<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">   Dave Nereson wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  <blockquote style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">     And regarding the thread re: classical vs. jazz pianists, jazzers have to put up with pianos in much worse shape than classical artists, and with noisier audiences, and less certainty about receiving their money    --David Nereson, RPT, & jazz & blues fan</blockquote> </blockquote> Hmm .. outside of the real big concert venues, I am not so sure that this is entirely true David. But one thing I have definatly noticed is that Jazz players these past 20 years have been far more clever at influencing arrangers to provide decent instruments that are at least reasonably well prepared for a show. At least thats whats been happening here.  They specify things in contracts I dont see classical players do, and make it clear they will not perform unless all contractual obligations are satisfied. For the Ahmad Jarad concert for example, the seiral number of the instrument he was to play on was in the contract. I'd not seen this before. On the other hand, jazz arrangers have not been nearly as clever at then insisting such instruments be treated with due respect. And this most certainly includes light and sound crews as well as pianists. Burning cigarettes laying on the keys, beer, wine etc in open glasses,  sitting on and in expensive grands, crates and electrical items just thrown up on the top, no protective covers used....  I keep trying to tell festivals that I work with that they dont have to accept this, they can do the same thing ... put clauses in contracts and simply not allow such treatment. Grin... limited sucess on that front. Cheers RicB -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. UiB, Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> <A HREF="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A> <A HREF="http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html">http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html</A>   </body> </html>