NEWS FROM THE FRONT
August 2008
This month's
gig calendar is populated with performances that are financed by the City of Erie and other donors, sponsors, and all-around nice folks from the Erie area.
Generosity aside, this series of open-air, public sets of music, for myself, in this case, mostly jazz with some
OWT for good measure, brings up an interesting and pertinent issue for the music scene here in Erie, PA, and perhaps elsewhere.
Erie has built up its summer concert series with the idea in mind of attracting tourism to Erie and helping local vendors and service providers by drawing this traffic to them.
As a musician who plays these jobs, and also works the club scene here, I and my fellow working jazz musicians have noticed that the local jazz clubs, Scotty's, for example, have much less in the way of music in general, and jazz in particular, during the season of these concerts.
It can easily be argued that the free access to music that normally requries a cover-charge to experience hurts the business of these local establishments, which need that cover charge to stay in business and pay the musicians.
I have seen and been the recipient of more and more cancellations as the summer season wears on, as have others in this market.
In a very real way we cannot continue with jazz in Erie without these clubs.
There is a flip side, however.
For one thing, outdoor shows DO draw tourism to Erie, and that is a big factor in our summer economy.
In addition, it shows off Erie's local talent to out-of-town people and locals who have their children with them or don't enjoy the night-time club scene, and creates what they call "buzz" in the music industry.
AND, we get paid for these jobs through the previously mentioned generous funding, and that can, to a degree, suppliment, for gigging musicians, the loss of income from the lack of club work.
It doesn't help the clubs, however, and momentum is lost that must be regained as that lovely Erie winter comes closer and indoor entertainment doesn't sound so bad.
So I will postulate the debate this way:
Does this practice help the overall music scene in Erie, or does it hurt the core scene for the sake of a few tourist dollars and some extra entertainment tax?
And, does it help the artists in the same way that giving away free digital downloads helps promote new music and new players, or does it keep people's money in their pockets, since they can get the same thing for free?
If you are interested in chiming in on this issue, please visit my
comments page
and tell me what you think.
The free gigs are:
3bop on the 7th at Frontier Park, the 15th, first at the Perry Square Gazebo, then in front of the National City bank on State Street, and a duo at Perry Square on the 20th during the day.
Cat's A Bear on Saturday the 16th in the Gazebo, then One World Tribe in the evening of the same day, most likely on a main stage.
OWT also plays in Bemus Point at the casino on the 8th.
3bop plays at Alto Cucina on the 30th.
Shout Outs:
Tito, again, for continuing to bring my hands and arm assemblies back to their optimum condition through the use of his massage techniques.
All the people who helped with Ari while my wife was in England working on her doctorate: Louise, Nancy and Jack, Patience, and the Dorris clan: Joe, Paula, Zoe, Diva and Piper.
J.D. Hopkins for staying with the music and putting out CD number 13, and for all those other intangibles that are greatly appreciated.
Everyone out there who supports local and regional music.
Thanks for keeping jazz and creative music alive!
Until next time,
peace - f
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RECENT NEWS
CD Baby.com is our newest mp3 store!!!
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Cat's A Bear
Tito: In Search of a Revolution
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Eye Of The Pyramid
Frank Singer
Generations String Quartet
J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm
Music From Another Planet
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Primate Gestures
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Family Values
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Quantum Events
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Smoke Shadows
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Imagination Doctors
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Live At Forward Hall
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Crossing Oceans of Time
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Beyond Attention
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Moving Through The Elements
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Astral Worlds
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Near Journey's End
One World Tribe
The World Today
Too Big Power
Ride A Wave
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J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm: NEAR
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MOVING THROUGH THE ELEMENTS |
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CROSSING OCEANS OF TIME |
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The latest double-disc CD from J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm
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expositions.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SITE
 Music
fans, Jazz Society members, fellow professional musicians, instructors and
composers, music shoppers, and music and jazz history students can all
find something at Frank Singer.com. First, if you are
looking for CDs with original music, visit the CDs
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www.standards-1.com
Cat's A Bear
One World Tribe
J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm
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