Yep, I missed the NOT in the sentence - old eyes. In the area I'm in there are more jobs, even in the clubs. Problem is the clubs pay about the same as they did 30 to 40 years ago. A four-hour performance in Baltimore's Little Italy will pay $100 for weeknights, and $150 for weekend nights. Ironically, the place in Little Italy where I used to perform, Della Notte's, which was among the top, upscale, Italian restaurants in Baltimore, just went out of business. Della Notte I guess even the high rollers in this economy are feeling the pinch and cutting back.

When I switched to the NH circuit, which is about 20 years ago, I think it was the smartest move I made in this business. Most of the guys I know that are strictly club players work one day a week at most, the pay sucks, and they all had to go back to work doing other things in order to make a living. Especially those who had bands. Full band jobs here are quite rare, and most of them play, on average, one or two jobs a month at best.

Good luck old friend, and I sincerely hope to see you in the near future. I think the Three Amigos need to make a whirlwind trip to the sunny south this year.

Gary