LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Japanese Hotel Gigs

alfredo -- 01/21/2007, 10:37:07 -- #32584

It's my understanding that hotel gigs in Japan and Asia are pretty tough. For example they expect five 45-min sets x 6 nights, 1 night off. You net $750/week (its 1099 income). They let you play jazz standards (primarily swing, bossas  & ballads) but also some pop tunes at your discretion and requests. They typicaly include: private room; food; dry cleaning; round trip flight; work visa fees, laundry,

Scot -- 01/21/2007, 10:59:02 -- #32584

I played in Asia for five years. Four sets a night 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off, usually 6 or seven nights a week. My housing, food, and laundry was taken care of. I averaged around $1200 a month. You have to tell the IRS you made that money, true.  But usually you don't have to pay taxes or get a 1099. The way it works is that if the taxes are paid before your get your money and you made less than $75,000 (or whatever it is now) you do NOT have to pay taxes or do a 1099.  I never paid US taxes on income from my overseas gigs, and it was all legal. Now, as I understood it, they don't bring over foreign players because the locals are good enough to do the job these days.  So how exactly are you getting these gigs?  I'd love to go back to Asia and do some more music... my dog is gone, nothing to hold me back.

JHMurray -- 01/21/2007, 19:50:40 -- #32584

I've been living in Japan for almost 6 years now. I just finished a three month gig at the Tokyo Park Hyatt. It was 6 nights a week, 45/15 sets, but most of the other hotel gigs here are much easier. Most hotels rotate three or four performers throughout the week.

Jazz+ -- 01/21/2007, 20:56:40 -- #32584

JH, May I ask how many sets per night and what was the compensation? Do you do trios, duos or solo mostly? Jazz+

Scot -- 01/22/2007, 10:02:57 -- #32584

Tokyo Park Hyatt?  Cool!  I was going to bring a band over to that hotel when it first opened, but I had a better offer in Hong Kong at the time (the Penninsula).   Is the GM the youngish french guy with blonde/white hair still?  Just curious.  Good job on those gigs, though.

JHMurray -- 01/23/2007, 01:37:20 -- #32584

Hey, Scot... The food and beverage manager is a French guy named Philippe, but he's not the GM. When were you here? By the way, sorry to hear about your dog. Jazz+, I've worked in several different hotels, doing both solo and group gigs. Usually it's 4 sets a night but I did a five-set gig for two years straight. The pay of course varies, too. Anywhere between $230 to $300 a night. Probably a lot less outside of Tokyo. Jim

Scot -- 01/23/2007, 09:58:47 -- #32584

I was getting things set up before the hotel opened, back in around 1994 or something like that.  Philippe is not his name.  He was the F&B guy at the Hyatt in Seoul, then moved off to be the GM at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo.  He's probably one of those guys who goes to new hotels to get them running right when the open up and then leave when the next one opens.

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