[TPIN] Alison Balsom

[MikeSpengl at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/23/2007 4:18:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
Vaxtrpts at aol.com writes:

<<What some of you are forgetting is that I didn't only try  contact her  
through her management.  I had a musician who she  works with send her a  
message for 
me.  He didn't hear back from  her and neither did I.>>
   From time to time we get these reminders about just where we  are on the 
"show-biz-food-chain." Twenty-something years ago when I was 2 years  into my 
6-year road stint with Diana Ross, I bought a Benge 2x+ on the road. It  had a 
dent about halfway up the bell section. A 10-second repair job, so since I  
lived in town (NYC) I figured run it down to (the old) Giardinelli instead of  
schlepping it up to my regular repairman in White Plains. Dave behind the  
counter took it into the back, then re-emerged. "He's on his lunch break, he  
won't do it now." A 10-second job? Well, okay....    Then a  "prominent NYC 
player" (who shall remain nameless) walks in. The repair guy runs  out, is shown 
what needs doing, nodding "yes, yes", then goes back in with it.  Dave walks 
over, fuming. "That isn't right, gimme your horn again." Then comes  back out with 
it, dent removed...  In the meantime, I chatted with the  "prominent player." 
"Diana's in the studio now" he said. "She never uses her  road band to 
record." I said. Smiling, he replied "I know." (I found out later  he had just come 
from the session. Believe me when I tell you when the chart was  added on the 
next tour, I made a point of really playing that s.o.b.,  thinking "I'm 
popping this out night after night, when he played it once with an  obvious attitude 
of "okay, done, where's my check?")
        



<<And for Simon, I do understand that she may be a  "big name" in England, 
but  
as the old saying goes, "She sure ain't  that big on this side of the  
pond.......>>
      I subscribe to the BBC Music Magazine. The  feeling I get is that they 
spot their "young and gifted" early on, and if the  "young and gifted" happen 
to be good looking, they're nurtured and groomed as  "Touring Soloists." Much 
in the same way that young basketball players here are  placed in schools with 
strong hoops programs, carefully exposed to scouts from  colleges/pros, and 
have an NBA career dangled in front of them. Balsom has "made  it." She's an 
EMI "Artist." To them, that's a pretty rarified atmosphere. Betcha  if Wynton 
went to one of her gigs, it would've been  
"his-management-touching-base-with-her-management-for-tix-escort-backstage-photo-op"  etc, etc, ad nauseum. No 
"right or wrong" here, that's just the way it is.  "That's showbiz." Which is why 
I tell folks: "Music is my life. Show business is  my strife..." 
   


I  guess it is all "water under the bridge" now anyway, so I won't let it   
bother me.
I just thought it was interesting - mainly about the way I  was treated by  
her "management."
Mike Vax
     Lotta water under the bridge here, too. Management  treatment? Hell, 
it's funny how sidemen to prominent artists are treated by  their own management 
in a number of cases. Best I ever worked for was  Springsteen's (Tunnel Tour 
in 1988). Worst? I'll leave that alone. I got by and  got what I needed by 
focusing on the horn and the music. 
 
    Which is what it should be all about. The horn and the  music. I'm 
50-something now, blessed to still be a full-time player. Not a big  income these 
days, but a lot of good music played and a lot more about playing  the horn has 
been learned. With no end in sight...
 
    I'm sure Mike feels the same way. And that's what  counts....
 
    Be well all...       Mike  Spengler 









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