[Tradjazz] Playing where the kids are - Drinking etc.

[Steve Barbone]

"Bruce McNichols" <muskrat at bestweb.net> wrote

> Hey Steve, 
> 
> As I read your message, I was planning my reply, which was gonna remind you
> that we had played together. Then, of course, you covered that point. Did I
> say "Play where the kids are." I don't remember saying that, but I like it, I
> like it! 

Not only did you say that Bruce, but a few years later, you repeated it in
letter form to "The American Rag" adding that we had to get this music to
"kid" venues like their night clubs, restaurants, and at street fairs etc. I
took that to heart and still thank you for pointing me in that direction.

> During our run of playing school assembly programs (in the 1970's) we found
> out first hand, that kids, including very young ones, and teen-agers, LOVE our
> music. This was especially evident with the pre-teens. The fact is, we got 'em
> before they found out that they weren't supposed to like it. You know - peer
> pressure and all that.

Yep, they love it . . . even as teenagers if the band makes the program
relate to them. That is a worldwide phenomena which I will post about having
recently played before 6000 screaming young people at the Red Sea Jazz
Festival in Eilat, Israel. With a pick-up band called "The Ambassadors of
New Orleans" which at the last minute replaced Preservation Hall who
cancelled out at the last minute because of the Hezbollah conflict. 2 East
coast musicians, and 5 from the West Coast.
 
snip to

> I remember one night (in the 60's) when the wonderful piano man Buddy
> Blacklock, said that he had decided not to drink on the gig. I was taken
> aback. He said that the idea of working most nights of the week, and drinking
> every night, just wasn't such a good idea.
> 
> It was a few years later, when I decided to cut down. I clearly recall the
> Friday/Saturday night gig we had at the time. I came up with the concept of
> not having a drink until the start of the second set. It seemed to work out
> quite well. The next night I did it again, only that time, when the second set
> was about to begin, I decided to hold off for yet another set. I never did
> have a drink that night (or on any other gigs). From then on, to my amazement,
> the drive home seemed to take a lot less time.
> 
> I remember a steady Sunday we had for years, up around Brewster, NY. It was an
> hour and fifteen minutes from where I lived. At that time, I thought that that
> it was a long ride. These days, it's amongst the shorter drives, to a gig.
> That was a revelation, after I stopped drinking on gigs. The ride home was a
> snap, when previously it had been a struggle to keep my eyes open, and to keep
> on the road. And that was in the days before air bags, or even seat-belts.
> Sheesh! 
> 
> In the 1980's I heard about a new car that advertised: "Driver's Side Air Bag
> - and - Passenger Side Get-Well Card."
> One by one, the guys in my band cut out drinking on the gig. My main impetus
> wasn't health or even safety. As a band leader, I felt that I had to keep my
> wits about me, in order to run a good gig (not to mention that as a player, I
> feel that I need all the help I can get).
> 
> The passion that most of us have for our music, is an amazing and wonderful
> thing. It's no wonder that drinking while playing is such an attractive and
> seductive concept. Happily, many of us have come to the realization that the
> music is such an aphrodisiac in and of itself, that it really doesn't require
> a mind-altering substance, to make it good.

Yep, I no longer drink on gigs either except in very rare cases. Like you, I
regularly drive as much as 160 miles round trip to gigs these days and
prefer to do that sober, especially at my age. (73) Last year also did about
100 gigs at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, a round trip of 245 miles.

snip to 
 
> I am of the sincere opinion that learning how to play an instrument is the
> easy part. It's just a matter of learning the mechanics. I say that learning
> music is the hard part. That's the thing that requires the effort and the
> study. Of course, it's easier for some than for others. {I'm one of the
> "others."}

Yep, the music is the hard part. The mechanics are just "practice". There is
a direct relationship. More hours you woodshed, the better the mechanics. On
the other hand, swinging, improvising coherently, communication to the
audience with your axe is the hard part, and IMO what jazz is all about.
> 
> Steve, I love hearing about your early days, playing and meeting the greats of
> the day. I know that we have lots of players and buffs, on this list and
> listening to Radio OKOM (www.okom.com).

I'll do some more of that if folks don't get bored. Have many stories about
Omer Simeon, Bird, Monk, Hawkins, Eldridge, Bechet, D'Amico, Krupa, Dizzy,
Louis, Peterson, Clifford Brown, Basie and others. I was just very lucky to
just be in the right place at the right time to meet them in the days when
jazz was vibrant in NYC and the players were very accessible.
> 
> LET'S HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU.

Amen to that.
> McN

Steve

PS: to Bruce. Still fondly remember the First Night 2000 Pepke and I worked
for one of your bands at the Bronx Zoo. That was one of the funniest gigs I
ever played.