The given URL given for the organ grinder in New Jersey was wrong
and led to nirvana!  Here is the correct URL:

http://www.rainbowpromotions.org/Performers/OneOfAKind/bushgeorgio.html

He seems to have a real monkey and a turn-of-the-(last)-century organ
(1904?).  While this will do for a good demonstration of yesteryear
("yester-century"), for a small audience this might not be the right
choice, as within half an hour at the most, he'd be repeating his
tunes (which are from the same period as the organ and again show
authenticity, but might either not all be known well, or simply are
going to turn boring, once you've heard each tune two or three times).

Don't get me wrong -- we've been playing for about a decade with
(almost) only _barrel_ organs at hand, and had to play them for full
days.  In the right setting this doesn't bother much, as e.g. in a
pedestrian precinct where the audience changes almost by the second
(they are walking by).

However, for those who are not so lucky, such as shop owners and
stand attendants, these people _will_ suffer and they _will_ let you
know.  This makes for good anecdotes (e.g., from that organ grinder
who was attacked with a bucket of water from the third floor above
him), but might hinder the "joy" we are supposed to bring.

I'm personally always trying to warn ahead and let people know about
what they need to expect, and also that I'm trying to please as many
of the audience as possible.  Still, even in one of my last gigs it
put me between a rock and a hard place: the only one in the area with
nobody else to see and only cars driving by was the guy attending the
barbecue next to me.

He requested a "break", sayin', "If I had known I'd have to listen
to this, I wouldn't have volunteered to do so," with the result of the
organizer storming out from the store with just the kindest words on
his lips: "Did I hire you to just stand there?  Where is the music?
Play some Elvis...!"

So I got overruled, and with "if I want him to book me again" in mind,
I happily returned to my music, not without apologizing to the guy at
the BBQ and not without him apologizing to me for putting me in
trouble.

These things happen, so be prepared.

greetings by(e) InK - Ingmar Krause
Victoria, B.C., Canada