play the best you can no matter what. I remember seeing Ellery's trio in '95 in one of the little rooms at the Knit playing for less people than I have fingers, and it was a lesson in the value of playing big no matter how small the house.
I give Ken Vandermark props for doing just that. Even with his "big commercial" band, The Vandermark 5, he will tear it up to only a handful of people. Being able to play (and maybe making a little money doing it), is its own reward. I saw him here in Indy at a very small (unknown) venue, that I didn't think he would condescend to playing with the 5. I know the promoter; no one even broke even on the night. However, they played their asses off and refined the music that much more (Ken was making corrections/additions to the score mid-piece). They looked like they were having fun just playing; just as the few that were there had fun watching something magical unfold in front of them. Zach