Making a living in a Big Band

Fishbones

Silver Member
Do you guys know if it is common, in a large city, to make a living playing in a big band jazz setting?

A great deal of my gigs are with jazz and funk bands, and I recently began performing with a Big Band. This is basically my dream gig. I love playing with so many people and It's the most fun I've had in a long time. I grew up on this type of stuff, and I decided I would like to further pursue my musical career by playing primarily with jazz big bands. Do any of you have any examples of people who make a living mostly playing in this kind of situation? Would this be a successful endeavor? Thanks so muchg for everyone's help!
 
Not since the 1940s! :) An even then, it was probably not a great living, unless you were lucky and talented enough to tour with a big name act.

Today, Big Band music is a niche market within the niche market of live music, in an city of any size. My trumpeter friend does a weekly big band gig, an hour from home, for $30 (which barely covers gas). At a nearby high school, there is a big band that does nothing but gather to rehearse and read charts. They never gig; they're all just there to enjoy playing the music. They might even pay a small yearly fee to pay for the time in the rehearsal room.

But don't underestimate the value of networking. You're playing with so many other musicians, one of them is bound to call you for a paying gig at some point! Besides, you're having fun, right? So long as you can afford, keep at it!
 
Can you make any kind of living playing drums other than giving lessons? Even well sought after studio drummers who play with big names have to give lessons to make ends meet. Unless you're incredibly good and are constantly working in the studio.
 
Not since the 1940s! :) An even then, it was probably not a great living, unless you were lucky and talented enough to tour with a big name act.

This.

Look at all the big band greats from the 30's and 40's. Most of them scaled way back to smaller bands into the 50's and 60's.


Making money in music is hard enough. Then trying to split it between 12 to 25 people doesn't leave much. It's not like audiences pay for tickets by the band member.
 
I love playing in a big band, too. And, not to toot my own horn, I'm really good at driving them. Musicially, I mean...


but big bands = big expenses. Each gig needs to be at least $2000. It's $100 a man for a 20 piece band. And that's not even factoring in transportation and hotel, if the band is out of town.

There is NO other sound like it. Not now, not ever. It's why I love Basie, Ellington, Goodman, Hampton, GIllespie.

Bottom line: you'll be starving if big band is the only gig you're playing.
 
Big band playing is the one of the most challenging and enjoyable situations to perform in. It takes a lot of confidence to keep a band of that size together and pumping. I've only done a few professional big band gigs and they were very low paying, but very rewarding.

Tommy igoe's main gig is the birdland big band. Even though he's known predominantly as an educator and obviously makes quite a bit of income from his educational materials, I think he would be making enough cash purely from his weekly gig to survive.

It's very possible to make a living from music without teaching. Although, I think most drummers gain great enjoyment from passing on their knowledge to students through private lessons etc. I make a living purely from playing in one original band, and I know others that do the same. It's hard work but it is possible.

Is it possible with a big band? I think so, you'd probably have to target the high end corporate market. Festivals aswell. It's not uncommon to make tens of thousands of dollars from a single corporate event. Keep touring to a minimum. You could also strip down the size of the band for some shows


But maybe I'm just dreaming...
 
Tommy igoe's main gig is the birdland big band. Even though he's known predominantly as an educator and obviously makes quite a bit of income from his educational materials, I think he would be making enough cash purely from his weekly gig to survive.


QUOTE]

Tommy Igoe plays broadway. I believe that's his main gig along with the teaching. He does the big band for fun.
 
QUOTE]
Tommy Igoe plays broadway. I believe that's his main gig along with the teaching. He does the big band for fun.[/QUOTE]

I don't think this is correct. I'm aware he wrote the drum charts for the lion king broadway show and that he's done broadway in the past. I'm also aware that he does a lot of traveling for clinics and to promote his educational materials. There's no way he'd have time to play 8 shows a week on broadway, travel the world doing clinics, perform a weekly big hand gig and continue making new books/videos.

His main income would definitely come from the education side, but he would also make income from the big band.
 
if you are really as happy as you sound about your situation....the money shouldnt matter....

just play music......the audience will come and the bills will get paid....somehow

trust me......its been happening to me for over 20 years......somehow :)
 
QUOTE]
Tommy Igoe plays broadway. I believe that's his main gig along with the teaching. He does the big band for fun.

I don't think this is correct. I'm aware he wrote the drum charts for the lion king broadway show and that he's done broadway in the past. I'm also aware that he does a lot of traveling for clinics and to promote his educational materials. There's no way he'd have time to play 8 shows a week on broadway, travel the world doing clinics, perform a weekly big hand gig and continue making new books/videos.

His main income would definitely come from the education side, but he would also make income from the big band.[/QUOTE]

Gotta disagree more than a bit - first projects like Tommy's Broadway Big Band are total money pits - you do them for the art, for the publicity, for any number of reasons.... except direct income. Because for the leader, there will be little, if any, net income.

I don't know if Tommy's still playing Lion King in NY or not (maybe someone who does will chime in) - but his involvement in the show was far greater than writing the drum charts - which in it self is a weird way to put it (saw that written on the Vic Firth site... weird). Not to take from his contribution to the show as it was considerable - as the drummer there from the beginning of the show's reboot of the movie - he was very instrumental in developing lots of the specifics that have since become an established part of the show.

Also Tommy was not only the show's original drummer and longtime mainstay in that chair, but also spent some amount of time acted as assistant conductor as well (meaning he would have conducted the show on nights the regular conductor wasn't there).

As for him not having time to juggle the show commitment, the weekly big band, his occasional clinics and work teaching and developing educational material.... welcome to the world of being a professional musician. That's pretty much what it takes to "make a living" as a musician... as many kettles as you can squeeze on the stove at all times. And Tommy's been successful for me to know (with having ever met him) that he's been working his butt off at a relentless pace... for a long time.

One last note - regarding on-going shows like Lion King... it is actually required in most contracts that a player have subs available and ready to go in case of illness or other such emergencies - and in most contracts, "ready to go" requires each sub needs to play at least semi-regularly. So rarely is the main player playing the full 8 show week - and if the player is established and liked by the show (and his/her subs are up to snuff) there can be great latitude as to the main player's ability to take time off for other pursuits.

During the time I subbed Lion King in Los Angeles, I was called in for whole weeks at a clip as Dave Owen (the regular player) took time off to keep his other accounts active. And for most of the run, there were three of us subs filling in for Dave.

But over all my point is most pro guys are always juggling a dozen projects at a time.... That's simply what it takes.

David
 
Oh and I'm sorry - to answer Fishbone's original question...

No - at least in this country (USA), I don't know of anyone making the majority of their living playing in a big band situation - the last of that would've been sometime in the early 80's with the demise of Buddy's and Maynard's bands.

In the 70's, there were guys doing it... but it really wasn't much of what most would call a living. :)


David
 
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