James Brown’s bassist Fred Thomas and some random thoughts

As Bob Lefsetz might ask: “What kind of a fucked up world do we live in” if former James Brown bass player Fred Thomas has to play a great funk gig to a small crowd of about 15 people in a small venue in Williamsburg with no entrance fee and only a tip bucket? I doubt the venue pays bands since there is no door, which means the seven piece group had to split a tip bucket (which with that crowd was probably $30-$50 at most, depending on generosity).
It’s really getting harder by the day out there for musicians and this makes me sad…
The gig itself was fine and the old thumb-plucking bassist sang and played two sets of funk classics (and some blues) although the young all-white supporting band left me wondering whether there suddenly was a shortage of black musicians in NY. Not that these cats were bad, but we all know that nobody got pocket and swing like a brother! What’s a brother got to do? What’s a music lover got to do?