Gary, I'm not an entertainer,I'm 71 years old with totally white hair (what's left) and I get the cream of the single money jobs in this area.

I think that's because my end product is not limited as much as some of the three chord folks in the market. No one else out there plays "How do You Keep The Music Playing?", "Masquerade", Bluesette, "Song for my Father", "What are You Doing the Rest of your Life?", "That's All", "Here's that Rainy Day" and a lot more.

These tunes are different not because of age but because of structure. Same applies to anything from a Foreplay album.

When you are limited in your ability to play, you are forced to play simpler tunes, which, limits your appeal.

I NEVER lose a gig to "pickers and grinners". I'm part of the money establishment. This is a "one Horse Town" of "haves".

There is a long-time restaurateur who want's me to make a commitment to 5 nights at a place he's planning to open in early 2017.

On top of that, the reason I'm there is to pull work for my communications company. On that kind of job, I generally write $250,000.00 in repeatable (annual) job from the clientele.

I play what I want and get paid for it. And I have no competition.


Russ

Captain
I too have the white hair and I'm at the point where thats me. Too much of that dye sinking into my head. Everyone says I look better anyway.

Your a lucky dude. I love all those tunes and wish there was a place to play them. Sorry but you have to play the same old, same old here to keep working. Its like the McDonalds of the music business. Still fun but refer to some previous posts.
On my music stand right now is Rio de Janiero Blues. Going to learn it but doubt if I'll ever get a chance to play it anywhere unless I get another classy house party.
Keep playin the good stuff !

Bill, Rio De Janeiro Blue is a great song, I played and sang it tonight, and packed the dance floor at the restaurant. Russ, I also play some of those songs as well, as long as they are danceable. Donny Pesce once told me that if you cannot dance to the song, don't play it - he was right. Donny has been pretty darned successful in this business for a long time.

Tonight, I played and sang Saving All My Love For You, Begin The Beguine, Bad Leroy Brown, Autumn Leaves, Almost Like Being In Love, Beseme Mucho, A Pirate Looks At 40, Margarettaville, A Rainy Day In Georgia, After The Loving, Shake Rattle And Roll, Toes In The Water, Green Eyes, Rio De Janeiro Blue, The Wonder Of You, Can't Help Falling In Love With You, Nobody Does It Better, Last Waltz, Last Date, California Blue, and a bunch of others that don't immediately come to mind. I kept the place packed for the entire two hours I performed, so I guess I must be playing the music the audience wanted to hear and dance to. Additionally, I enjoyed playing and singing every one of those songs for them. I have to do one more job there in two weeks, then the boat will be in the water and I'll be in the boat.

Russ, I only know a few of the songs you listed above, but that's OK, you probably don't know the songs I perform regularly as well. You have your audiences and I'm happy for you in that regard. I guess we just enjoying playing different music to different audiences. Now, you keep saying you're NOT an entertainer, but in reality you ARE! You just don't look at in the same light as I do. If you were not entertaining those folks in the clubs and restaurants, you would not be getting the jobs - It's that simple. Now, the big difference between us is that I'm not there to garner new business for any other enterprises - I'm just there to provide musical entertainment the audiences and get paid for doing so. And, for the most part, the vast majority of musician/entertainers I know do the same.

All the best,

Gary

Gary, I know 99%, but only a few are on my playlist. Those are tunes that are pretty simple to play. Maybe that's also why people want to hear the.

Not from me.


R.

In general, I think people like the familiar, regardless of genre.

124, I agree. People tend to respond best to the songs they are most familiar with, including myself. Last night I played and sang Nobody Does It Better, which most of us are quite familiar with, but the audience last evening was not. They liked the song, but only a few people got up to dance. I performed and sang Beseme Mucho next, and the dance floor immediately filled to capacity.

Now, just because those songs are not complex to play or sing, doesn't mean a thing to the audiences, at least to any audiences I've played for during the past half century. I don't believe complexity has a thing to do with the entertainment value of a song, at least from an audience standpoint. All audiences, whether they are jazz aficionados or Jimmy Buffet fans, just want to be entertained. That's what they pay us to do.

All the best,

Gary

I work for a different "drummer". There is an element of education...advancing the appreciation of jazz and other forms of more evolved music. If not, I believe I'm not doing my job.

I'm the last of a standard bearer type. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer every year.

It's lots easier to just play simple songs and leave it at that. There's also nothing at all wrong with it.

If your main object is to entertain....fine.

If you believe it is your function to also educate, playing the simple stuff over and over is not an option.

Helping other players improve FEELS GOOD! Educating the public feels GREAT. Constantly reaching performance plateaus is FABULOUS!

Different strokes, for sure.


Russ

We did that with our band, I even have a demo of the beginning:

https://soundcloud.com/rorosetree/gesamt-demo-live-band-it-all-started-in-lo-mit-ak-pf-dm-rr

Sure wish I could hit those high notes, but alas, my bullfrog voice won't make it to those levels. Guess I gotta live with what I have.

Thanks Rosetree, nice vocals,

Gary

I would love to play "Masquerade" with you Russ. It is a favorite song I love to play on guitar. I am a dyed in the wool George Benson fan and love that song.