Posted by anon on September 03, 2000 at 13:56:19:
In Reply to: Jazz Cruise with Tubas posted by Art on September 02, 2000 at 23:00:37:
A long time ago, I made a fairly considerable % of my living from the money earned playing in a band such as this. The larger (land-based) jazz FESTIVALS were OK - Even though the pay was ridiculously low, we would end up selling a lot of recordings and T-shirts. The CRUISES, however, were another thing altogether. The pay was low, the amount of time involved was extended, and there were fewer people ("captive audiences") available to which to sell merchandise. Usually, the bands themselves organize these cruises, and I would consider them to be "vanity" events.
On the other hand, I encourage anyone's support. These outings are fun - just not very profitable for the musicians.