When you play with yourself, you always know when to speed up.

Ian

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Remember to leave good news alone.

Too many fakers out there hiding behind their co-musicians also....another reason I hated band work...I had to continually call them out to solo their part to eventually find the culprit playing who knows what?

Seems a little strange...why spend good money on an arranger keyboard that does it all, and then hire other people?

Sorta defeats the purpose...

May as well buy a synthesizer or electronic piano...would be a lot cheaper.

Ahhh...the benefits of playing solo...too many to list, but never too many to enjoy.

Ian

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Remember to leave good news alone.

It is my observation that most solo acts simply couldn't handle playing in a duo or group if there was a lot of extemperaneous playing "off of each other" going on.

Take a look at the post of the "4
Hammonds". You don't get that kind of interaction when playing a solo job on an arranger.

There's nothing like the unspoken communication between musicians of equal ability when they trade fours or interact in that fantastic "shoot from the hip", often unrehearsed way.

In those cases, there's nowhere to hide, and nobody is going to carry you. You produce or get the hell out of the way.

This is my opinion and I'm not going to change it....I wouldn't expect anyone believing the opposite to change their beliefs, either. It's kind of like the previous discussions about the difference between musicians and entertainers, and we've already been there.

Here's hoping we all enjoy success and a sense of accomplishment; however we define
it.


Russ

Ian, I still enjoy "playing" a solo, but, at my age, I don't "rush" nearly as often as I used to.


Russ

Russ,

I certainly wouldn't try to change your mind....you couldn't change mine either... but that's okay...we're old enough for it to be okay to be set in our opinions.


I do, however, disagree with your statement,"that most solo acts simply couldn't handle playing in a duo or group if there was a lot of extemporaneous playing "off of each other" going on.

Most solo players that I have met are, more often than not, extremely capable players...it would a more appropriate to say that they "wouldn't" play in a group, rather than "couldn't".

They usually go solo because they got fed up working with incompetent sidemen.

There's also no where to hide when you are playing solo either...you are either good enough to cut it, or you don't get asked back.

The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.

There's also a negative side.

All the best to you, my friend.

Ian




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Remember to leave good news alone.

Thanks, Ian...handled like a gentleman. And, after 50 years in this business, I've seen the "snakes" like you have. It can be rough out there.

It all comes down to where you come from and where you want to go. I've made my choices and paid the price, sometimes, for making them. I wouldn't have done it any other way. When you refuse to play Jimmy Buffet, George Jones, Johnnie Cash, etc. like I do, you pay the price.

When you try as hard as you can to always play jazz, you are limited by available venues, smaller audiences, etc. But, the upside is challenging music, a sense of accomplishment and the respect of other musicians, which, to me, is important.

For me, that's what it's all about. And that's what I'm going to continue to do as long as I can.

All the best,


Russ

I guess some people are just more comfortable playing with themselves than others are...
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When you play with yourself, you always know when to speed up.
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You naughty boys!

Russ, you're in a great position, because you don't need to make money playing music.
I love playing in bands with GOOD musicians, and have both worked and traded licks with a whole lot of great ones, including James Burton, Freddy Fender, Dean Mathis, Freddy Cannon and more.
Had a chance to play full time with both Freddy Fender and Freddy Cannon, but had to pass on both because they couldn't or wouldn't match what I was making as a single, plus I would have to travel most of the time.
You are in an enviable position; you can play what and when you wish!
Enjoy it and appreciate it!
DonM

Russ,

I couldn't dissagree more about playing solo being boring. Every job is a challenge, and every audience is different, which is what presents the challenge.

When I performed in upscale Italian restaurants I was bored to tears. While the audiences changed regularly, the music didn't. That was boring as hell to me. One of the places I performed at in Baltimore's Little Italy wanted me to do a solo performance for them a couple nights a week. The restaurant was about as upscale as they get, no prices on the menue, and shots of imported cognac selling for up to $325 each--way out of my price range.

The first night I performed I did lots of italian songs during the four-hours I was there. I sang several songs in Italian, which made the owner happy. The 30 or so customers in the lounge sat there drinking their high-priced booze and I wasn't sure if they even noticed the music. The owner's wife loved my voice, and he booked me for the following Saturday.

The next job was a bit different. I had a dozen, young, airline stewardesses in the lounge, gals who requested some upbeat songs that you would likely never perform. They loved it, the tip jar was quickly filled to capacity, the lounge was packed beyond capacity, and there were folks dancing in the hall. The same was true the following Saturday night, with lots of complements about the music and individuals hoping I would become a permanent fixture. I played what the audiences wanted to hear--NOT just the songs I enjoyed performing.

The following week I was not booked, and when I asked the restaurant owner why not he replied "You do an incredible job, everyone loves your performances, but no one is in the restaurant and that's where I make my money--not in the lounge."

We parted company on good terms, and he has called a few times since then asking if I can do a private party for him. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts have prevented this, but sometime in the near future I suspect he'll be calling again.

I guess I'm fortunate. There has never been a time when performing music has been boring. And, while most of my audiences are folks older than 40 years of age, they tend to be the same individuals that spend the entire evening on the dancefloor and having a ball. It has been my experience that audiences under 40 years of age are the ones that spend most of their time sitting in front of a computer or TV screen, and they're the ones going to bed by 10 p.m.. They have to--they're in debt up to their eyebrows, work two jobs, and many are just one paycheck away from being homeless. The older folks have already been there, done that and learned from their experiences--now they just want to have fun and enjoy life.

We all have different preferences and experiences when it comes to music, and nothing is etched in stone.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy