Playing the saxophone Jazz in Las Vegas?

[JayeNM]

Well thanks for the suggestions folks. I’m sure I’ll be back in Las Vegas sometime soon, but tomorrow I head for LA.

To recap, Maxan’s has an act I looked up on YouTube, and decided to pass. Darren’s last show tonight was at 9 PM and I was with my relatives until 10.

One place looked promising, The Dispensary, but they had no music on Friday or Saturday night. (!!) They do have a group on Sunday, but I’ll be gone. The only other jazz-adjacent act I could find tonight was the Cathy Rich show which features the Buddy Rich big band … I’ve seen a few videos of that show and just no…

As I said, I was able to sit in at a private jam/rehearsal (not sure which) with a bunch of guys reading arrangements of bebop tunes. Good rhythm section, pro players who’ve been in the Vegas scene for decades. Mildly entertaining, but I’m not sure why this group gets together.

Funny, there was a place in ABQ did the same thing, they called themselves a 'jazz club' but only had a band on Wed. and Thurs., it was the SAME BAND. Literally, for a year...never any other acts ....people wanted to play there, they just ignored inquiries...

Yeah, they closed...cannot imagine why, can you ?

New club just opened there....and they are making a different mistake. One owner is a singer, and she has booked HERSELF for every Saturday. Then had 'local acts' Th and Fr. Tried to get a show there, she replied 'we only want local bands'. To which I replied "actually, marketing a popular out of town band will draw more if marketed correctly....also the number of local jazz players are pretty limited in that town, no ?" (yes -VERY)

Never heard back....surprise

The one thing I get from some venue owners here, and in 40 years of gigging I had never heard this before...is "Fri and Sat are our most consistently patronized nights - so we don't need a band for those nights"

Not completely illogical....but...there are a LOT of 'but did you consider ?'s that can be asked of that MO....

 

[Tonehole]

Yes my dad and his buddy argue over NFL every fall. He is a hard core Bills fan the other a Raiders who brags at least they won the Super Bowl. I am a Vikings fan so enough on that subject! LOL
Of course the Jays are my ball team.

 

[Grumps]

Jazz isn't dead, but Vegas is. Think about it. There is absolutely no reason to go there anymore. It used to be a spot in the desert where you could gamble. They'd offer you practically a free trip just to pick your pockets with their slots and tables. Now you can gamble anywhere. On your phone. Vegas is dead. Going out as an overpriced desert.

 

[Targa]

Jazz isn't dead, but Vegas is. Think about it. There is absolutely no reason to go there anymore. It used to be a spot in the desert where you could gamble. They'd offer you practically a free trip just to pick your pockets with their slots and tables. Now you can gamble anywhere. On your phone. Vegas is dead. Going out as an overpriced desert.

Without Vegas where would the mob launder the money?

 

[wakyct]

Without Vegas where would the mob launder the money?

Rubbish collection is probably more lucrative.

 

[mizmar]

Without Vegas where would the mob launder the money?

So, you reckon bitcoin killed Vegas?

 

[nvilletele]

Sports betting and prediction markets killed Vegas. Except it was already dead.

 

[skeller047]

I had a nice time visiting my niece and her family. But getting there was a nightmare. We met at a restaurant for dinner at about 7 PM (and closed the place at 9:45!), and while on my map it looked like a straight shot on the streets, I asked Siri for directions. I kid you not, 3 freeway changes, and a couple very dicey lane changes to get to them. For a trip that was a little over 6 miles.

The freeway mess in the middke of town is called "The Spaghetti Bowl" and for good reason. "Over, under, around and through"... (extra points if you get the reference). OMG. I went back to my hotel on the city streets...

My niece says the city has changed a lot in the last few years, basically since Covid. I hadn't been there in about 15 years, so yeah, very different. Kessler's is exactly the same, there are at least a few sane people left in the world.

 

[wakyct]

A few years back Southwest (or maybe it was Frontier, one of the low low budget carriers) had a ridiculously cheap coast to coast holiday fare. The catch was a 14 hour layover in Las Vegas. I hadn't been since I was a little kid, but I have to say I enjoyed spending the day hanging out. The areas away from the strip had an appealing vibe. Maybe that says more about my character (flaws?) but I wouldn't mind going back to explore some more.

 

[Grumps]

Without Vegas where would the mob launder the money?

We have wineries in most states now.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

How is Jazz and live music, around Lake Tahoe, Reno and nearby?

 

[JayeNM]

Vegas just, over time... turned into the worst late stage capitalism dysfunctional, socioeconomically segregated town there perhaps is in US currently.

At least back pre-2000 you could visit and not have to blow your bank account on food and lodging.

The powers that be decided around then to make a big PUSH towards non-gambling patrons, thus the creation of the insane architectural monstrosities, the push as a 'shopping' destination, the HUGE push to bring in MAJOR rock and pop recording artists, both for single concerts and for extended stays...so it would attract families (this just boggles my mind, still) and non-gamblers alike.

What has been created is a striated society, with service workers living hand to mouth there literally in sections of town one can almost describe as 'worker housing'. Nothing trickling down to them, the venues are managed in new millennium fashion, squeeze everything out of your staff for the least amount of pay possible.

Again, for a sorta hedonistic, deep pocket getaway, those folks have no such radar to pick up any of that...but for folks with some level of astuteness, it is hard to miss...

(I wish it were dead...but it seems not to be....)

 

[skeller047]

How is Jazz and live music, around Lake Tahoe, Reno and nearby?

Pickings are slim to none.

The Reno Jazz Orchestra has a few shows throughout the year, and the organization was funded originally by a trumpet-playing financial adviser, and appears to have a solid financial footing as it has some endowments. It operates in the same way as a small symphony orchestra.

Otherwise, there’s not much. University of Nevada, Reno, has a strong jazz program so there are some talented students around, but there is very little work for a full time (or even part time) professional. I went to one jam session during the two weeks I was there last month, and while the rhythm section players were strong, the whole thing was very unfocused, and it had the college student hangout vibe. There were no other live jazz groups playing.

The only other live music was lounge acts, a few rock’n’roll bars and small background gigs in restaurants. Many of the latter are solo or duo “groups”; indeed my friend Frank has 3 or 4 regular spots where he appears with backing tracks. Every full-time musician I played with when I lived in the area in the 80’s is either dead, or has had to find work in another field to survive. If you want to buy a house in the area, Frank is your man…

 

[Tonehole]

A few years back Southwest (or maybe it was Frontier, one of the low low budget carriers) had a ridiculously cheap coast to coast holiday fare. The catch was a 14 hour layover in Las Vegas. I hadn't been since I was a little kid, but I have to say I enjoyed spending the day hanging out. The areas away from the strip had an appealing vibe. Maybe that says more about my character (flaws?) but I wouldn't mind going back to explore some more.

They do/did that with Iceland you pay nothing to get there and then you pay outrageous prices for everything.
An aunt did that with one of her daughters and they could not believe the cost of a cab from the airport to the hotel. They said the price of food is insane. That was pre COVID. Gotta be worse now.
Beautiful but nothing there.
You pay a fortune to do the Blue Lagoon and it is just a holding pond for run off for a thermal plant!

 

[skeller047]

Vegas just, over time... turned into the worst late stage capitalism dysfunctional, socioeconomically segregated town there perhaps is in US currently.

At least back pre-2000 you could visit and not have to blow your bank account on food and lodging.

The powers that be decided around then to make a big PUSH towards non-gambling patrons, thus the creation of the insane architectural monstrosities, the push as a 'shopping' destination, the HUGE push to bring in MAJOR rock and pop recording artists, both for single concerts and for extended stays...so it would attract families (this just boggles my mind, still) and non-gamblers alike.

What has been created is a striated society, with service workers living hand to mouth there literally in sections of town one can almost describe as 'worker housing'. Nothing trickling down to them, the venues are managed in new millennium fashion, squeeze everything out of your staff for the least amount of pay possible.

Again, for a sorta hedonistic, deep pocket getaway, those folks have no such radar to pick up any of that...but for folks with some level of astuteness, it is hard to miss...

(I wish it were dead...but it seems not to be....)

This stratification is not unique to Vegas. I agree it’s a little more obvious in a place where tourism is the dominant industry.

I don’t really know how it is in Europe, but in the US we seem to be moving toward a more feudalistic society, with a strong dividing line between the haves and the have-nots. Asia, the Mideast and Latin America have been that way since I can remember. And Africa still seems to be viewed mostly as a source of natural resources and serfs…

I don’t know how many here have read the book “Snow Crash” by Neil Stephenson, but his vision of a society where rich corporations mostly take the place of governments rings truer today than it did when he wrote it in the early 1990’s….

 

[lig]

I used to love Vegas because all my trips were for business. That means I’m on an expense account and entertaining customers or out with my bosses who have very expensive tastes. 😀

No more ordering $700 wagyu thinly sliced on hot smooth rocks at Nobu.

Even my prior favorite cheap eats place - the California Hotel Hawaiian spot on the 2nd floor isn’t the same. Disappointing.

 

[rhysonsax]

They do/did that with Iceland you pay nothing to get there and then you pay outrageous prices for everything.
An aunt did that with one of her daughters and they could not believe the cost of a cab from the airport to the hotel. They said the price of food is insane. That was pre COVID. Gotta be worse now.
Beautiful but nothing there.
You pay a fortune to do the Blue Lagoon and it is just a holding pond for run off for a thermal plant!

Have you been ? We had a family holiday to Iceland in about 2015 or so. While it was pricey, costs were not outrageous given its geographical position, the people were friendly and we found plenty to do in our driving tour anticlockwise around the whole island. Amazing geography and geology, spectacular waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, hot pools and really good food.

We enjoyed the Blue Lagoon and walked on glaciers, saw where two tectonic plates meet, went jet boating, pony riding, explored lava tube tunnels, went whale watching, visited a cathedral and some churches, museums and relaxed in village pools heated geothermally. It was not spoiled by commercialism and the pace of life was ideal.

Rhys

 

[lig]

Turns out the old adage of “the rich get richer” is now termed the K shaped economy.

Pretty scary when the top 10% of Americans account for 50% of the spending today.

The flip side sounds even worse - 90% of Americans are only responsible for 50% of total spending.

Inequity personified.

Economists agree: You’re not crazy for feeling like the rich get richer, and the poor are doing worse. Welcome to the 'K-shaped economy' | Fortune

What was a niche argument about five years ago is suddenly everywhere you look, and it’s taking on the shape of a letter with two jagged edges.

fortune.com

 

[Tonehole]

Have you been ? We had a family holiday to Iceland in about 2015 or so. While it was pricey, costs were not outrageous given its geographical position, the people were friendly and we found plenty to do in our driving tour anticlockwise around the whole island. Amazing geography and geology, spectacular waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, hot pools and really good food.

We enjoyed the Blue Lagoon and walked on glaciers, saw where two tectonic plates meet, went jet boating, pony riding, explored lava tube tunnels, went whale watching, visited a cathedral and some churches, museums and relaxed in village pools heated geothermally. It was not spoiled by commercialism and the pace of life was ideal.

Rhys

My parents did as well and thought it over sold. They use Canadian dollars and they said the fish and chips in a recommended restaurant right on the docks were the most expensive they encountered anywhere in the world. They said the food was similar to Norway and Denmark expensive and unremarkable. They saw the highest falls that they say is similar to Niagara and it is not even close. We can see the Aurora Borealis at times up north at my aunts place. Said if you have been to northern Ontario similar or Newfoundland. Not close to Banff and sights in BC. Norway apparently has more spectacular fjords better than Alaska. They may be jaded they travelled a lot the past 20 years.
My dad judges the cost of places by the price of a bottle of water, a can of coke and the price of a litre of gas. He said it was as costly as Bora Bora. They tend to go native when travelling.

What did you find appealing about their food, I like to watch Food travel shows Like Feed Bil and older ones as well and none rave about Icelandic food. I have never been likely will never have the opportunity. I am interested.

Ya you have him on the volcano though. 🤫

 

[rhysonsax]

I'm far from being a gourmet and we don't seek out fine dining. There was good varied food in Iceland and the hotel, restaurant and cafe staff everywhere were very helpful, so that we had no trouble dealing with our dietary requirements - one Coeliac (gluten free), one vegan, one vegetarian and one omnivore. Between us we tasted some of the freshest fish we have ever had (caught off the side of the whale watching boat and cooked on the beach when we landed) and also some pony meat. Special time and great experiences with our two teenage children.

Before children, my wife and I went by campervan (RV ?) from Calgary over the Rockies to Vancouver and visited my Canadian cousins in Kamloops, Vancouver city and on Vancouver Island. That was a great trip with many wonderful sights and experiences. A walk we did up at Lake Louise was the most beautiful place I have ever seen and dining on Vancouver Island as the sun set into the ocean was amazing. I also have great memories of the walk through coastal forest to reach hot pools down on the beach.

Rhys