Re: F!!!! ? which wed jam

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On May 17, 2004, at 2:20 PM, eben ross wrote:

> where is the jam     lost in new haven ct
>
  Hi Ben, the jam(s) are in South West Fla. (a little far off the beaten 
path). The deal is:
1....No one want to pay down here.
2....The hotels, restaurants, etc are getting a good deal.
3....They pay a "singleton" (usually a keyboard), who starts a Jam 
night.
4....Eventually, other musicians show up.
5....SW Fla is similar to the "neon sign graveyard" in Las Vegas. (Lots 
of old retired musicians)
6....Some are pros, some are not. The amatures tend to be as GOOD as 
the pros.
7....The "additional" musicians present are buying food & drink (some 
bring the wife).
8....Friends of the musicians show up, MORE food & drink.
9....Some of the musicians "collect" a following. (more food & drink).
10..Some are "snowbirds" from up north. Some have their own groups.
11..Occasionally they are young (like 12) and play a WICKED jazz guitar.
12..There are also singers. Some are very good (some suck).

  I could list about another 13 scaps if I really thought about it, but 
I think you get the idea. On the one hand I would like to see this 
stopped as it actually HURTS the music scene (as a whole). I mean, if 
this keeps up, NO ONE will get paid gigs. I don't think it's right for 
these places to be making a profit with all this free entertainment as 
a "draw in" factor.
  What hurt these hotels in the first place was the adoption of the .08 
law (which cut the crowds in HALF), THEN they push through a smoking 
ban, bada-bing, bada-boom, crowd dwindles to a QUARTER.

  On the other hand, the "Leader" setting up these things, is taking 
advantage of the "other" musicians as he/she is getting them for free. 
This is the collusion that goes on between the clubs and the (mostly, 
but not always) keyboard people. Every week (it seems) a new place 
starts "Live" entertainment. Some make it and some don't. It all 
depends on how long the free musicians will show up.

  Unfortunately, down here there are a TON of guys who will start to 
play if you so much as light your "Bic" around them. They ALL have the 
same reason for playing. It's FUN, it's something for them to DO. It's 
a night out with the MISSUS, and there isn't ANY pressure like when 
they worked with Sammy Kaye, Les Brown, Ringling Bros, Toronto 
Symphony, etc.

  All in all, S.W. Fla is NOT the place to come if looking for gigs. At 
east not "Paying" gigs.......smo-joe