Wanted: GOOD professional jazz musicians to play a really CRAPPY gig

[Rooster_Ties]

MAJOR EDIT from the version I posted late last night.

Bless her soul, my wife cleaned up my original rant into this MUCH more measured version, which I've just sent. Doesn't exactly have the same "punch" to it, but that's the point. She's a saint. I was really in "Flame" mode last night at midnight (and I've already deleted that version from this post). Here's the new version...

Greetings everyone,

First let me say that I completely agree with NAME (the president of the board) that we need to focus on planning for the Feb. after-concert event -- which is little more than two weeks from now. For the auction I've already gotten most of my jazz musician friends to donate copies of nearly every CD they've recorded or produced over the last 5 years. I've already got a stack of 7 different donated CD's in my living room, with the promise of 5 or 10 other CD's within the next week from three or four other musicians I know. They normally sell most of these for about $15 each at gigs, and they're also in CD stores around town and available on-line.

Regarding the exchange about live music for the event, it should be apparent from this e-mail string (below) that I didn't start this. I was, however, asked to find quality free musicians for this event. My point is that, especially as an organization that exists to support the work of musicians, asking "A-list" professional jazz musicians to work for free is a bit of an insult.

What I suggested at the last Board meeting was that I might be able to get some local jazz musicians to play on a Friday night (where there's often the chance for more lucrative employment for them) for about $100 each (so about $200 for a duo). The going rate in a club would likely be double that. If our actual live music budget is $0 then my connections won't pay off, as I can't really ask my buddies to give up a night and work for free when they have bills to pay just like the rest of us. I don't think it's likely that we would ask Symphony musicians to play for free, would we? So, at our price point ($0), our only option would probably be to try to recruit student players, if we still actually want to have free live music.

Let me also say that I'm perfectly OK with NOT having live music at the event. I'm not pushing (and haven't pushed) for something that we don't have the budget for. My only suggestion was if we could pay a "reduced" rate, I might be able to snag somebody.

-- Tom

For those that missed my original post (and be glad you did) --- I was being asked by the governing board I serve on (or rather, a few specific board-members) to come up with FREE musicians for an after-concert cocktail event related to another multi-million dollar "symphonic" performing arts organization in town.

Edited January 18, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

Oh, and the musicians would basically be background music for what is an after-concert cocktail party (with a silent auction).

Isn't that what all jazz musicians are just dying to play for free??

Edited January 18, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Jim Alfredson]

We've done these types of gigs before. The absolute minimum is $100 a man. We've even done the "wallpaper before the silent auction" gig for a fundraiser. We got $400 for the trio, which is fair.

It's funny that so many times, hiring musicians is a total after-thought. Fundraisers are not the only ones guilty of this... many times, you can tell that some place that claims to have live music did so as an afterthought... ie, crappy "stage" area, caring more about people being able to talk over dinner than the music, etc.

It's just the world we live in, I guess.

[JSngry]

Tell you waht - if this organization will cover our travel expenses, hotel costs, and food, as well provide a reasonable per diem and gift certificates to the department stores of our choice, Quartet Out will gladly play the gig for free!

[AllenLowe]

around here, it's usually crappy musicians working a GOOD gig -

actually, maybe it's crappy musicians working crappy gigs...