Best city (financially) for jazz?

[larry]

We all know that playing jazz professionally these days is a challenge. Do the rates that decent restaurant/club bands can command vary geographically? Where is the best place to try to earn a living playing jazz?

Here in Boston, a typical (non-headliner) band can get $250-300 for a restaurant/club gig and $600-$800 for Weddings (fellow Bostonians, please correct me if your experience differs!)

What about the rest of the country/world? What rates are you-all seeing in your areas?

Thanks,
Lar'

[Jeff Albert]

There is a club in New orleans that guarantees $400 - 500 on weeknights depending on the night, but there is only one and it is hard to get into more than once every couple of months, unless you are Ellis.

[Knike]

When we hit the stage with our BluesBand (A Quartett, wich is not very known at all) we ask for a minimum of 700$ plus free food/drinks, depending on the location. Exceptions are made only for special occassions. Normally we get ca. 1000 $ for net playing time of about 2 hours.
Please note, that this money is paid in Switzerland / Lichtenstein, where everything costs a little more than elsewhere......

[larry]

Man, I'm brushing up mein Deutschsprechendes and heading for Geneva!

[Uli]

Originally posted by larry
Man, I'm brushing up mein Deutschsprechendes and heading for Geneva!

Don't forget your French if you are heading for Geneva!

[graypencil]

Not to put too fine a point on things, but to me the title of this thread seems somewhat of an oxymoron ..

seriously , most of the good players I know rely on the better paying GB gigs ( pit shows, jingles, industrial uses , etc ) to support their jazz playing habits .Jazz gigs are notoriously low paying nationally at the local /regional level .. the tend to separate "their" music ( GB gigs ) from "my " music ( jazz gigs for fun ) to put food on the table and to keep the baby in shoes

now. if the lousy union would just come up with an affordable health plan for musicians