feel the same way?
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike Vax
> > Friends of Big Band Jazz, Prescott Jazz Summit,
> > Stan Kenton Alumni Band
> > www.mikevax.net
> > www.bigbandjazz.net
> > www.prescottjazz.com
> > www.getzen.com
> >
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>
>
>
> --
> Thanks,
> David
>
> www.threequartersfast.com
>
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