Playing live gigs is one of the most traditional ways for musical artists to spread the word about themselves, entertaining fans and attracting new ones. And nothing beats gigging as a way to build a band’s musical chops.

Playing gigs also gives you a recurring reason to contact your fan base and promote your act, it’s a great vehicle to collect names for your email list, and it’s the best forum to sell products like CDs and t-shirts. Read more…

Ann Marie Calhoun has been touring and sharing the stage with music legends Ian Anderson, Steve Vai, and Ringo Starr, as well as composing and recording material for the recently-released Sherlock Holmes’ movie. Soft spoken and thoughtful in person, she’s a different personality on stage with a fiery presence and a knack for sizzling violin solos. Read more…

There’s been some negative talk about jazz musicians playing tribute shows to other jazz musicians recently. Journalist Phil Freeman discussed the idea in this Twitter conversation, jazz blogger Peter Hum took a little shot in this post, and trombonist Vincent Gardner wrote the most extensive piece on the subject in an article for All About Jazz titled “Let’s Tribute Ourselves”. Read more…