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Post by namaste on Aug 19, 2005 19:40:18 GMT -5
Not sure where to put this. So how many of us "jazzers" are gigging? About all I can muster is a little duo that plays monthly in a small restaurant, and the odd private gig. The nice thing tho is that I get to play whatever I want, primarily because I'm/we're not the focus, but the background. It really gives me a chance to try out new things/chops/licks, etc. So how about the rest of you?
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Post by Professor on Aug 20, 2005 22:22:59 GMT -5
I have been. All summer, I've been playing in a swing dance band once a week. In two weeks, I'll just be playing in a big band rhythm section at the local Jr. College for fun.....and I learn stuff, too and get to play with a bunch of old hands at jazz.
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Post by namaste on Aug 21, 2005 16:21:51 GMT -5
Good for you Prof. Summer's been slow here, but things should pick up in the Fall, given this is a University/College town.
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Post by morjaz on Aug 21, 2005 16:25:18 GMT -5
I'm playing in a blues band ...had a good gig recently and we're set to play in a small bar that favors our kind of thing....
I'd certainly like to play some jazz tho....probably something like Namaste is talking about....a duo....quiet cafe jazz.......
At this stage I've got a good repertoire of jazz chord melody- expanded and improved since tuning in to this forum.....but I believe it would be hard to sustain interest as a soloist over a period of time..dont want people to be falling asleep over my subtle renditions of Danny Boy and When I fall in love etc....
A couple of streets away there's an excellent singer who has a good feeling for jazz.I've practised lots of songs with her and it's good.....only trouble is..she's pretty temperamental....and it's hard to stay together long enough to really get going.and gigging.......nevertheless,that's my best bet for the immediate future
What the Professor is doing with larger bands sounds terrific...I can only dream what that might be like....
In NZ even in the cities there is very little big band jazz..
but jazz fusion is what's going down in a big way...jazz mixing it with other forms like reggae particularly.
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Post by morjaz on Aug 22, 2005 16:44:38 GMT -5
Surely out of all the members there are some gigs going down.I t would be good to hear about it...the kind of music played,the venue etc.
If no-one posts ,I'm wondering does that mean that no-one actually does anything except play at home-which of course we all do and enjoy...
Let's hear about some gigs......even ones you've gone out to listen to.
What kind of jazz is being played in your neighborhood?
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Post by slowpoke on Aug 22, 2005 18:15:58 GMT -5
I've been playing originals with a band I joined about six months ago. It's folk rock type stuff, but completely enjoyable. I've been working on getting some jazz tunes down good so I can get a quintent together. I'm planning on this lineup: guitar, clarinet, alto/tenor sax, drums and bass. The only members out of that I need to find right now is a bassist. We want to get some straight ahead jazz going and I've been working on Bloomdido, A Train, Oleo, In Walked Bud, It's only a paper moon and a few others. But I need to put many hours of work together. It's going to take a little while but once we get 5 or 8 tunes together I want to try to start finding gigs at restaurants and hotels and you know, dives. I just really need to work my ass off. I've been learning and advancing but what I really need is to get a group together and I think that'll provide much more motivation and will help me tremendouslly. Plus I can imagine how fun it will be. That's the main motivation.
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Post by namaste on Aug 22, 2005 19:40:59 GMT -5
At this stage I've got a good repertoire of jazz chord melody- expanded and improved since tuning in to this forum.....but I believe it would be hard to sustain interest as a soloist over a period of time..dont want people to be falling asleep over my subtle renditions of Danny Boy and When I fall in love etc.... Just a side note: When I got to the point where I had about 3 hours worth of solo stuff together, I discovered the same thing re sustaining interest. But now, when I do a gig over an hour, I take three different guitars and play different styles. You're right, 3 hours of Standards played rubato would drive people crazy or to sleep. Oh, and I also honed my piano skills to add to the mix. |
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Post by morjaz on Aug 23, 2005 16:47:55 GMT -5
That's a good insight,Namaste,as to how you arrange your gigs.As well as changing style and guitars I remember you saying that you would also during the course of a song, alternate between fingerstyle and pick,to create more interest.Good idea,for sure.
I guess you'd use maybe.. an archtop,a solid body electric and some other acoustic/electric .....but I wonder could you say something about the different styles you use......
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Post by morjaz on Aug 23, 2005 16:57:14 GMT -5
Good luck with the quintet,Slowpoke.So long as fun is the main motivator...you cant go wrong.5 to 8 tunes sounds like an hour and a bit----short and sweet!
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Post by namaste on Aug 25, 2005 1:52:32 GMT -5
Styles, well on the Standards I pretty much stick to the formula: 1st chorus straight (or rubato), 2nd chorus improv, 3rd chorus alteration to the first chorus (straight or rubato).
I also might change keys somewhere in the tune and or add swing. I do a lot of 4/4 in 3/4. Takes a little work but well worth it. I use pick style ala Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel as well and mix it in or do the entire tune with the pick.
I play Chet Atkins style for a lot of the country stuff. I've worked out quite a few pop tunes this way. To add variety I sometimes do a medley of tunes say by one artist (I do a couple of Hank Williams medleys and a John Denver one).
Also, latin medleys are favorites and provide totally different rhythms (bossas and sambas).
Folk guitar is also part of my repetoire, particularly Bruce Cockburn and other instrumentalists. There is little improv there tho and the tunes are pretty much played the same every time.
I use three guitars: classical, electric (can you believe a strat), and a steel string. I've can play pretty much everything on the classical and electric and use the steel string for Chet and folky stuff. I also use metal fingerpicks on occasion on the steel string. Something different.
Most of my tunes are in my head but on occasion I'll read from the Real Book. There are about 100 in there that I can do comfortably. About the only style I don't do is classical. Never had the discipline I guess, and I find it kinda boring.
On the longer gigs I bring my Roland piano and play a bunch of different things, from Jim Brickman to Chick Corea. A real mixed bag.
So that's about it or all I can think of at the present. Hope it helps morjaz, and any other folks.
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Post by morjaz on Aug 25, 2005 23:03:19 GMT -5
That certainly does help,Namaste... Maybe the whole subject is worth a thread....... All things useful for gigging..... like......preparation.....appearence...how you connect with audience(like talking between numbers)....knowing how many tunes to fill out a set.....how much of the host's free beer you should drink.....  Anyway what you have posted has certainly given me food for thought. |
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Post by namaste on Aug 26, 2005 14:01:06 GMT -5
Yeah morjaz. Why don't you get a thread started? I'll pitch in as well.
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