Note to jazz audiences

[John Wentzien]

I can't stand people that have an obnoxious "cell-phone" ring-tone on full blast, and sit there with the phone on one ear...and a freaking finger in the other...GLARING at the band because it is interfereing with their important call.

 

[colcifer]

Why should jazz be treated like chamber music all the time anyways?

Do you mean like an art form? Last I checked music composition and performance is a type of art.

 

[bass12]

Some people to don't go to hear jazz to "hear jazz", some do it seem hip and cultured.

+1. I don't believe that most people actually like listening to jazz (if by "jazz" we're talking about anything be-bop related). I'm convinced that pretty much the only people who genuinely like be-bop are the ones playing it and other musicians.

 

[corinpills]

Wait a minute, I'm confused by the subject heading on this thread. I thought the words jazz and audience were mutually exclusive.


I kid, I kid because I love.

 

[Elrend]

What the hell kind of jazz clubs do you people play at?

 

[Busty]

Note to jazz audiences: why applaud automatically each and every solo??

 

[audiomitch]

If talking bothers you, try ripping into a loud solo. That will shut em up

Or else just threaten them with a bass solo. "If everybody doesn't shut up, we're gonna do a 20 minute bass solo!"

*dead silence*

 

[Rosebud]

haha- jimmy bruno used to play 4's w/ loud audiences. "I play for 4 bars you shut up, I'll stop for 4 bars you can say whayever you want".

 

[robwren]

L.A. drummer/vocalist Dave Tull has something to say on this very subject

 

[fdeck]

I rarely play in a formal concert atmosphere. If I played in a club, and the audience sat there in utter silence, it would creep me out. More often than not, some people are paying attention to the music, and some aren't. That's OK with me.

I personally don't believe that playing jazz suddenly makes it highbrow. That's the last thing we need if we want to keep attracting an audience.

 

[arose11]

Do you mean like an art form? Last I checked music composition and performance is a type of art.

I probably didn't make it very clear. In the context I was talking not having the people staying completely quiet during the song, people at the bar should feel like they can interact with each other in a social manner. You can still have your art from and let people have a good night on the town at the same time.

 

[pharmakon]

I think it's all contextual. If it is a "concert," then sure, shut the hell up and listen! If it's at a club (and how I wish we had jazz clubs in my town!), I would think it's fine to talk, mingle, etc. Footage I've seen from 20s through 50s at jazz clubs show people mingling, ordering drinks, trying to hook up, etc. But I also think if that's the case, the interlocutors shouldn't try to out volume the band!

 

[SteveC]

If people are finding the conversation more compelling than your band maybe you should take a hard look at what you are doing up there.

You don't get reverence and respect just for showing up.

You don't get respect for just showing up, but just because you are an amazing player doesn't mean that the average person will give a sh&t.

I go to a jazz concert to hear the jazz,

Exactly. I play at clubs. I don't expect people to react/listen the same way they would if they were in a more "formal" concert setting. I expect to be "background" music. And sometimes, we do something particularly well and even the non-listeners take note. That's a win in my book.

If talking bothers you, try ripping into a loud solo. That will shut em up

Or send them out the door. It completely depends on the setting.

I think it's all contextual. If it is a "concert," then sure, shut the hell up and listen! If it's at a club (and how I wish we had jazz clubs in my town!), I would think it's fine to talk, mingle, etc. Footage I've seen from 20s through 50s at jazz clubs show people mingling, ordering drinks, trying to hook up, etc. But I also think if that's the case, the interlocutors shouldn't try to out volume the band!

This is a good, sensible statement.

 

[mboogiemanusa]

My cover band records every performance from the back of the room. When I play back the performance later we hear all sorts of crazy **** being said. Usually bar owners like hearing some folks talking over the music because it means everyone is having a good time,waitresses and bartenders can hear drink orders and the band is not too loud. Many times we hear people singing along to our songs in the strangest places and we can't hear them from the stage when we are playing. My favorite conversation is once we ended a song and caught 2 hotties discussing the frilly underwear they were wearing on their dates that night. Good to be a fly on the wall sometimes. Unfortunately jazz has become synonymous with mellow easy listening mood music especially if the jazz band has no vocals. The majority of the club/bar audience is there to socialize or hook up and not dissect every note like a bunch of musical mad scientists.

 

[groooooove]

most real jazz clubs have a quiet policy...

 

[puddin tame]

If the audience isn't paying attention to your playing that's for a reason.

Try dropping your dynamics, nothing gets people's attention like a sudden silence. Playing louder will just piss them off if they're already trying to talk over you

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

^And then after a few moments you come in with a crushing crescendo ending in quadruple-forte madness.

 

[DougD]

Or else just threaten them with a bass solo. "If everybody doesn't shut up, we're gonna do a 20 minute bass solo!"

*dead silence*

HAR!!!;-)

 

[eSmith]

I think the setting makes all the difference. In the concert setting, people come to see you, in a club setting, You are there to entertain them. So, who is really there to see who makes all the difference in the world. if that makes any sense.

Going to clubs is about being social to most people so your going to have to accept a certain percentage of the crowd never even considered the band was going to be there when the set out for a night on the town. Pub crawls and bar hopping lead to people ending up where they never set out for. You really can't blame the crowd.

Bands also have to understand there role, every gig isn't about people watching you, even if your cracking off some pretty hot jazz. Jazz Combo's get hired all the time where it's about entertaining a corporate crowd and you can bet they wouldn't get hired twice if a rude comment came over the PA regarding someone talking if it turned out you just insulted an important client of the people who hired you.

Play on, and if they are not listening, work on your chops.....

Cat's gotta cut his teeth where he can.....

-eSmith.

 

[Shakin-Slim]

Man I go to this gig every week and they keep the attention like nobodies business. Sure, there's chatter but man jazz is music for people. Not vegetables.