[Tradjazz] The gig - First night 2000 - NYC

[William P. Taggart]

Steve,

That's a great story... THANK YOU!

I've got a few Bruce McNichols stories of my own to share... Which I
will do when time permits...

All The Best,  Bill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Barbone [mailto:barbonestreet at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 11:00 AM
To: tradjazz at list.okom.com
Subject: [Tradjazz] The gig - First night 2000 - NYC

I've been threatening Bruce McN to tell this story and now here it is:

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Back in 1999, Pete Pepke (trombone) and I were working a lot of gigs
together. Early in the year we were booked to play the millennium New
Year's Eve for Long Green. As you may remember, bands were getting
booked early and often as the expectation for all sorts of celebrations
took hold.

Lack of reservations at this very posh restaurant forced a cancellation
in October and we were paid $100 each as a cancellation fee. We were
immediately rebooked at another posh restaurant for even Longer Green.
That one cancelled on December 27 and we were each paid $175 as a
cancellation fee. (Smart band bookers had gotten some of the money up
front) OK we thought, we'll sit home this year, for $275.

But Pete, who loves to play, contacts Bruce McN who, lo and behold, had
booked a bunch of bands through his Muskrat Productions agency and was
still short Dixieland musicians for First Night 2000 in NYC. Time 9 PM
to 11 PM, at the Bronx Zoo outside - 6 piece Dixieland. Needs, clarinet
and trombone. Would we do it?

We agreed and drove to Central New Jersey where the banjo player (forget
his
name) fed us dinner at his house and then drove us to Bronx Zoo. We
report to heated Bus where we change into Summer weight striped jackets.
We had been warned in advance about this so I wore polar fleece under my
white shirt. Tuba player arrives (forget his name) and claims his
jacket. We note that remaining jackets are size small.

So far, so good, the 4 of us are all experienced Dixieland players so we
are happy. Then drummer arrives. He is dressed like the deer slayer in
black leather, fringed jacket, and black leather flared pants. He is
much too big to fit into either remaining jacket. OK, dress as you are,
what the hell.
Pete asks him if he is a Dixieland drummer? "Nope." Pete also notices
long sideburns and asks him where he has played recently. "I just got
off the road with an Elvis impersonator." How did Bruce hear of you? "He
got me from the AFM local 802 pool of available musicians. Oh, Oh.

Then he catches his pants leg on a sharp edge in the bus and rips the
inside seam from knee to crotch. No thread, but helpful coordinator lady
has four safety pins and pins him closed.

Then trumpet arrives. He is very thin and tall, wearing a long overcoat,
a Dizzy Gillespie beret, shades, and a Dizzy goatee. On his arm is tall,
thin, pale, good looking girl in a Vampira sort of way. Can't fit into
striped jackets either so what the hell, dress as you are. He is also an
802 find.
Do you play Dixieland? "Nope". What then? "Bop" (who'd have guessed
that)

Ah well, at least 4 of us know what we are doing.

We start by the Seal Pool. It is 30 degrees and we decided to play
"Indiana". I'll take lead, I tell trumpet and you listen through first
chorus, then play the bop tune Donna Lee which was written over the same
chords. "What key?" he asks. "F". Pete says to drummer, play 4/4 swing.

Seals, go crazy barking out of tempo and rushing around pool. Audience
likes it though. Zoo was all lit up with Christmas lights and a sight to
behold.
We move to close to pool and get splashed before retreating. We curse
Bruce (good naturedly) for putting us on this crazy gig.

As the night progressed, we moved to the Elephant/Tapir house. Folks
love us, animals ignored us and then to the Ape House. Folks loved out
but Apes go crazy so we move back to Seal Pool. Seal bark out of tempo
again and than a marching band with drum majorettes passes by. So we
stop for a few minutes and just oogle the girls who get splashed by
seals.

By 11 PM, we were cold, but happy as trumpet player had excellent ears
and as Pete and I alternated with melody line, trumpet heard the chords
after first chorus and we were able to play the normal war horse tunes
and some others familiar to the audience with trumpet playing credible
counterpoint.
Drummer also turned out to be excellent. And though I forgotten who the
banjo and tuba were, McN uses them often and they were Excellent.

One thing I did vow though, as my fingers were freezing. No more outdoor
gigs after mid-October and before May 1st.



_______________________________________________
Tradjazz mailing list
Tradjazz at list.okom.com
http://list.okom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tradjazz