For the last 6 years I have been balancing two lives: that of a working musician and that of a working school teacher.
Both are demanding jobs with lots of time spent in preparation for the performance, and they both include low pay for using a lot of improvisation.
Most of the people who witness me work are indifferent to what I’m doing.
Society snubs both occupations.
I took over the jazz series at the The Outer Space club back in 2011 in a rather lucky moment of being at the right place at the right time. I’ve known the owner Steve Rodgers for a number years dating back to when my old ska band used to play at his club. He told me he wanted a weekly series and thought I would be the man to run in for him.
I started right away trying to promote and book acts in CT to play our fairly new stage and give jazz, especially original material oriented bands a place to play. I had my connections with students from WCSU and the Hartt school, the New zhaven avant garde scene and various other connections with musicians in the area.
I knew I needed to start with a bang so I asked one of my trumpet heroes, Jeremy Pelt if he would play in a special guest setting to kick off the first set of dates. That show was on 2/17/12 and it was a huge success. I had hired my rhythm section to back up Pelt while he tore it up on some standards. I was able to secure a guarentee for Jeremy and made the money back at the door. We must have had about 60 people in the audience. I spent the rest of that night happy knowing I had something awesome going here.
Then the weekly frustration began…
Starting with the second week, the show would be the most upsetting task I would volunterrily put myself in. I promoted the shit out of these shows. First online and through facebook. Unfortunately the numbers weren’t happening. The audience wasn’t coming. Every week these great bands would play to virturally no one. Maybe some regulars at the bar if they were lucky. I wasn’t allowed to charge a cover so I tried to tip jar approach. If bands had a good night they could split about $25 in singles.
Most nights are like that. Barely any one in attendance. I’ve heard a slew of excuses but their all so jive. I just don’t understand why people don’t come to check the shows out. I’ve tried everything on my end including flyers, radio promo, online promotion and still no one comes. Funny enough, I am constantly hearing how they’re not enough places to gig.
I’ve had a few more guest artists come in and put together to festival nights. Those are always successful. I then changed the format from all year shows to just two sessions spanning 3 months and the jury is still out on if that is going to work.
The jazz scene struggles and I think it’s because people are selfish. I think they expect people to be at their shows and never pay it forward. I think that regular folk don’t go out to hear music enough due to the evolved-natured idea that paying for music is something you just don’t do. I think people stay in too much and I also think having jazz on a Sunday night is a mistake but not one that should effect people seeing music as much as it does.
Every week I keep plugging along, but I sure as hell need a sign that this wasn’t for nothing.
4/3/14 The Outer Space Hamden CT 8pm
The Zero Dollar Collective
Nick DiMaria Trumpet
Jeff Cedrone Guitar
Pete Brunelli Bass
Pete Riccio Drums
4/5/14 The Shrine Harlem NYC 6-8pm
Andrew Kosiba Fender Rhodes
Andrew Zwart Electric Bass
Mike Rasimas Drums
4/12/14 Integrity n’ Music Wethersfield CT 2pm
Andrew Kosiba Piano
Andrew Zwart Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
4/12/14 Cave a Vin New Haven CT 8pm
Andrew Kosiba Piano
Andrew Zwart Bass
Jerrod Cattey Drums
4/16/14 Lily Pad Inman Sq. Boston 7pm
Specter Collector DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Nick Di Maria Trumpet
Neil Patton Bass
Mike Dick Drums
4/18/14 Anna Liffey’s New Haven CT 10pm
Four on Three opening at 9pm
Andrew Kosiba Fender Rhodes
Mike Godette Guitar
Andrew Zwart Electric Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
4/19/14 The Telegraph New London, CT 3pm
Nick Di Maria Trumpet
Isaac Young Keyboards
Jaime Duquette Bass
Jonas Sanchez Drums
4/20/14 First Presbyterian Church Fairfield CT 9am
Laurie Birch Organ
Phil Giampietro Euphonium
4/25/14 The 9th Note New Haven 8pm
Uri Shaham Trio
4/26/14 The 9th Note New Haven 8pm
Justin Vendette Piano
Aidan O’Connell Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
Hey folks! Here is my list of the top 10 albums of the year in jazz: (No particular order)
Tyler Mitchell Live at Small’s
Dave Douglas Time Travel
Willie Jones III Sextet Plays the Max Roach Songbook
Dave Holland Prism
Albert “Tootie” Heath, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street Tootie’s Tempo
Jeremy Pelt Water and Earth
Mario Pavone Arc Trio
Matt Wilson Quartet + John Medeski Gathering Call
Tom Harrell Pieces of a Dream
Dezron Douglas Live at Small’s
Check them out!
2/1/14 Park Central Hamden CT 8pm
Andrew Kosiba Piano
Andrew Zwart Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
2/6/14 BRYAC Bridgeport CT 8pm
Scott Packham B-3 Organ, Prophet
Andrew Zwart Electric/Acoustic Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
2/8/14 Anna Liffey’s New Haven CT 8pm — CANCELLED DUE TO SCHEDULE CONFLICT
Andrew Kosiba Keyboards
Mike Godette Guitar
Andrew Zwart Electric/Acoustic Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
2/15/14 Cave a Vin New Haven CT 8pm — CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
Andrew Kosiba Piano
Andrew Zwart Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
2/16/14 The Ballroom Hamden CT 7pm
Opening for the BRYAC Allstars
Andrew Kosiba Fender Rhodes
Aiden O’Connell Electric Bass
Eric Hallenbeck Drums
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Did anyone realize how unimportant their music is in this world? Music?! Stop there! I should say Total Existence on Planet Earth!
Whether you come from a small, tight knit suburban music scene or a tight middle sized New Haven-esq type scene or a “little fish in a big pond major city” type music scene, let’s face it: Reputation Matters.
Not just, reputation but the way in which you treat others. I work and live within the confines of a tight middle sized music scene in the New Haven area. Many of the musicians in these parts know and work with each other in some degree or fashion. I’ve even known some of these musicians since high school and our garage band days. In fact I’m quite proud to see some of the guys I first played with grow into serious musicians and see their success. Some have even made it a habit of working with some heavy hitting groups and artists. Just recently I got to talk with a pal who I haven’t seen in years but is climbing his way up the indie rock ladder. I’m sure some of you have heard of The Stepkids. Great band and its awesome talking with their drummer Tim, a classmate of mine in college and talking shop. Don’t forget the little people when you spend a day in your gold plated jacuzzi someday!
Since creating the Jazz Series at the Outer Space in Hamden in the winter of 2011, I have been able to work with many more musicians from all around and see the business side of the scene from a different perspective. I started to realize why so many talented musicians never seem to get the amount of work that you would expect. Mostly, because they act like jerks to people.
You wouldn’t believe the demands I receive from musicians when booking a date for the series. From money to food to crowd expectation. I mean don’t get me wrong. Musicians deserve their earnings. I support that just as much as anyone else. However, I know when not to be an asshole to people. Talking down to a fellow musician or booker while talking yourself up, is no way to make a career. I learned from Eddie Henderson once: “You never want animosity on the bandstand, because its the music that suffers the most.” Can’t get any more simple than that.
We all have stories to tell and retell again and again of a time someone was a serious dumb ass on a gig. (I won’t get into firing a bandmate when I found out he said some inappropriate stuff to my friend’s girlfriends…. and mine own… at the same party.) But honestly, are these cats aware of their behavior? Sometimes I hope not because it would be quite irritating knowing they’re aware of it and think its ok.
Maybe I’m just a bleeding heart liberal who thinks of a perfect society where a jazz club exists on every block and every musician treats each other fairly and the gigs are plentiful and the money is astronomical and there’s free candy day and gas costs barely anything and you can watch Looney Tunes again and your girlfriend doesn’t turn the TV off when you want to watch Lethal Weapon for the 2nd time that day in between Rocky marathons!
I digress.
Let me get to the point of this post because if you’ve read this far, well, I owe you.
When a musician treats you badly, you can just hire another. Simple. When a show promoter treats you badly. It affects the scene. We have such a show promoter in the Nutmeg State. Someone who thinks they are the only game in town and just because they work within the network they can treat people like shit. It grinds my gears this Naplolean-God like complex and I’ve noticed that some club owners embrace it because let’s face it, the organizer brings business. I can’t blame the club owners for it, I want them in business just as much as anyone else. But, I can bitch about it on the internet! Booyah!
I like to think that I treat each musician I work with, whether on the bandstand or as a booking agent for the series, equally. I offer them the same fair deal as everyone else and do my best to spread their sound when I can. But the organizers of one particular booking agency in Connecticut (face it, we all know who I’m talking about) need to realize you can’t act like an asshole to people. It creates negative karma for you. One day there will be a young kid like you, trying to do the same work and they’ll have a better situation because they’ll know your reputation and how 99% of the people who work with you think you’re a fucking scumbag. Lastly, stop treating people like dirt because its only a matter of time before someone “socks you in the mouth.”
Just be cool, people.
Hey folks-
I just finally found a moment to sit down and update the website and here goes my attempt at any kind of informational harbinger for all of you to enjoy… because I know you all have been waiting to hear what I’ve been up to.
The newest news! I have yet another album out. This time its by one of my many side projects with Jeff Cedrone and Mike Rasimas called the Zero Dollar Trio. We recorded a live performance at The Outer Space, Hamden’s and perhaps Greater New Haven’s best and only legit jazz club.
The trio plays completely free and full of every genre and style you can think of. Jeff is a gizmo guy who often times also shreds your face off with his riff, Marc Ribot style guitar playing. On the album he also doubled on synthesizer which was absolutely killer to improvise over. Mike Rasimas is one of the best drummers I’ve ever worked with. He’s one of those few drummers who listens to everything you spill out and knows how to support you and give the occasion push off the cliff into musical bitchin’-ness.
The three of us don’t get to play together too often due to our pursuits so its a very exciting feeling to release a record together. Having it from a live gig also makes it enjoyable because any musician can attest to the energy you feel from a crowd.
You can check out the record at http://www.the-zero-dollar-trio.bandcamp.com
So the snow ruined a lot. Haha, in fact my life is over. Ok, not really.
So in February, we had a record setting blizzard. 30 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. Needless to say it was pretty nuts. It took me three days to shovel out. The snow cancelled 4 gigs in a row including the Winter Jazz Festival we were on the line up for at The Outer Space. The show had us with 4 other groups and all the profits were going to be donated to Jimmy Greene and his family in memory of his daughter. I was so pumped to play the new quartet album for potentially a huge audience. Luckily though, the snow did not cancel the CD Release party the following weekend.
The response to the new album, The Beatnik, is really positive. Modestly I’ll admit people have been saying they not only like the over all sound but the compositions and the playing. Doesn’t get any better than that!
We have gigs every saturday this month so I’m looking forward to playing the material and getting more copies to more, and especially new, sets of ears!
Lastly in terms of new albums, I’m planning another live record for this summer. I’m hoping to do a sextet date with an added tenor saxophone and trombone and play some new originals and lesser known jazz classics. I’ve been obsessed with Herbie Hancock’s Speak Like A Child and am in the process of arranging it so it can be played with the band in the same style we play Toys. In the same vein I’ve been writing new compositions in the style of Mwandishi, and early electric Miles. I really don’t mind it that my influences are so obvious in my sound. They made me who I am and how I play right? Let my voice evolve from that.
I’ve been on a quest to get the band or at least myself in other cities. My ultimate dream is to gig in Portland, Seattle and Frisco with a local rhythm section and hopefully one day my own. In the mean time I’ve been networking for gigs in Philadelphia, Providence and Boston. Being an unknown jazz musician makes it tougher than ever. We’ll see but the more I network and sit in with other bands the better chances.
Well that’s good for now. See you in the funnies.
I’m definitely looking forward to this weekend.
We will be a part of the Winter Jazz Festival at the Outer Space club in Hamden, CT. The Outer Space is a great club in the greater New Haven area that we frequent quite often. In fact we recorded a live album there last year, released last October, entitled: Still Cool: Live at The Outer Space.
We will be joined with 4 other Connecticut groups: Ian Haile 5tet, Shane Peters Trio, MLB Trio, and Tre Bella. I am so excited to hear these groups take the stage.
Hope to see you there,
I am still feeling the great vibes from last Saturday night!
The band performed at Middletown’s Buttonwood Tree. Its a performance space right on Main Street that neighbors many local bars and restaurant. I’ve played at TBT numerous times with my quartet and my experimental group, The Zero Dollar Trio.
Most times there hadn’t been much of a crowd. It always felt like there would be a couple people who politely listened for a tune or two then left. In terms of ZDT, we actually made 4 people walk out due to the absence of open mindedness and musical taste.
This last weekend was a very different surprise. We had one of the most receptive audiences I’ve ever had. Normally I don’t care if there’s people listening; the band is always playing our hearts out regardless but I mean come on, let’snot kid ourselves here.
We played music from the two albums and two brand new compositions that had only been played once before. The band aced them like they had been in the book for years!!
One of the new compositions was the Mwandishi influenced ‘Esoteric,’ a tune with multiple cued sections that rely more on group improvisation than changes and structure. The other, ‘Brand New Package’ is more along the lines of an early 70’s funk tune a la “Willie Nelson,” “Its About That Time,” or “Spanish Key.” I was very pleased by the results.
Although the CD release is coming up, it was the first gig that our new record was available at and the response was incredible. People have been commenting on the “fluid and original” writing of the compositions and the high level of playing. I can’t not stress how humble and in awe I am. I can’t wait for the CD Release!
Cheers
Nick Di Maria 