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.