Why I Started This Blog …
The engineer in me is always interested in playing with new software and electronic toys. I’m also a web addict. While poking about, I was always running across articles on SEO and generating website traffic. I play in two bands and casually, perhaps even randomly, have maintained sites for both bands for a few years. Here’s one, here’s the other. The webhost I chose then offered an introductory package which included three registered domain names. So, being a sucker for a bargain, all of a sudden, I had three websites to design, code, and maintain. Hello ….
All my sites have been through numerous iterations, but I’ve always written every line of code by hand. It seemed the easiest way to keep it simple, compact, and functional on all browsers. Of course, you miss out on a lot of the really cool things websites can do and be. Fortunately, that was several years ago. Anyone who’s ever worked in a tech-heavy industry will tell you, that eighteen months is a generation. The developmental cycle is probably even shorter today, and things have come a long way since then. Along the way, I’ve I learned a little HTML, XML, CSS, and developed a nodding acquaintance with ASP, CGI, and PHP. My inner engineer feels somewhat appeased, but the musician, bandleader, and booking agent in me is ready to take over this whole exercise achieve a higher purpose.
Several years ago, the front page of one of my band sites was sort of a “what’s happening” feature page, i.e., a blog with comments disabled. I hadn’t wanted to spend a bunch for blogging software. I anticipated the same types of issues I’d experienced with early HTML packages. Well, once again progress has won out, and there are now very nifty blogging tools to fit any budget.
So, here I am. Ideally, I’ll generate a little traffic, pick up a few subscribers, and perhaps gain a little exposure for my bands. Hopefully that leads to more gigs, increased CD sales, and finding a larger audience. Whether or not that’s doable, I’ll find out down the line a little. Regardless, that’s the plan. My tech side will stay fascinated with development tools and techniques. As a musician and band leader, I’ll keep trying to reach larger audiences. The writer in me - the guy who’s been participating in Usenet and WWW forums for more than 20 years - will finally have a home base. I think it will be a lot of fun.
I’ll keep my focus fairly broad. In addition to articles about my own bands, gigs, and recordings, I hope to put up articles you’ll find useful and interesting. I’ll write about other bands, venues, and recordings from my perspective as a gigging jazz musician. I may provide an occasional CD review, either contempory or re-issue. If it’s a recording I like, I’ll tell you about it. Of course, my perspective on music is that of someone steeped in traditional jazz. That somewhat loosely describes the musical phenomenon so much a part of American culture between about 1917 and sometime prior to 1940. I love that music. I listen to that music. I play that music. Most of my friends listen to it, play it, or dance to it. I hope you’ll appreciate and enjoy that. Right now I’m thinking there’ll be articles, sound samples, youtube links, and perhaps still photos of both contemporary jazz musicians and the old masters as well.
I hope you’ll find enough of interest to keep coming back. I want you to come here, enjoy what you find, and at least check out my gig calendar. It would be great if you felt inspired enough to order a recording or two, and support some of the venues and events that provide me an opportunity to practice my art.
For now, before I close out this first post, I’d like to turn you on to an amazing website called Red Hot Jazz. This site is one of the most enjoyable sites I’ve found on the web. You can listen to literally thousands of vintage jazz recordings, and there’s hundreds of articles about the musicians, composers, bands, publishers, and recordings from the early decades of jazz. It’s a terrific resource and one everyone can enjoy.
Just for the sake of getting some articles up here, I’m going to go back and locate some of the articles I was putting on my Holotradband website a couple of years ago. Though dated, you’ll get an idea of what my bands are about.
If you read this whole introductory article, thank you. I hope you enjoyed it and come back again. Come on out and here some live jazz. If you’ve never sat 10 feet in front of a seven piece jazz band with a three-horn front line, the experience may surprise you.
Come on out and give us a listen. Hope to see you soon.
Dave Holo
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