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#372204 - 09/21/13 01:20 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: Tostie]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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In many cases, you are right Diki, but there are a few of us who aren't in a big rush to set up/break down. My biggest concerns were generally where I was to set up and a having a good speaker placement in relation to the listeners. I rarely gigged more than once a day, and if that did happen, I made sure I didn't book myself into a situation that required an insane dash from one gig to the other.
My feeling is that life is meant to be sipped...not gulped!
Of course, having lighter (and more compact) gear is always nice, as long as there is no trade off in sound.
However, I still enjoy reading about the ways some of our busier SZ'ers manage to come up with to reduce set-up/break-down time...some are very clever indeed.
Ian
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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#372205 - 09/21/13 01:53 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: ianmcnll]
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Senior Member
Registered: 02/04/01
Posts: 2071
Loc: Fruita, Colorado, USA
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Not a lot of arranger players in my area...only three that are at an advanced level and are out gigging, primarily with a Tyros or high end PSR. I've been lucky, having the best of both worlds, I suppose, as I play arranger professionally and also play keyboards in a group setting...right now I am on a self imposed sabbatical until March of next year. In the meantime I still jam with some buds, and, of course, play every day on my Tyros4 doing up instrumentals in a style that sort of makes them my own. I like to keep my chops up in both areas.
Bottom line, at least for me, is that arrangers are just "tools of the trade"...I feel they are the same as any other electronic instrument or keyboard, and, for the most part, it really depends on the skill and creativity of the player to make the most of it. Joost and Rico are just two examples of exploiting the instruments fully, but each in his own way.
To me my arranger is both a "live" performance, and a recording instrument (the Tyros4/S950 are basically self contained studios, as are the Korg PA arrangers)...I use styles (personalized by me) when I play/record, and I don't use them to color my songs, rather I create songs by using styles... they're a crucial part of what I do ... I don't consider styles a crutch ... they're part of the art.
When I play in a band situation, I can often use ideas for comping that I picked up while listening to how the parts in the styles were played.
When Cassp started up the E-Jam on SZ a few years ago, we all got a fair idea of how many of the other members used their arrangers...I was very impressed with the fine work that was posted, both by vocalist/arranger users, and those who played strictly instrumentals. It was amazing to see/hear how those with limited keyboard skills managed to make up for it with clever arrangements or brilliant vocals, and not once did I feel there was any lack of talent or anything less than excellence and professionalism in their presentation.
The level of a "performance" is a sum of many parts, not just flashy keyboard licks or great vocal chops. It's a "package", and it's those who can create an attractive assemblage using their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses (or using them to their advantage) that maintain a high level.
Ian
Ian, I've been here since around 2000-2001 I think, and I remember a very few exceptional intelligent comments, but you win the prize. I just want to say along with how you grasp things from the styles to help maybe improve you performances, I've said before that I could improvise to make people look up and listen back in the late fifties with one of the best young bands in New Orleans at that time doing the Professor Long Hair, Fats, Little Richard, Ray Charles' "Fathead" solos and tunes of the day. Our band won two "Battle Of The Bands" that were very prevalent at the time. I've always had a good ear. I played all the old Lee Allen, Herbert Hardesty, Sam Butera, Fathead and Boots Randolph licks I could grasp. I even spent some time getting Yakety Sax to where I did it almost note for note as soon as I heard about it.I was 16 and playing for about 2 years. I just luckily ran into a younger teenager named Ronnie (Barrose) Barron to join our band. He was an exceptional young 15 year old at the time and went on to join up with Dr. John and also Paul Butterfield. What I'm trying to say is that all of the things that I learned from that era was great. However, I want to say that when I started back playing and ran across BIAB, and discovered the solo feature, and started putting in all of the intricate variations of chords for the many different chord passages that can be added to the Jazz blues genre, and also the difficult standard tunes that I enjoy, my improvisation really took off. I really really recommend to any serious improviser no matter what level your at, BIAB will teach you licks that if you listen to closely that you would never dream of, if you used it daily. I just wanted to give some back ground of myself so that no one would think I just fell off of the banana truck and was impressed with BIAB. Like you said Ian about how you improved you're playing by paying attention to the styles on your arranger, BIAB is a tool for serious wanna be improvisers. Again, your comment hit the nail on the head.
_________________________
I'm not prejudiced, I hate everybody!! Ha ha! My Sister-In-Law had this tee shirt. She was a riot!!!
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#372208 - 09/21/13 02:46 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: Tostie]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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Thank you for the kind words, Boo. I've got a pretty good ear considering I started at 4 yrs with classical piano, which I remained with for roughly 10 years or so. It basically taught me how to read like a sonofagun, although I don't think it really taught me how to "play", if you get my meaning. Another 10 years with Yamaha Electone Organ course, and also in the trenches with a bunch of guys, who were far more musically experienced than me, helped me work on my ear and intuitive skills. A good guitar pickin' buddy of mine has Band-In-The Box, one of the later versions, I believe, and he's always hooting about it and mentioned most of the things you said. He's a very strong Country player, but also loves other music (Larry Carlton is one of his favorites) and he tells me has learned a lot from BIAB. We meet once or twice a week to jam, so I will check out BIAB and perhaps pick up a copy. Another guy I listened to, who still inspires my comping is Eumir Deodato, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_ivvEDV5_0 who has a cool way with the electric piano...a lot of subtle changes in his patterns keep my ear interested. One of my favorites, and first heard, tunes was his version of Moonlight Serenade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-xs8DesY0Q and at the time I was playing in a Funk Band and we ended up doing a fair copy of his tune. The guys in the band always kept challenging me, and that helped me grow, and I owe them a big debt of gratitude. They weren't afraid of incorporating synthesizers in the band along with the tradional Rhodes and Hammond and we were pretty successful for well over a decade. Thanks again for your nice comments...they mean a lot coming from someone with your experience. Ian Attached is a picture of the group, back in the late 70's...I'm the hippie on the far left.  
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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#372211 - 09/21/13 03:38 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: brickboo]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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Ian, the guy in the door reminds me of Mac Rebennack. He was the drummer, Ron Joseph, and a very good one at that...he's since passed away, about 5 years ago. Worked as a hack driver to make ends meet when the gigging was slow. Great guy, and very supportive...his son plays drums and has a lot of his old man's talent. The guy standing next to me was our guitarist, Bo Innes, who had previously played cello in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and was a very innovative player. He was also a fine trombonist and also played French Horn. He wrote out a lot of charts so I could play proper horn parts on the synth, and in conjunction with the real horns, it sounded quite a bit like a brass orchestra...we did several tunes by Chicago, such as 25 or 6 to 4, and Saturday In The Park, so we had a very broad repertoire when needed. Bo ended up in Hollywood doing some acting...could be still there. His uncle was the comedian and actor, Godfrey Cambridge. Again, I was very fortunate to work with those guys. Boo, I love Dr. John...exceptional piano player! Ian
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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#372213 - 09/21/13 04:16 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: Tostie]
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Member
Registered: 06/24/05
Posts: 892
Loc: Baltimore, MD USA
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Ok, I have to jump in here. Good Joey told me not to, but bad Joey won out. As far as level of performance goes, I just keep waiting for the lessons to come in the mail each week. After I get my PHD in music, maybe I'll try to play a local beer joint, or, better yet, do some young weddings. I'm sure If I asked one of the Peabody piano professors what he thought about the Booty Call, I would be not so politely escorted off campus. But I'll keep striving and maybe one day I'll get to do a 5 hour band job for $100.00 and all the beer I can drink. Joe 
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PSR S950, PSR S900, Roland RD 700, Yamaha C3 6'Grand, Sennheiser E 935 mic, several recording mics including a Neuman U 87, Bose L1 Compact, Roland VS 2480 24 Track Recorder Joe Ayala
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#372216 - 09/21/13 05:16 PM
Re: Level of performers
[Re: Nigel]
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Senior Member
Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
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Ian, the guy in the door reminds me of Mac Rebennack. And it looks like you had Jack Black on the right .... But I guess you didn't play any Tenacious D back then. Nope, no Tenacious D back then, Nigel..ha ha! John "Hubba" Parris was his name...great vocalist and also played congas, cabasa, and rhythm guitar...the guy sitting down with the 'shades on was the other lead vocalist, who also played guitar and harmonica...in fact, we all sang. Those guys were like family to me, Nigel, and we still have remained close friends after all these years. Ian BTW Nigel, that's the first time I saw a guitar Leslie being used was with this particular band, as Bo had one in his bag of tricks...perhaps you might know the particular model...it had a black Tolex cover and wasn't very big, about half the size of one of my Leslie 147RV's. I think it just had one speaker.
_________________________
Yamaha Tyros4, Yamaha MS-60S Powered Monitors(2), Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TQ-5, Yamaha PSR-S775.
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