7/4 Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Gimme that! Now we'ze talking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 See, these silly diversions get your mind off playing. I'll bet Troy's feeling better already. I, however, am feeling a little nauseous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 Also, sometimes we confuse "rut" with laziness. If you don't put work into what you want to do on the instrument, then disappointment and dispair are not far off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 play naked in a toxic waste dump - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 play naked in a toxic waste dump - The toxic waste dump gig, is actually really tough to book, but I'll call my guy and see what he can do. I appreciate everyone’s advice. Some of it is helpful; all of it is entertaining. -Effortless Mastery is on my must read list. Maybe it’s time. -I know I need to let it pass and I know that it will, I’m struggling a bit with my musical obligations while I’m waiting. Specifically these recordings. I also know that I need to make friends with the recording process through familiarity. -I may go find me some ducks this weekend. I think that’s a fine idea. -The trumpet player I’m in the trenches with and I took Monday and went skiing. It was great, I think it really helped, we didn’t talk that much about music. I felt a lot better, but 10 minutes into rehearsal on Tuesday, it was back. -I think I need to curb my jazz intake a bit. My first jazz of the day comes from my CD alarm clock, which I think is a good thing, but I need to shut off that constant triplet feel in my head for a little while. I’ll find something else to wake up to. I’ve been analyzing music so much, that I’m not sure that I’m listening to it anymore. -Fortunately I’ve got no shortage of jazz musicians around me, none of whom are Eric Alexander, exactly, but cats at my level, cats behind me a bit, cats just ahead of me and a few really heavy hitters. All of whom for the most part are cool, supportive and generous with themselves. I do a pretty good job of avoiding people who aren’t. -I have been experimenting with different strings which has kept me engaged a bit, although I suspect that I’ll find myself back to my old standby’s pretty soon. -I’ve played a few gigs with my P-Bass, which has been on the shelf for several years now. That opened up a few things for me and it was nice not to have to drag the dog house out on those nights. -I’m not really negative about practicing and I’m doing a lot of it. It is work and I do sometimes feel drained by it, but it’s not really what I think is bringing me down. Part of it is dragging my bass all over the greater Seattle area. Just the physicality of what I do is getting to me a bit. I could also sleep more. -The weekend before the recording that I’m most stressed about, my wife and I have rented a cabin in the rain forest. Just us, our dog, a stack of firewood and a stove. I think that will likely help clear my head a little bit. I usually travel with a guitar and my laptop with Finale on it so I can compose or arrange, but I think I’m going to leave them both at home this time. -I do see the ability to maybe take a break in April and if I’m still feeling burned I will. -And I could maybe use a trip. I have an idea about a good soul cleansing jazz pilgrimage that could stoke some creative juices for me, but I have to work through some things and I’m not sure yet if it will come together or should. Thanks again for advice. Keep it coming. I’ll try to chill the f*** out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 -I’m not really negative about practicing and I’m doing a lot of it. It is work and I do sometimes feel drained by it, but it’s not really what I think is bringing me down. Part of it is dragging my bass all over the greater Seattle area. Just the physicality of what I do is getting to me a bit. I could also sleep more. You won't get ANY grief from me on those counts, my brother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 (edited) Troy I can relate about dragging your instrument around to gigs. Like Jim, I've had to lug the B3 around and am just getting plain tired of it. It's so draining that by the time you play, you're already worn out. I'm sure the upright is a similar feel. Like you said, bring the P-Bass for a while. I've been taking a keyboard instead lately, and although I hate playing it, I do find that I don't dread the gig so much in terms of the whole thing taking so much effort, 2 sets and get the hell out like everyone else. Funny how other musicians on the gig will complain about us not bringing the "real" hammond or, in your case, the upright...but these guys are walking out the door 3 seconds after the last note, hopping in their 2 door subaru and driving away. Meanwhile I'm trying to back my trailer down an alley with a cop giving me a ticket and you're trying to lug your upright down a flight of stairs. To be honest, sometimes the best gig is at the house. No lugging. Edited February 24, 2006 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 (edited) I can identify as I recently bought an alto, and I kid you not, because it's smaller and easier to bring to the gig with my other equipment than my tenor - Edited February 24, 2006 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 So, here's a partial "BLAH" update. I had a good weekend musically. All joy and not grief. Friday I played a cozy gig with a guitarist and alto sax player who I had not played with before. It was at a little restaurant out of town and I brought my fretless P-Bass and my little GK combo amp. Easy trip from the car, didn’t talk about what we were going to play ahead of time and just called tunes and played for two sets. I even played sitting in a chair, had a nice time, made some new friends. Saturday, I hosted a jam session, which I do twice a year for the community of local jazz musicians who I know. Some great players, some total beginners, but a small venue full of people who love jazz and play (musically and otherwise) nicely together. 3 hours of standards with no break, there was another bassist there, so I got to split time and be social. Things like this were what made me first fall in love with playing jazz in this town in the first place. Sunday the quartet which I’m recording with next week booked a gig at a bar in town here that is not usually a jazz venue, but the trumpet player plays there with a sort of ‘70s Miles-type band and it was Oscar night, so he took a chance on it. This is really the band that’s been bumming me out. We used to be a good club band and all kinds of cool, spontaneous things happened to stage. Then we became sort of an inadvertent wedding jazz band, because some of the cats need to eat and pay rent and shit like that. And lately we’ve been rehearsing for going to the studio to record originals that we never really played live. We historically haven’t rehearsed or recorded in a studio and it had been months and months since we’d played a gig where we could play how we felt, so I think it was creating a really noxious environment and we were actually getting worse. We were all starting to feel like we weren’t a good band and probably shouldn’t be recording. But, in a club this weekend with no expectations, we played great. People came and gushed all over us, I think that bar may become a jazz venue one night a week and we all walked away feeling great again. Hopefully that will carry over into the final rehearsal and then the studio. We also agreed that we need to go back to playing clubs even if the money is not as good. We’ll let the weddings subsidize the lower paying club gigs. We record next Tuesday and my wife and I have rented a cabin in the rainforest for the weekend, so I won’t be practicing or stressing about not practicing this weekend. I’ll be getting some rare quality sleep, worrying about keeping the fire going and taking my dog for walks in the woods. I’m not convinced that I’m totally out of my funk yet, but things are looking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Troy I can relate about dragging your instrument around to gigs. Like Jim, I've had to lug the B3 around and am just getting plain tired of it. It's so draining that by the time you play, you're already worn out. I'm sure the upright is a similar feel. Like you said, bring the P-Bass for a while. I've been taking a keyboard instead lately, and although I hate playing it, I do find that I don't dread the gig so much in terms of the whole thing taking so much effort, 2 sets and get the hell out like everyone else. Funny how other musicians on the gig will complain about us not bringing the "real" hammond or, in your case, the upright...but these guys are walking out the door 3 seconds after the last note, hopping in their 2 door subaru and driving away. Meanwhile I'm trying to back my trailer down an alley with a cop giving me a ticket and you're trying to lug your upright down a flight of stairs. To be honest, sometimes the best gig is at the house. No lugging. I have been using a small rig lately due to 1) no gigs with organissimo and 2) my back is killing me (I have a bulging disc between my L5 and L4 vertebrae... yay) and this past Saturday I used the small rig on a pick-up gig with a drummer and saxophonist. I was doing left-hand bass and the first couple of tunes I really missed my pedals, but then I got used to it. At the end of the night I must say it was a joy to be all loaded up in less than 10 minutes and no back strain. I also found that yesterday, during organissimo rehearsal (the first time we've played together in over almost a month) that it was a pure joy to play the organ again. The keys felt so nice under my fingers and I was thrilled to have my bass pedals again! We wrote a new tune and have the basis for another new song, all in one day. So, taking a break from the upright might be just what you need. Play the p-bass for about a month and then go back to your acoustic. It'll be like sleeping in your own bed again after a month on the road. Pure bliss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 TroyK I can totally relate to what your going through because I've been going through a similar situation recently. Up to about a couple of months ago, I was playing exclusively my upright bass on all my gigs but was getting tired of dragging it around and felt like I was in a rut musically too. After listening to the Miles "Cellar Door" box set I really got inspired by Michael Hendersons electric bass playing so I decided to start playing my electrics again -- a P-Bass and a Fretless Jazz bass copy -- on some of my regular jazz gigs. After some initial grief from the other "purist" band members, they kind of got used to it and actually learned to like it (or at least they don't say anything more about it). So now I'm switching back and forth between acoustic and electric whenever the mood strikes me. For me, it's been a refreshing change of pace and it has really helped my creativity a lot. I've also gone back to listening to a lot more electric bass recordings too. I love playing the upright the most but I feel like I've kind of come to terms with my "electric" side and I am having a lot of fun with it (and the electric is so much easier to carry -- I can make one trip with all my gear from the car to the gig with the electric). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 I also got this advice last night, which helped more than you can imagine. "Ever feel kinda of down and out and don't know just what to do? Livin' all of days in darkness, let the sun shine through Ever fell that somehow, somewhere you lost your way? And if you don't get help you won't make it through the day You could call on Lady Day! You could call on John Coltrane! They'll wash your troubles, your troubles away Plastic people with plastic minds on their way to plastic homes There's no beginning, there ain't no ending just on and on and on and on and... It's all because we're so afraid to say that we're alone until our hero rides in, rides in on his saxophone You could call on Lady Day! You could call on John Coltrane! They'll wash your troubles, your troubles away" There was a DJ who followed us last night and spun this record. God, I love Gil Scott-Heron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same You wanna be where everybody knows Your name. You wanna go where people know, people are all the same, You wanna go where everybody knows your name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Yes, of course. Gil Scott-Heron and George Wendt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 (edited) Update on the Blahs. I had my recording session yesterday. It went about 9 hours and was great at times and frustrating at times. I think in the end, we will have gotten some good stuff out of it and will have a decent record that has little things that bug us on it. During the process, I became really aware of a couple of things that I think were major contributors to my blahs. One, there were some group dynamics issues that were really stressing me out. Everyone's a good guy, everyone can play, but we're used to just going out and gigging and I realized how differently we work at creating music and actually rehearsing and preparing to record was a challenge for us. It's good that we know that. We also have a member moving away, so we'll have some change and a fresh start, a record to promote with live shows, which is what we like to do anyway and a good buffer before our next recording effort. Two, some limitations to my playing that become obvious and frustrating to me in the above process, especially with people counting on me and a deadline attached to it. So, with the deadline behind me, that's good info, I'll focus my efforts where I need to and come out a better musician on the other side. I'm booked for a wedding this Saturday as a bandleader, which I'm regretting a bit just because it's work, but I'll be through it in a few days. I actually said "no" (how about that) to an gig to follow it on Saturday night. It was a qualified no "If you're really stuck, call me back and I'll make it, but..." I need to get better about that. The group that recorded has a gig Sunday night, in the Space Needle for some type of Seattle Sonics fan appreciation event, which should be a blast and be a nice end to the stress. Once I'm through this weekend, I'm going to be very selective with my musical commitments for April and May and try to recharge. And, I just spend $xxxx on a new amp. I've convinced myself that it's sensible and I'm quite excited about playing with it, especially after hearing how good my bass can sound in the studio yesterday (my bass, not my playing). Looking forward to some rest and falling back in love with the process. Edited March 16, 2006 by TroyK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny E Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Troy, where'd you record at? Who are some of the players you're playin' with? Maybe I know them. Since my son was born I haven't been gigging as much as I use too. I'm now just focusing on my main project - Reptet. Let me know when you're gonna have one of those open jam thingies you were talkin' about. I'd love to play with you some time. -john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Recording yourself can be a real eye-opener. I recommend recording your gigs every now and again, even if it's just a cheap cassette recorder. We did this with Root Doctor this weekend and it really helps to hear what things are right and what things are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny E Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) I highly recommend this as well. We record our rehearsals and our gigs. This way the composers can hear the harmonies and tweak the arrangements as well reinforce the tunes in our minds so we can get away from having music stands on stage when we play. Our goal is to memorize al our tunes if at all possible. Recording gigs and rehearsals also help keep you from repeating the same mistakes over and over. Edited March 21, 2006 by Johnny E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I recorded at Studio Litho in Fremont with this band: www.jasonparkerquartet.com That's me on the bass page. I haven't heard the tracks yet, but I'm not sure that we got a keeper. I will suffer through them all and expect to learn a lot of things about my playing and maybe some of my source of stress. I had two gigs this weekend and have kind of a welcome break now. One was with a different band and it went really well, but was very stressful. The other was with this group, who I think was a little burned out from all the rehearsing and recording, but it went great, we had a great time and got fawned all over, which restored some joy to playing. I think I'm understanding the source of my musical blahs a little better though and may need to make some adjustments to my year to stay fresh, musical and progressing. Nice to have a forum to blog my way through the process on. I appreciate everyone's feedback. I'll send you a PM with some info about the social jams I occasionally host. You'd be more than welcome. Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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