A New Year’s Resolution for the Blues

Happy 2009. Here we are last Wednesday, creating a festive “Roaring 20’s” atmosphere for a swinging New Year’s Eve party in Palo Alto. Lots of dancing and requests for “the good old, good ones”, as Louis used to call them. Left to right, Gary Milliken, Steve Apple, Brian Richardson, Bruce Jolly, me, and Andy Norblin. Thanks for the wonderful photo, Adrienne. I’m glad someone brought a real camera.

Last week I announced my four New Year’s resolutions, based on “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. I’ve already described the first one, “something old”, and today I’ll describe my “something blue” resolution.

OK, look who’s crying the blues these days. Not Walmart, McDonald’s, and those of us who revamped and refocused our marketing. It’s everyone else, especially the mainstream media. Newspapers & magazines have lost subscriptions, TV & radio have lost markets, and all have lost advertising, big time, to their online competitors. So now watch as all of them desperately embrace the internet. For example, all new TVs will soon be able to download movie and program videos, as well as photos, “discussion boards”, and email.

Internet news services, independent newsletters, and bloggers are killing newspapers and magazines. Last week I heard a newspaperman suggest that people who value good journalism should find a way to pay for it, rather than get it all free, online. And I agree, on principle. It’s a free market, after all.

The benefits of “good” journalism, whatever you think that means, most likely come from a trained professional, wise and skilled enough to perform well and make a living at it.

Hmmmm. This explanation sounds similar to something I might tell a client. You too? I’ll bet. Well, this will be a good subject for another day.

These days, you’ll hear and read plenty -- especially from professional journalists -- decrying the general acceptance of self-publishing bloggers, who can spread wisdom just as easily as misinformation or poorly-written, one-sided stories based on narrow opinions and a few twisted facts.

I’m awed by our ever-changing world, and I want to stay up-to-date on everything newsworthy. So for my second resolution I will subscribe to one more newspaper and one more magazine, read deeply and listen widely, online and offline, and then give myself a “news-free week” every few months, just to clear the dust.

Maybe this is like giving CPR to a dinosaur, but I want to look around, see what stories and opinions I like and what I dislike, and if they’re well-thought-out and well-written, I’ll support them. Putting my money where my mouth is. Although I think “free online” can be good, even when ads have to cover the production expenses, we risk missing an important story or viewpoint that may be unable to gain a journalist’s attention in our fad-driven world.

Hey, my notices can’t always be about weddings and parties.

In my next post I’ll describe another resolution: “something borrowed”. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy a wonderful New Year. I resolve to enjoy mine. I’m marketing more, and on February 8, I’ll be entertaining brides-to-be in the Bridal Extravaganza at the San Jose Fairmont. Details on my website.

By the way, will you be celebrating a significant event soon? Throw a party and include us. Today I'm talking with people planning parties for Valentine's Day and Easter. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We'll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details, and I hope to see you soon.

Please leave me a comment. What do you think about all this? I'd love your opinions and comments.

Jazzing Up A New Year's Resolution

Yes, that’s me last week, wearing my good luck scarf in the lobby at “The Nutcracker”, in San Jose. I'm on the right, and it looks like I’ll need plenty of luck. It's another photo taken on my iPhone. Thank you, Bunch.

For good luck, wedding planners often have the bride wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”, and that’s my theme today. I’ve been considering New Year’s Resolutions, and decided they have to be upbeat this year. Same with you? Anyway, today I settled on four gems, each inspired by something I read or heard last Sunday morning.

First, something OLD. How often do we hear the expression “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”? It first appeared in a 1905 book by philosopher George Santayana, and Ben Stein mentioned it in his recent column about why people continue to fall for “you-can’t-fail-to-get-rich” schemes, despite all we’ve learned about them.

Stein is a practical, sensible fellow, and he uses finances here as a springboard to talk about old, tried-and-true notions of what REALLY counts. Things your mother taught you. Hint: it’s not about money in the bank -- that stuff comes and goes. It’s what kind of person you truly are. How you treat family, friends, and strangers, and support your community and nation.

I like his message, and I’d add it’s also how you prepare for the future. So for my first resolution, I’m riffing on a theme from “random acts of kindness”. I resolve to smile at the first driver who cuts me off every morning. Wouldn’t it be nice if each of us added a little more good cheer every day?

This resolution is nothing new, but it’ll be a start. In my next blog I'll reveal another resolution: something BLUE. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration. I resolve to enjoy mine. I’ll be jazzing up a private party for several hundred people in Palo Alto. In the works since last September, the party’s theme is “Fascinatin’ Rhythm”, and the place will be SWINGIN’!

By the way, will you be celebrating a significant event soon? Throw a party and include us. Today I'm talking with people planning parties for Valentine's Day and Easter. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We'll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details, and I hope to see you soon.

Please leave me a comment. What do you think about all this? I'd love your opinions and comments.

Holiday Parties in January?

December 5, 2008.

Here we are last night, at our regular “first Thursday in December” gig -- the annual Yale Alumni Holiday Party. Left to right: Gary Milliken, Steve Apple, and Andy Norblin. I’m taking the photo with my iPhone. (You're right -- I need a real camera, with a flash. Any recommendations?)

Recognize the room? It’s the famous “Alexandra’s Room”, on the 32nd floor of the Westin St Francis, in San Francisco. What a place -- floor-to-ceiling windows cover every wall! Whenever I’m there I’m stunned by the fabulous panoramic views of San Francisco. Second photo is a closer look at those windows, and third is a shot, facing east and showing Post St on the left, Union Square in the middle, and Geary St on the right.

Yesterday was another festive night at one of San Francisco’s busiest hotels. Sure, December is a bit slower than in previous years. This glum observation is shared by most of the event professionals I know -- caterers, facilities, photographers, decorators, florists, and other entertainers. However, many of them tell me that next month is looking better than usual. Understandable, since traditionally for most of us January rates are lower and availability is higher, so it appears to me that this year’s “holiday season” might be spilling into early 2009 in a big way. Are you finding that, too?

Bottom line: I expect lots of holiday parties will fill January -- scaled down, perhaps, but still cheerful get-togethers to celebrate this special time of the year. In fact, starting at 1:30pm on December 31, we’re booked for four different New Year’s Eve celebrations, ending with a festive, elegant dinner party at the Toll House Hotel, in Los Gatos. Looking for a wonderful New Year’s Eve? Join us, and enjoy a memorable dinner, accompanied by the trio playing your favorite popular standards and jazz classics. We’ve all been waiting for 2009, and this will be a great way to end the old year and begin a bright new one.

Ooops, full disclosure time. Actually, the trio at the Toll House will be three of my best associates, men I often work with, but I can’t be there myself. Instead, I’ll be at an engagement on the books since last September, leading the sextet at a private party in Palo Alto.

So how about you? Still have one more party to plan? Consider scheduling it for January. You’ll have lots of options, and you’ll avoid the end-of-the-year frenzy while you’re dealing with other priorities right now. Today I'm talking with people planning parties for New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. We entertain at private parties nearly every day, and you can preview us on New Year’s Eve. Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details on this event and more, and I hope to see you soon.

Please leave me a comment. What do you think about all this? I’d love your opinions and comments.

Jazzing Up Support for Local Charities

November 19, 2008.

Here we are last Thursday evening, providing a lively atmosphere for a great meal, company, and conversation in the gym at Bellarmine College Prep, in San Jose. Thanks for the nice photo, Jordan (of Jordan River Productions, San Jose). Left to right: me, Andy Norblin, and Gary Milliken.

Well over 400 people attended this dinner & auction, which benefited Family Supportive Housing. This was the 22nd annual “Soup Kitchen Dinner”, and we’ve donated our services for every one! In fact, everybody involved -- all 26 restaurants & caterers, all the auction prize donors, and all the volunteers -- gave to help this worthwhile program. As I see it, generosity like this is important for a number of reasons.

First, a story. Back in the mid 1970s, a 40-year-old Portland housewife named Jean, working days and attending college at night, read about archaeologists discovering an odd human skeleton, dating back to the Ice Age. The odd part: the bones revealed a cave man who had been elderly and crippled. Jean wondered how, in that savage world, could that crippled person reach a ripe old age. Curious, she began reading everything she could find about prehistoric people, and, though she’d never written fiction before, she wound up writing a very successful series of novels, beginning with “Clan of the Cave Bear”, published in 1980.

Bottom line: That old skeleton is probably the earliest evidence of what today we’d called a civilized community, where we don’t simply let our weakest struggle and die. These days, with the world’s economy teetering, lots of local charitable organizations help sustain our community, and they need our support. Not necessarily the type of “charities” which, when they receive a donation, will send a glossy letter with thank you gifts -- a calendar, return address stickers, or a pen with their logo -- and then ask for another donation.

Worthy charities provide needed services -- like housing, healthcare, job-training, child-care, and food -- that keep our communities together, productive, and thriving. One way or another, the quality of our lives, and our ability to make a living, relies on a vibrant community. I’m very lucky to be in a position to support these efforts. How about you? Wouldn’t it be nice if all of us actively helped support our communities? Think about how you can contribute to this good work. Your reward will include not only strengthening your neighborhood, keeping your own commerce alive, and feeling good, but also you’ll get to know many like-minded people, whose friendships inevitably bring unexpected benefits.

In my case, at the start of every year, I always set aside a special fund to pay the band for playing at benefit events throughout Silicon Valley, this year including Family Supportive Housing, Second Harvest Food Bank, Peninsula Center for the Blind, and Alzheimers Association. We also actively support our community’s cultural organizations, like American Musical Theatre, Ballet San Jose, San Francisco Symphony, San Jose Museum of Art, and Broadway By The Bay.

I’m glad to join all these efforts, primarily to help my community, but also to enrich my life and to enhance the band’s visibility. Funny thing: The more we work, it seems, the more new offers we receive.

Today I'm talking with people planning parties for New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. We entertain at private parties nearly every day, and you can preview us on Thanksgiving Day, November 27 (at the newly remodeled Mountain Winery, in Saratoga) and on Wednesday, December 31 (at a festive New Year’s Eve dinner party at the Toll House Hotel, in Los Gatos). Please visit Magnoliajazz.com for details on these events and more, and I hope to see you soon.

Please leave me a comment. What do you think about all this? I’d love your opinions and comments.

It Takes Work to Do What You Love

November 6, 2008.

Maybe it’s the easy way I smile, but people are always telling me how lucky I am to make a living doing what I love. If you’ve ever caught us in action, you’ve seen it’s all about enjoying what we do. Sometime we need to be up front, in everyone’s face, keeping the joint jumping. Other times we need to stay out of the way, and let our music create the right mood. Either way, I love being able to help people have a good time.

Here we are last April 29, providing a soft background for a trade show in the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. Our job was to keep the room upbeat and comfortable, and, sure enough, everyone there was deeply immersed in their conversations. Which is exactly what you want at a trade show. Looks like we were pretty deeply immersed, too. Whatever the event calls for, whether we’re “front and center” or “out of the way”, whether we’re playing “Summertime” or “I’ve Got the World on a String”, our beautiful music always helps the event, and we always enjoy our little “conversation”.

Thanks for the nice photo, Dave (of Lepori Photography, in Los Gatos). Left to right: Gary Milliken, me, and Andy Norblin.

I thought of this photo last week, when I read an article titled “Think Like A Millionaire”. The author describes research that shows several ways that millionaires tend to think differently from typical people. One way caught my eye: Millionaires learn to seek careers they love. Simple as that! They avoid careers that are dull or a bad fit, because they drain our energy, ambition, and productivity. The rest of the article describes several other habits that help millionaires reach their careers and accumulate serious wealth. Check it out -- it’s interesting reading.

Let me put it another way. My grandfather used to joke: “Hey kid, if you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?” Now I think I know the answer. Just being smart isn’t enough. To succeed, we need to develop the right habits, and then keep working at them all the time.

There’s a saying: “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” Well, I think we’re better off exercising a bit more control over our destiny, and working at it every day. Everyone has the option to make a living doing what they love, but we all need to learn how to make it happen. Sure, that takes some work, but wouldn’t it be nice if we all developed some of those shrewd millionaire habits to guide our careers, and our lives? If you agree, read the article, and the book it’s based on. And this brings me back to loving what I do every day.

While I’m no millionaire (yet), we have done our homework, and we’ve become quite good. As entertainers, we’ve spent years honing our skills, learning what makes parties succeed, and we strive for our very best at every party. We can do the same for you. Is a significant event coming up in your life? Throw a party and include us. Or do you have friends planning their wedding? Please recommend us.

Today I'm talking with people planning parties for Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. We play at private parties nearly every day, and you can preview us on Friday, November 7 (in the lobby at San Jose’s Center for Performing Arts), Thursday, November 13 (at a casual benefit dinner in San Jose), and on Saturday, November 15 (at an elegant benefit dinner in San Francisco). Please visit Magnoliajazz.com for details on these events and more, and I hope to see you soon.

Please leave me a comment. What do you think about all this? I’d love your opinions and comments.

Hot Trends in Entertainment

October 16, 2008.

Here we are last March, entertaining at a private birthday party in the Pavillion at the San Benito County Fairgrounds, in Hollister. This is a little beyond our customary territory, but what a celebration — like a night in Casablanca! Set in an elegant 1930s nightclub, over a hundred close friends gathered to eat, drink, dance, and toast the guest of honor. We were flexible that night, beginning as this quartet providing soft background during cocktails and dinner, and then added a saxophone and a trumpet for some pretty lively dancing afterward — from “Satin Doll” to “Fly Me to the Moon”.

Thanks for the nice photo, Kim. Left to right: Steve Apple, Gary Milliken, me, and Andy Norblin.

The economy’s on everyone’s mind these days. Practically every business is affected, and I hope you’re doing fine. Sure, the budgets might be tighter now, but, as they say, “The show must go on!” People still get married, still celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, still gather with friends at holiday parties, and businesses still celebrate their landmarks at dinner parties.

Successful businesses are adapting to keep up. Entertainment is no exception, and I’m sure you could tell me stories about how you’re coping, too. I see attendance at big concerts, sports events, and movies starting to reflect lower discretionary income, while free events are doing very well, thank you. It’s the same across the board, up and down the scale, ranging from recorded music sales to booking entertainment for special events. In my line of work, I’d expect that an upscale banquet, which hired a 15-piece dance band last year, might today invite fewer guests and opt for a trio, or even a DJ and a fortune teller.

A few trends seem to be emerging here, and they remind me of the ancient Greek fable of the Leopard and the Fox. One day the leopard, well known for his beautiful spots and fine fur, went out into the fields and saw that most of the other animals had plainer coats, and quickly concluded that the others were distinctly inferior. As the leopard was gloating about the nobility of his appearance, the sly fox cautioned him. 'Go ahead and rely on your extraordinary appearance, so long as my intelligence is more extraordinary than yours. Mental power is more impressive than the glamor of good looks!'

Well, maybe you think the moral is about beauty being only skin deep, or about the folly of believing that your own strength is more important than anyone else’s. But I think the moral is really about the virtues of exercising an agile mind.

What’s my point? This: Quick, deep thinking seems to underlie the latest trends in party entertainment. I certainly can’t speak for the entire field, but in my own corner — playing at parties — I’m seeing entertainers innovating to cope with two significant developments. First, we have fewer qualified clients, most have smaller budgets, and they all want memorable parties. Second, most of our clients need to avoid appearing too extravagant.

Successful entertainers for parties are now thinking creatively of ways to add or enhance the bang for their client’s buck — providing more for less, without going broke. In many cases, this requires digging down to find out what each client REALLY wants, and “brainstorming” new, tasteful, and economical ways to make it happen. Adding extras and some “freebies” is always possible, of course, and I’m delighted to see entertainers working more closely with other event professionals, to create what their clients want. The bottom line for success these days seems to rely on our imagination, resourcefulness, and flexibility.

If you catch the band “in action” today, you'll find us coordinating our music with a DJ, or our attire with a decorator, or the meal presentation with a caterer, or special highlights with an event planner or a photographer. Or you'll find us playing in several locations at the facility, to help guide “traffic” and create distinctive moods throughout the event. These are a few simple ways we’re offering flexibility these days.

I’m trying to take my own advice here. We’ve spent years honing our skills, learning what makes parties succeed, and we strive for our very best at every party. We can do the same for you. Is a significant event coming up in your life? Throw a party and include us. Or do you have friends planning their wedding? Please recommend us.

Today I'm talking with people planning parties for Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. If you'll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now's a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You'll love what we do. We're easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. We play at private parties nearly every day, and you can preview us on Tuesday, October 21 (at a casual cocktail party in Saratoga), on Thursday, November 13 (at a casual benefit dinner in San Jose), and on Saturday, November 15 (at an elegant benefit dinner in San Francisco). Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details on these events and more, and I hope to see you soon.

Sure-Fire Tips for Planning a Great Party!

September 22, 2008.

Here we are 10 days ago, entertaining at a casual garden party at the Hayes Mansion, in San Jose. After two days of pretty intense seminars, all the guests wanted was a chance to relax, kick back, and enjoy each other’s company. It was a wonderful California evening — a fabulous dinner and the perfect background music, ranging from “Stardust” to “Tequila”. Thanks for the nice photo, JoAnn. Left to right: Dale Mills, me, Gary Milliken, and Andy Norblin.

Well, it’s been a busy summer around here! To name just a few familiar locations, we’ve entertained at hotels (Ritz-Carlton, Clarion Hotel, Dinah’s Hotel), country clubs (Ridgemark CC, University Club, Menlo CC, Palo Alto Hills CC, Decathlon Club), businesses (Mountain Terrace, Testarossa Winery, Deja Jewelry, McKormick & Kuletos) and historic facilities (Rengstorff House, Ralston Hall, Dunsmuir House, Hayes Mansion, Stanford Faculty Club). And of course, every summer we play at numerous garden parties at people’s homes.

How about you? Looking to jazz up your next party? Or do you have friends planning their wedding? Please recommend us. They can preview us in Palo Alto and San Jose on October 4th, or in San Francisco on October 7th, or right now at MagnoliaJazz.com. More about this later.

But first, a story. I love this one. About 20 years ago, a gentleman called me and invited me to lunch at his soon-to-be nightclub in downtown San Jose. When we met, he explained that he recently managed a Disneyland-type club in Florida, and he wanted some advice from me about converting the old building we were sitting in, to morph it into a hot entertainment showcase, presenting a wild party every night. Well, we began talking a little about cosmetic things like how to position the stage, the bar, the dining tables, and the doorways, when out of the blue he asked me, “By the way, when does the tourist season start around here?”

What? He was lost from the start. How could he plan a project like that without first asking, “IS there a tourist season out here?” Unbelievable. Since that time, I’ve seen plenty of small party-planning oversights, but nothing like that one.

Chances are good that you’ve planned a party sometime, or even hired a band once or twice. In the process you most likely learned a few helpful tricks and important things to consider, so the next time around your planning will be easier. I’m always helping people go through the process of planning a party (and hiring a band) for the first time, and here’s my own “How To” list (it’s on my website, too). Please look it over and tell me if I’ve skipped one of your favorite “planning” items.

By the way, you can modify this list to help you plan ANY party, or hire ANY event professional — a caterer, facility, planner, wedding coordinator, florist, photographer, decorator, etc.

Here goes...

Planning music for your party can be easy and fun. Sure, you’ll need to make many decisions, but because you have so many options, taking a systematic approach will help you make everything fit together perfectly.

The following suggestions come from experience. Playing nearly every day since January 1975, we’ve helped make thousands of special events memorable. We’ve seen that whether a party needs to be one-of-a-kind or just-like-the-last-one, the planner helps make it successful by selecting the appropriate music.

So, how do you begin? How do you select the right band for the perfect party? It’s simple — just ask yourself the right questions. They’ll help you quickly find exactly what you want.

No matter what styles of music you’re considering, ask yourself first about the atmosphere you want to create. Picture the overall mood you want for your guests. Formal, elegant and sophisticated? Casual and mellow? Upbeat and rousing? Want a unifying theme for your event?

Keep this image in mind as you continue selecting your music. And don’t plan just what it’ll look like. What do you want your party to sound like? What should being there feel like? How will your guests move around?

Continuing...

Whether your heart’s set on one favorite musical style, or if you’re open to a few different styles — for example, jazz, classical, top 40s, rock, disco, or country — examine what’s available:

Ask for recommendations:
* Friends and Colleagues
* Event Professionals (musicians, coordinators, facilities, photographers, caterers, florists, decorators)
* Event Magazines and Entertainment Agencies
* Local Entertainment Listings (internet, newspapers, radio)

Then, when you contact possible bands, here are a few points to check:
* Speak with the musician who’ll actually lead your band.
* Develop a comfortable rapport — be sure the “chemistry” is right.
* Check their experience. Get references.
* Request a free demo CD, tune list, and related information.
* Arrange to hear a live performance whenever possible.
* Other practical issues: Can they act as MC? Can they provide a PA system? Can they provide music during their breaks? Any additional fees for travel or overtime?

Finally...

Thank goodness you can choose among dozens of musical styles. The Magnolia Jazz Band specializes in entertaining people with popular swing standards, traditional jazz classics, and Latin favorites, and we’ve got what it takes to jazz up hundreds of parties every year.

While many people share our musical preferences, they’re certainly not for everyone. Whatever musical styles you prefer, searching systematically will help you select the right music to make your party perfect. Thank you for considering us, and best wishes for your next party!

So that’s my list, assembled from experience. We’ve spent years honing our skills, learning what makes parties succeed, and we strive for our very best at every party. Let us do the same for you. Is a significant event coming up in your life? Throw a party and include us.

Today I’m talking with people planning parties for Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you’ll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now’s a good time to plan the details, including the music.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You’ll love what we do. We’re easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. We play at private parties nearly every day, and you can preview us “in action” twice on Saturday, October 4 (inside Macy’s in Palo Alto and later at an elegant benefit party in San Jose) and on Tuesday, October 7 (at a lively benefit party in San Francisco). Visit Magnoliajazz.com for details on these events and more.

Sat, Oct 4, 12–3pm
Macy’s Stanford Shopping Center
El Camino Real, Palo Alto

Sat, Oct 4, 6–9pm
Corinthian Event Center
Third Ave, at St James, San Jose

Tues, Oct 7, 5-8pm
McCormick & Kuletos
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco