...No that's it.
"Well you know, Blues is a particular feel."
No man, the band fucking sucks.
As a musician for the better part of the last 15 years of my life I have been in some interesting groups that have spawned interesting dialogue between myself and other band members.
The most recent time was with a group I just left. (For the sake of anonymity I am changing names and names of bands...in some cases.) They were a blues band, Blues Brothers style in instrumentation, 3 piece horns, rhythm and fronted by female vocals of the Janis Joplin type. I always talked with the leader of the band, Bill about starting a blues band in the past but every attempt left the concept dead in the water. I remember once after a day of student teaching, private lessons and 5 cups of coffee learning Pink Floyd tunes in our rehearsal space only to say to myself, "this isn't blues?!" and losing the drummer in the group. I always just said to Bill, keep me posted I'm down to play whenever.
That whenever came about 2 months ago, but the band's concept was like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Bill approached me in the hall by the water cooler of course and said he was putting together a Motown band. Now for those who don't know me, I have a weakness for Motown, and have always wanted to perform the classics of the Temptations, The Miracles and Four Tops. I immediately jumped at the idea. I couldn't wait to start! I said tell me when and where, I'll even bring Alan because I know he would love to play!...oh Al...sorry dude, so very very sorry....
Turns out when Bill said it was a motown band, he meant we would play one motown song....dammit.
I showed up to practice, which was weekly with the promise of 'great paying gigs' and started learning my parts for every blues tune you can think of. I did the classic move of just learning the tunes the day of, but still I managed to hold down my own on the trumpet.
A lot of this situation you had to be there so let's just say that the weirdness that would result in my departure was plentiful and down right retarded at times. After a few weeks I realized the band seemed to only rehearse the same (mistakes) tunes every week. It seemed the band was always moving in a circle of mediocre sounds and rock cliche's.
What got me through, every week I showed up...oh yeah after like a month I realized there was no way I was coming every week to sit around and listen to a bunch of dudes figure out songs, because some people are going to tell you it ain't about dudes, but I've got news for you....it is.
Once the crotch gyrating began I knew my time was at an end.
The part that did get me the most was the drummer. My theory is, you can always judge a drummer's groove by the amount their head turns in preparation for the downbeat. The more intense the turn the more metal and un-grooving it will be. That theory was proven every week when the drummer's head would practically spin 360 degrees, embrace his wind up and play the lamest beat behind a Stevie Wonder tune....the double bass pedal was only seconds away at times I swear.
By the way there's nothing wrong with metal, but it doesn't belong in funk, or Chicago style blues for that matter. You disagree? Show me on a Howlin' Wolf album sometime.
The band was just not happening for me and I was realizing I still didn't know the rhythm guitarist's name.
Alan and I decided to quit together. Like a suicide pact gone wrong, Alan quit weeks before I got the chance. At the same time he quit I wasn't showing up to rehearsal and pretty much set myself up for the dialogue that was to come. The resignation could not wait any longer and so one day walking by Bill's room I popped my head to tell him I was done. He said he figured and told me blues isn't for everybody. Holding back laughter I said "No that's not it" and walked out.
....laughing.
You're right Bill, I guess its not for everybody.
