One of my ALL TIME favorites!!!!! I found this recording about 30 years ago, and it's a staple in my rotation.

The 'good stuff' wears well. The tunes were good and the players could play. Wish there were more clubs featuring this type and quality of music, but it's not likely. Sad. Anyway, glad you're helping to keep these great old tunes alive.

chas

Unlike Don, all of my jobs are at different locations and on some days I play two jobs a day-but not a lot these days. I will turn 80 In June but have been very lucky health wise and am still able to do most things I want to do. However, I have made a few adjustments that make my jobs a lot easier. Last year I changed from a Ketron SD7 to a Ketron SD40 Module and a 49 Key M-Audio Midi Controller. I also changed out my Bose L1 Compact for a Bose S1-Pro speaker. All this helps a lot and is working wonderfully.

What Don said about the Senior living places is very true. The corporate owners don't seem to care a lot about the residents and often do not give the Activity Directors a lot of money to work with and the turnover of the Activity Directors is Hugh which often makes rebooking a real pain - but it Is all part of the Senior Living business - take it or leave it.

The biggest negative now for me is driving to and from the jobs. In the last two years the traffic In our area has gotten very bad. Often it will take me 2 hours to drive to a job that was once only an hour drive. It was reported that last year 24 families moved into our area every hour! But, what else would I be doing - probably just sitting around the house and really growing old! My wife of 57 years goes with me and we have a lot of fun being together and watching all the stupid drivers we see.

I guess as long as my clients want me I will continue to play and I am already booked at some for 2020.

Deane

Can we call this thread, "The Don and Chas Show?"

Let's don't talk about getting old. I get a quick reminder everytime I walk more than three feet... or turn the wrong way too fast. But I do have an Arranger Keyboard... and I enjoy that darn thing entirely too much.

Don, I really enjoyed reading your NH and Ernest's story. In the back of my mind, if you could no longer perform (no matter the venue)... I would bet you'd miss it after just a day or two. Yeah, all that toting would take me out of the game before the "waltz" even began. Having the talent to have such a strong base of dedicated "fans" is a gift... and you are gifted, my friend.

Chas: You brought back memories with that "clip" of Etta Jones and that marvelous "backing band"... I cannot begin to thank you enough. So many things about that 6 minute video could not be economically done in today's music biz environment... it leaves me amazed at how much talent existed "back in the day." She had a voice that probably won't be duplicated... and you are so right... her looks had nothing to do with what her audiences were looking for. Sadly, she seemed to live in the shadow of Ella Fitzgerald for most of her career... and that is a shadow I believe would be "bearable" because the bar was set so high.

What a great way to start my day... or, even better, end an evening. Really marvelous stuff.

Thanks to both of you, ----Dave

I still enjoy all the 'work' that goes into doing solo 1 hour gigs. It's still running a business and very difficult too. The paperwork (computer) is never ending and following up on payment due is sometimes very frustrating.

That said, I like the 1 hour 'work' that comes with it. What pure joy. Nice not to traipse through industrial plants trying to deal with PAs, Engineers, Chemists, etc. Done with that.

And Hammer.....you are my idol. 80 and going strong. Hope I can say the same in 11 more years. I will play till I drop.

I've already dropped a couple of times but have been able to get back up so far!

Only thing I've dropped is a semitone or two on some of the songs I've sung for years.

Don, the only thing you’ve dropped is your Tascam recorder . Did you get the new one yet?
Mitch

Will arrive today. You'd never guess what I did. I ordered one off Ebay, from a licensed dealer, late at night. Then yesterday I was talking with my Sweetwater guy and told him I needed one; I forgot I had already ordered one.
I called back, but not sure I got it canceled in time. Maybe I'll have an extra one or one for sale. I hate to return it when it was totally my fault.
There are already FOUR on my desk. Two have broken displays from dropping them, one is just "dead"; one still works but the battery cover is loose so it is taped on.
Senility is lurking.

LOL...