Joe's Jazz Quintet Contracted with Larry's Lounge to Provide Music

Essay

Joe's Jazz Quintet contracted with Larry's Lounge to provide music in the lounge each evening for a two-week period. The terms of the contract provided for payment of a weekly fee of $5,000.00 for Joe's services. During the course of the first week Larry sold the lounge to a group of investors who decided to convert it to a country and western line dancing bar. The new owners immediately terminated Joe's contract but paid the quintet the full weekly fee for one week even though only three performances had taken place.
Joe's group had the opportunity to move on to its next booking early and did so, commencing performances the next evening. At the end of their touring season, some ten months later, Joe and his musicians reflected on business matters that had transpired over the season. They realized that they had had to forgo one week's pay of $5,000 at Larry's Lounge and, even though they started their next job early, it had only paid $3,000 for the week. Moreover, Joe felt that it did not help the reputation of the band to essentially be "fired" from a job. Joe and his friends decided to get some advice about taking legal action against Larry or the new owners of the lounge for the damages they had suffered as a result of the termination of their contract. Identify the issues that their legal counsel would discuss with them about their claim. What argument(s), if any, would Larry or the investors raise in response to Joe's action?