Gary, You're only reading what you want to read and hear. The guy is not an Elvis impersonator. He's an entertainer like you. They love him. But like everyone else he get's $50 at the nursing homes too.

$50 doesn't seem like much for a gig...in my case it's a 5 minute drive across town. I play and am back home in two hours. And I usually play twice a month or more at that price. So, my take from that one place for about three hours total(twice a month) is about $100.

I asked the AD what would happen if I upped my price to $75 an hour? She said the would pay it and have me come about once every three months.

guitpic1, you're the only one on this thread besides Eddie Shoemaker who's paying any attention and making comments that make sense. If you are enjoying what you are doing I'm elated for you! Really I mean it. That's the most important part of entertaining, isn't it? Myself, I had speakers, keyboard, the whole subang. I can't afford the 3 lb bose system. My speakers weight 30+ lbs I think along with extra gear for my sax etc and it got to be too much work for $50. I raised my price to $75 and I played maybe 6 or 7 gigs for that and the phone quit ringing.
Thanks for having the balls to tell the truth. Some people live in La La world and don't have a clue of what's happening outside of their little cube at the VFW hall. Ha ha. I thought of moving to Kentucky and playing with Russ for just the fun of it and maybe something to eat.

The same goes for my buddy SonnyG out in California. Oh and let's not forget about Chas! The same goes for him. It would all be great gigging with those guys and any others of their exceptional talents in the music profession, not just midi DJ entertainers. Anyway they (the Midi & DJ guys) don't want a sax player who can only play one note at a time on the same bandstand with them, ha ha ! Boy this is going to stir up a hornets nest. Ha ha. Now I'm having fun again.

I yield to my friend and mentor, mostly because I know very little about modern jazz. All I know is that the jazz clubs open here, don't draw many people, start running specials and give free stuff to get people in, then fold when their bankroll dries up. If betting sports were that easy to predict, I'd be rich!

Same here, Don. Lots of jazz clubs have opened, probably a couple dozen in the past decade in my immediate vicinity, and now they're all closed.

A couple local vineyards have a weekly deal going, they tried jazz and bluegrass bands, not much success with either and after a few months, they went to straight country, Jimmy Buffett stuff, and some old time Rock & Roll. Now you have to make reservations to get in the gate, and both locations easily hold 2,000 people. The wine flows, the money rolls in, and everybody's happy.

All the best,

Gary

Gary

You guys are right. It's a much harder road to travel, but it is possible.

We're alluding to the music vs. entertainment issue again.

On top of everything else, jazz people listen, but don't drink much. That makes paying the bills even harder.

In spite all of this, we diehards live to keep the music progressing, while we know that, with every improvement in knowledge and technique, we're one step closer to playing ourselves out of a job. Can't stand playing Buffet or country
(don't mind listening to some...Jimmy Wayne is really good).

No wonder top jazzers over time have had such miserable lives.


Russ

Russ the biggest thing is knowing and enjoying the fact that we've forgotten more then the country guys and one finger arranger chord playing guys could ever hope to comprehend. Boy, if this doesn't start some %$#@^&* #$%^ everyone here must agree with me or they are dead, eh.

UNCLE! I give up! I'm retired, I posted all my secrets to success, but as the old saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water..."

All the best,

Gary

No you don't Gary (Mr Diamond) I gave up after my previous comment. I gotta beat ya at something, you old fart!!

I played some senior jobs in New York when I was in my early forties; was not happy, too soft, too slow, and too limited.
Right now my body is saying go to the above list, I’m tired.

Whenever I was asked about jazz players my answer was always the same; they are really good players. The only problem is that they are not playing for you and me; they are playing for themselves. Ever go to a jazz club? The musician playing keeps looking at his instrument; at no time does he give attention to the people out front. Am I putting them down? No, defiantly no, they understand many things that other musicians need to know; and they have influenced my playing. They have their place in the music world.

We will all go through changes in our lives; the answer to happiness is to embrace the change and give it all you’ve got.

I thoroughly love playing for seniors, they know all about good music. (smile)

John C.