Gig Advice Needed

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:07 am Post subject: Gig Advice Needed

Our trad jazz band plays mostly out of the Real Dixieland book. What do think is the best way to perform vocals - full band through the tune, then vocal and solos or start with the singer and horns doing fills followed by solos and the out chorus?
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Billy B · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:09 am Post subject:

Listen to and copy the professionals
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Bill Bergren

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:15 am Post subject:

Good advice however I’m under the gun to do a roadmap for two hours worth of tunes with a band full of subs and a new vocalist so I don’t have time to do a search of how Muggsy Spanier or Jack Teagarden did it. But maybe I should make time, huh?
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Richard III · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:20 am Post subject:

We mix it up but the rarest order would be vocals first. Plus I avoid having too much vocals. I feel that too much you run the risk of just being a vocal band and basically like everyone else. Sometimes, also rarely we end with a vocal, maybe four bars.

I have a term I use all the time, "ear fatigue." That's when the soloist or singer goes on too long. Anything with the same sound get's boring. I'm always looking for ways to change stuff up.

Oh, and one of my favorite adds is to have everyone sing part of the tune towards the end. The whole band is singing. Sort of encourages the audience to join too. Get rowdy with it.

And then there's the thing with people singing their parts. Middle of the tune, maybe an eight bar break of that.

Have I gone on too long? So many ideas.
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Richard

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Richard III · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:28 am Post subject:

Billy B · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:41 am Post subject:

IMITATE
ASSIMILATE
INNOVATE
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Bill Bergren

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 6:01 am Post subject:

It's all good. Unless like yesterday when heat, wind noise, and audio issues intervened. But today is a new day. Happy Frather's Day, everyone!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

lakejw · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 7:15 am Post subject:

Instrumental chorus out front works well. Piano solo or tutti chorus.

Other than that, try to vary the form so that it's not the same solo order on every tune. That gets old for the players and the audience.

You could have everybody solo on every tune if you really need to stretch your material. I don't know how many people are in your band, but that could get long as well. Maybe 2-3 soloists on each tune, after the vocal.

Just try to vary it up. If you have 2-3 horns and a singer, that's a lot of combinations to work with.

JL
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TrumpetMD · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 8:51 am Post subject: Re: Gig Advice Needed

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 9:09 am Post subject:

I really like that approach, Mike. Thanks!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Mike Prestage · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:25 am Post subject:

The answer depends a lot on how willing your singer is to spend a lot of time not singing! Another consideration is how long you can realistically stretch each tune out for without alienating your audience. IMO the format Mike described should definitely be the starting point if you're not sure of the answers to these questions. You could always vary it a bit by sometimes playing a whole instrumental chorus before the first vocal - especially on tunes with short choruses or at quicker tempos.

It's much easier to be flexible if your audience would just as happily listen to instrumental jazz as vocals, and your singer is on board with being another member of the band rather than the band being there to accompany them!

Mike

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:05 pm Post subject:

Good obbervation, Mike. I'll be talking it over with the singer who does a lot of work with other bands. The gig is a picnic venue so I doubt many in the audience will be hanging on every note as opposed to some of our performances where people are definitely there for the music.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle