Another Jazz Gig - I need to get this out.

[Rebop]

I started my bass playing career playing jazz and doing some theater work. Most of the jazz gigs I played involved sight-reading bass lines off a chart, especially when I was with a big band. The other scenario were situations where we were playing rehearsed songs. This was almost 10 years ago. Since then I have been getting whatever gig I could as jazz players are hard to find, let alone the gigs. A couple years ago I did have a steady Gypsy Jazz gig which was great but it didn't last.

My recent gigs on double bass have been jump blues and rockabilly (the electric gigs involved horrible rock and top 40 and don't really apply here). I got a single gig with a Louis Armstrong impersonator which was really cool. I learned all the charts and the set list. When we got to the gig I was informed the charts were just for the Louis Armstrong stuff and we needed more music to fill up the sets. Panic. Then starts the, "so what songs do you know?!?" These college kids in the band start calling out these obscure jazz tunes. I can't believe I haven't even heard of some of these songs as I only really listen to jazz. Brutal. I was promptly replaced after that gig.

Bands move on and break up, so at this point I haven't played out in over 6 months. A new record for me. I just got a call for a jazz gig. At first I was excited as jazz has always been my "thing". After hearing more details about the gig I learn I'm going to be playing a "jazz jam" with what the drummer said would be "some great players". My heart sinks. This will possibly be either the best gig of the year, or the worst.

[MrLenny1]

A gig is a gig.
Good Luck

[Rebop]

Originally Posted by MrLenny1

A gig is a gig.
Good Luck

I guess so. Some are more pressure than others.

[Ed Fuqua]

Playing a bunch of written out lines in a big band isn't really the best training for playing post 40's small group jazz. Different groups and musicians will have different repertoires; everybody likes to play different tunes, so don't sweat not knowing every tune folks call. but you DO need to be able to improvise a line based on the changes on the chart and still be "alive" to what the rest of the folks on stand are playing.

Not to unduly harsh, but if jazz is your "thing", what tunes are they calling that you don't know? What tunes do you know?

[Rebop]

I can play the proper bass lines without reading them. Play over the changes and most importantly play "with" people. I never had a lot of opportunities to reinforce what I have learned when it was memorized. It was always get through the gig and be ready for the next. One could be jazz, the next may be country or classic rock. I was always on call.
What can I play now from memory? A lot of depression era jazz and tin pan alley sort of songs. Cab Calloway, Django, Cliff Edwards. Not the music of college enrolled tenor sax players that dominate the jam nights. Of course I know "there will never be another you" and "red clay". but largely, I don't recall the tunes of my college jazz combo days. I used to know a lot, but a lack of jazz gigs and constant gigging made it difficult to keep them in my head.

[Paul Warburton]

A question....do you know what "The Great American Songbook" is? Do you know what a "Jazz Standard" is?
I'm just confused that you mention "There Will Never Be...." and "Red Clay". Why those two tunes in particular? What tunes do players play in your area?

EDIT: I had to Google Cliff Edwards because I've never even heard that name. What does that have to do with jazz?

[Eric Hochberg]

Sounds like a couple of real books might help you on this gig...

[Rebop]

Yes, I am familiar with "the great american songbook". I know cole porter, rogers and hammerstein, gershwin and so forth.

I have no idea what people play around here, I don't know where to go to hear jazz anymore. I have tons of real books and fake books. I was never fast enough at flipping through a stack of them between numbers.

I mentioned "There Will Never Be Another You" and "Red Clay" because those are the first two "jazz standards" that popped in my head. Now I'm thinking of "Night and Day" and "Sunny Side of the Street".

I mentioned cliff edwards because his repertoire was largely "the great american songbook" and for the most part was a jazz musician... And he popped in my head.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I haven't even played the bass for 5 months because I've been playing Gypsy jazz guitar and Roy Smeck ukulele stuff around the house. I always do that when I'm not gigging. hmmm

[jweiss]

If you can sight read a lead sheet from a fake book, I'd look at the gig as a challenging opportunity to get acquainted with some jazz standards and meet some new players. Put a little mark in the index next to the tunes that get called. After the gig, go home and shed those tunes. Do that for a few weeks.

You don't need to show up with a stack of fake books. Bring "Real Book 6th Edition" (Hal Leonard). Optionally, you could also bring "Real Book Vol 2 Second Edition" (Hal Leonard). That's all. If someone calls something not in that book, just ask them for a chart.

The thing about jam sessions is that there is going to be some suckage happening. It's best when it's not coming from the rhythm section though...

If you can't sight read a lead sheet, I'd urge you to get someone else for the gig and if you're interested, show up with your real books and "read along".

Cheers,

Jeff

[Rebop]

@jweiss

Thanks for the advice.

And yes, I can sight read lead sheets, so I won't have a problem there. I think I'm just scared of the unknown. Part of my borderline autistic nature.

[jweiss]

You're welcome.

Everyone's scared of the unknown

If you have a few days before the gig, pull out your real book, dust off your jazz music collection and start playing along with the "standard" standards. There are lists around that try to give the most common tunes called at jam sessions, although it varies considerably from place to place. There are a few relevant threads around on Talkbass, e.g.,

Must know Jazz Tunes

And here's an external one:

http://cafesaxophone.com/jazz-repertoire.html

Cheers,

Jeff

[Marcus Johnson]

Do the gig, and then it won't be "unknown" anymore. Back on the horse, mate. Get one out of the way, and then move forward.

Six months.... you might be a little rusty, but you haven't forgotten how to play in half a year.