The Future!!

Last night I began to compose completely new compositions. I have to admit I am pretty jolly about the idea of writing new material.

After recording my first solo CD with all tunes I wrote over the last 2 years, I realized my writing style was distinctly in a personal style. How could I be happier right? Well realized that the music I wrote was primarily influenced by Mwandishi and Jeremy Pelt's album "Identity." Only one tune had a swing feel to it. Not that anything is wrong with even 8th's I just realized this time around I want to write more "jazz" oriented material and use the other musicians and compositions that have inspired me. However, I do plan on continuing to write material in that grey area between true jazz and the other thing.

Here's a list of albums that I am currently using as a basis of inspiration:

Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage/Empyrean Isles

Miles Davis Nefertiti/ESP/Seven Steps to Heaven

Joe Henderson In n' Out

Lee Morgan Last Session

Andrew Hill Black Fire

Freddie Hubbard Hub-Tones

Jackie McLean One Step Beyond

Pretty much all Blue Note albums but how can you go wrong with that? Anyway if this all works out I hope by the spring I will have a good number of pieces written and ready and then we'll see some serious shit.

The Band Leader

Whenever I find myself in a position of leadership, it is always interesting to me what the outcome of the task I am asked to do will be. When I was in school growing up I always hated those morons I got put with who would just sit there and not do anything. Or if I went camping and some idiot who wasn't supposed to even be there tell me I don't know what I am doing, I always enjoyed observing or predicting the outcome.

I get that every gig I play. Why? Because I am the leader of the band.

Band leaders are legendary. From Art Blakey to Duke Ellington to Miles to Kevin Eubanks to well whoever, band leaders have always given musicians the knowledge they need to be good band leaders themselves. Everyone knows the stories of Blakey teaching his sideman until he thought they were ready to lead they're own bands, where he would then let them leave the nest and try it out on their own. (almost every single jazz messenger became a famous leader)

Now a days one is expected to lead a band. In the old days you can just be a sideman and play or other peoples' groups and what not. Then jazz became lame and it was expected of you to be able to lead a group yourself if you ever want to eat.

From the moment I began my professional jazz career I was a leader. Of course being a horn player I had to be. In an era where gigs are hard to come by rhythm section players would normally play with as little people as possible for maximum money. Can you blame them? (I have had my fair share of stories about gigs and maybe someday I will just start posting them as they seem to get more ridiculous as the years go on.)

Whose the first cat they don't need? Well someone who doesn't play the entire time: a horn player.

So why would the least necessary instrument be the leader? You got me, but I have noticed over the years my sideman work has been dwarfed by my time as a leader. So who teaches me?

Well the most apparent lesson I keep learning about being a band leader is this:

Always have a back-up plan.