Jazz for aficionados

I hope you all don't mind, but here is a short break from the regular discussion.

Any musician knows you have to rehearse if you're serious about the gig(s) coming up.  You need to know the tunes, tempo, time signature, changes in structure, etc.  It's also good to know what time to be at the gig.  Basically, if you're playing with more than one person, it's good to agree on some things before you begin.

I've been to rehearsals, (jazz gigs) that lasted two or three hours.  I've been to some where the rehearsal took place while doing a sound check.  I've been to more than one where the rehearsal was conversation between the players.  I guess it just depends on the situation.

It sucks to be late.  It sucks more if it's you.  It especially sucks if you are the only one that shows up.  Late means you're playing catch up and somebody has to walk you through what's going to happen. 

Late means you really don't give a sh*t, or somebody died. 

The Lounge Lizards recorded a song entitled, "Where Were You.?"  A fun and serious musical commentary about the business of the gigging musician. 

I've listened to this many times and never fail to laugh out loud.

I hope you have as much fun listening to this as I do.

Happy Tuesday!

-- Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRUygOpEEFQ

That was very funny, jzzmusician; thanks.  On a somewhat related note (pun), this is Frank Zappa's parody of the studio musician scene; a scene which, outside of LA, hardly exists anymore.  Hysterical and a pretty accurate picture of the darker side of that scene during its heyday:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JRUygOpEEFQ

btw, your description of what rehearsing is about is right on; depends on the situation.

Ilikemiles, welcome to the thread. Glad you mentioned Billy Taylor; hasn’t been mentioned much on this thread and he deserves to be. He is an iconic figure in the world of jazz; not just as a player, but as educator and broadcaster as well.

Martial Solal is one of my favorite unsung piano players. This record, "Four Keys", from 1979 features one of the most interesting and rather strange lineups of any of my records. Solal, the great Lee Konitz, Orsted Pederson and John Scofield (known mainly as a fusion player but showing some impressive straight ahead chops here). Very interesting record with unusual tunes based on interesting harmonies and oblique melodies; and some free improvisation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ziRheolgl58

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hq42bTEklPg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=434Z3pK85fQ

btw, I like Miles too; a lot.

frogman,

You mistakenly posted the link to the "Where were you?"

I suspect you meant to post this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBFW9B6EJg

I was planning to use it for the "2nd break."

Here's a rehearsal story for you:

I was hired to play a gig for the local "country club" consisting of "standards."  No problem.

I called some guys, put a band together and we showed up.  One of the musicians was an absolute killer blues/funk guitar player that could sing his ass off.  He wanted to explore the jazz scene and he was cool, so I invited him to play.

Two brothers on bass and trumpet, (the trumpet player could sing too), my dear friend Pete on keys and I played drums.

We were on our second tune when the lady that hired me came over in a panic and said, (picture dressed up woman with lots of makeup and bling),

"What the hell are you playing?!!!!!!  I said I wanted standards!!!!!"

Me, being the guy that wants to please asked her, "what kind of standards do you want to hear?"

"WE WANT TO DANCE!  WE WANT THE FUNKY STUFF!!!"

Quick rehearsal consisting of, "Hey guys! The lady says to funk it up!"

Bang we changed up.  Old people dancing so hard I was afraid somebody would have a heart attack.

We played our last tune and were packing up.  Pete was getting a beer.  A guy comes to me and says "How much for another half an hour?"

I turn to the guitar player and ask him what it would take.

"500 bucks."

I told the guy, he peels of 5 Benjamins and we start in.  Pete shows up with beers for the band, sees us getting ready to play and I yell, "500 bucks for 30 minutes!"   He scrambles, we play.

We finished the set with "Shout"  by Otis Day and the Knights.  We killed it.

Long story short, this rehearsal lasted all of 10 seconds.

-- Bob

Oops, thanks for the heads up. Here’s what I meant to post:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=snetMOvbqRQ

Great story!