Re: Using Jazz Standards to Get Into a Venue for Looping

[Travis Hartnett <tiktok@sprintmail.com>]

As a solo looping acoustic guitarist, I've found that places with the 
words "grill", "bar" or "tavern" don't seem interested in what I do, 
whereas anywhere with "cafe", "coffee" or "tea" is interested.  The 
feedback I've gotten from the booking agents at the former is that they 
like my stuff, but they're looking for something with more "energy".  What 
it seems to boil down to is you can not have drums or not have vocals, but 
not both.  I don't advertise my stuff as featuring looping, even though 
all of my pieces are built on echoplex loops, so as far as they're 
concerned, I'm a "contemporary acoustic guitar insrumentalist".  For some 
places, the looping is an attractive bonus, but by and large the subject 
doesn't come up.  

If you're looking for jazz gigs, I'd definitely recommend pulling out the 
175 and lay down a backing track and bass line for whatever standard 
you're doing on the EDP and then play solos on top of it.  I wouldn't 
bother explaining the concept to the agent--just tell them you're doing a 
Jim Hall/George Van Eps thing with standards, and see if they know enough 
to ask you how you're pulling it off.  I suspect they won't, and when they 
find out, they won't care.

I'd think that all the jazz-style bar/restaurant/hotel gigs would dig 
that.  Dealing with one musician rather than a group is preferable for 
most booking agents.  And you get to keep all the money.

>Are any of you playing loop music that is on the abstract side and
>finding it difficult to get satisfying gigs, especially at popular pubs
>and restaurants?  What type of venues to you play at? Art galleries?
>Coffee shops? Mostly festivals?  Coffee shops are starting to get old
>for me.

>Regards,

>Krispen