A financial snapshot from the jazz life - 1966

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Feb 2010 6:13 am

Milt Buckner is my new favorite jazz pianst. Buckner was the inventor of the locked hands piano style that George Shearing took and ran with. I somehow never heard him until recently but, man, what a ferociously great swinger he was! Check him out. Saw this on a Dutch site. This is from Buckner's account book from a 1966 gig at Lennie's, a legendary Mass. club. Pretty cold financial reality for a such a brilliant improviser. Net $50 bucks for a week's work. Was "wife" an alimony payment?

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 27 Feb 2010 6:29 am

He must have been very thin.. i don't see an entry for meals here..

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Feb 2010 7:18 am

He must have been very thin.

Not exactly.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 27 Feb 2010 10:29 am

Andy.

The average income in the US in 1966 was $6900 a year. That is $132 a week. This guy made $400 that week!!!

If you multiply $400 weekly which is what this fellow made you get $20,800.

He was making a killing!

The $50 he cleared would have covered all the misc. expenses he could have had.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 27 Feb 2010 10:41 am

Excellent point Bill ! $400 a week went a long way in 1966

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Feb 2010 11:47 am

Just ran this through a inflation calculator. $400 in 1966 is the equivalent of $2615.68 in 2009. Which means he was making the equivalent of $136,000 a year today.

Sounds like he was doing pretty good. At least his wife was.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Feb 2010 11:51 am

He made a math error; his expenses were $360.14. He only cleared $40, not $50.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 27 Feb 2010 11:54 am

$40 bucks in 1966 is the same as $261 today.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Feb 2010 12:02 pm

Good points but how often did he have $400 wk gigs? If it was twice every 6 months he wasn't doing all that great. In any case, it's an interesting snapshot of something we usually never see, someone else's is pay and expenses.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 27 Feb 2010 12:19 pm

Jim Cohen wrote:He made a math error; his expenses were $360.14. He only cleared $40, not $50.

Good catch Jim, more proof that he was a musician! $:\$

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 12:30 pm

More importantly, how often did his wife ask for more than $200.00, and did she know he was keeping 40.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 12:35 pm

This can't be real. There's no Divorce Savings Account listed.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 27 Feb 2010 12:52 pm

He is married. He did not write "ex" in front of "wife".

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Feb 2010 12:59 pm

Jim Smith wrote:
Jim Cohen wrote:He made a math error; his expenses were $360.14. He only cleared $40, not $50.
Good catch Jim, more proof that he was a musician! $:\$

... and what am I? Chopped liver? LOL!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 1:02 pm

This is obviously the "Madoff Sheet". You know, the one he shows his wife. The real one he shows to his accountant and the guys down at the bar after playing. Whose kidding who.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 1:05 pm

He must have been pretty good. He got booked back in the second week!

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 27 Feb 2010 1:31 pm

Kevin Hatton wrote:He must have been pretty good. He got booked back in the second week!

Also if you look at the transportation line you see that he wrote to the left "To Ill.". So he had a gig in Illinois the next week. This guy was phat with cash.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Feb 2010 1:39 pm

As long as we're speculating, maybe he was going home to Illinois, where there was no gig waiting for him but his wife was on the town with his $200 bucks and a boyfriend!?

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 1:39 pm

Wonder if he told his wife about that Steinway bolt on wrap around piano he bought that week. I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that one. You can just hear it now. "Milton you know that old piano you have plays just fine!!!". His response: "But dear, all the guys are getting them".

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Feb 2010 2:10 pm

Anyone seen the Tsunami yet?

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 27 Feb 2010 3:32 pm

According to his "spread sheet"......it looks like he donated the $49.86 to The Steel Guitar Forum.com

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 27 Feb 2010 3:36 pm

Andy Volk wrote: Was "wife" an alimony payment?

He might have sent away for a mail order bride......

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 27 Feb 2010 3:37 pm

You're right, Howard. It might have just been a one-time expense...

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 27 Feb 2010 3:38 pm

Jim Cohen wrote:As long as we're speculating, maybe he was going home to Illinois, where there was no gig waiting for him but his wife was on the town with his $200 bucks and a boyfriend!?

Porter Wagoner sang a song about that:

I got back in town a day before I'd planned to

I smiled and said I'll sure surprise my wife

I don't think I'll phone I'll just head on home

For I didn't know The Cold Hard Facts Of Life

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Feb 2010 4:00 pm

Did Lennie's pay by the note or by the chord?

A financial snapshot from the jazz life - 1966

A financial snapshot from the jazz life - 1966

Re: A financial snapshot from the jazz life - 1966