As the school year is wrapping up I am excited to devote more time to this blog and what I wanted to say about music and life here at Some Other Stuff.
First and fore most I would like to recognize a fellow musician who I feel is doing all the right things with maintaining a working, positive and creative career as a jazz musician. His name is Jason Parker, trumpeter, composer, educator and band leader from Seattle. He has a great sound, excellent band and full schedule. He is always blogging on his own site and I strongly recommend you go check it out: www.oneworkingmusician.com.
My quartet just had an excellent weekend this past, working at the Old School Saloon in New Haven and Park Central in Hamden. These are both my favorite places to gig. The crowd is always welcoming and even a little rowdy when we play. Park Central in particular loves those funky hits from the 60's Blue Note catalog: Watermelon Man, Red Clay, Cantaloupe Island, Mamacita, etc. If I added Song for my Father and Funji Mama to the book I will be all set. We actually get people turned in their chairs and bobbing their heads to the music. Not to forget we get applause!! Not polite applause from my mom in the audience, but the audience actually listens enough to clap after solos!! Very rare in jazz outside a NYC club.
Finding gigs is hard, any musician can tell you that and its even harder for jazz musicians. I am seriously cherishing the opportunity to play at these two venues. There are other places in CT where jazz is showcased but most places are exclusive for ridiculous reasons. One venue in particular is in Bethel and only accepts "famous artists." Famous?? Give me a break. Who does this guy think he is? Does he think Herbie Fucking Hancock is going to book a Sunday afternoon? I want to call the owner and say that I play with all the cats. "Oh yeah man, I have a regular gig jamming with Dexter Gordon every afternoon when I put A Swingin' Affair on my CD player." Or "I said hi to Roy Haynes once." "You haven't heard of me? You must not be too into the scene man, I am a cat!"
Its club owners like that who alienate a local working musician who hurt the music just as much as the club owner who advertises jazz as a rich delicate music. Wine Tasting gigs are horse shit too, no one plays those gigs other than the chance to make some bank. The point here is that there should be more showcasing local cats. There is a lot of talent here in CT and if you want to work here you should be able to.
Stay tuned.
