I'll start with a story of something sort of neat that happened out of the blue. My regular band has morphed a lot over the years - members in, members out, large configurations, small configurations. I joined up about a year ago and we've plugged in about 90 dates this year as a band. The two founding members do a lot of extra duo stuff during the week as this is the lead singer's bread and butter. She used to be a working stiff like so many of us, but decided one day to bank all her fortunes on music. So she dumped the day job and went for it. She makes a suitable living, maintains a nice home, provides for herself and her boys, and works bookings like nobody I've ever known. She's one of these who is so looped in to the area scene, I could literally call her up and say I needed an extra $100 by tomorrow morning...she'd land a gig tonight at the snap of her fingers. (I have never made this request, but just saying. She's that good.)
Since I've been on board, there have been two personnel cutbacks, and another multi-instrumentalist with a diva complex was replaced last winter by a veritable phenom of a guitarist. He comes complete with a long list of pro credits, has played around the world with plenty of high-profile acts, yet somehow chose to affiliate with us as his mainstay local group. We are now settled nicely into a five piece configuration and the chemistry just works on all levels, musical and personal. When we go out of town for a gig, the after-show hang with a few adult beverages - preferably around some quiet hotel pool - is as much a highlight as the opportunity to play. Rehearsals are equal parts work and fellowship. We all enjoy each other as people, and that's an attribute I place a big premium on. I'm just 48 years young, but during my first couple decades of playing bass, I learned all I needed to about being in groups with incompatible personalities. In this case, it turns out I'm in a group of nicely balanced personalities that also happens to be a deep talent pool. Nothing in life is forever, so I make a point of enjoying it in the now. I don't realistically expect to find this level of comfort and musicality in a group again.
Anyhow, the primary guitarist is still called to travel and do some bigger things from time to time. And, as with most any working band, we have a solid sub list. The guitarists that have covered for him are all excellent players - one is a "jazzabilly" type (I don't know how else to describe this style, but it's remarkable) who had recorded with Roger Miller years ago, another is a well-traveled session player, and a third is a heavily blues-inspired type who also comes with a pretty extensive credits list. He's equally at home on a National resonator, an open-tuned acoustic with a slide, or his surf green '59 Strat that sounds utterly amazing. So last night, the rhythm player called and suggested we get together for our version of a rehearsal, which is always a mostly acoustic affair. I usually bring a small practice amp and a bass, but the guitarists will often just play their electrics unplugged. This turned out a little different. Our first-string sub was there instead of the regular guitarist, along with myself, our usual rhythm player, and our singer gal. The guitarist wanted me on second guitar because I'm a fingerpicker. I'm not a lead player by any stretch, but I can form any common-use chord and most jazz chords in several positions, and I also really enjoy folksy fingerwork on acoustic. So then our rhythm player drags in with an upright bass, his weapon of choice from his days as a blues and rockabilly guy. He's a plank-spanker from way back, and is also good at dropping nice solid lines under just about any other roots music style. Our singer mixed us all some adult beverages and we proceeded to kick out acoustic renditions of everything from Nina Simone and Roberta Flack to Allmans, Doobies, Ray Charles, and greasy old blues stuff straight out of the 1930s. Being surrounded by all these acoustic sounds, not to mention singing harmonies (which I don't usually do) plus swapping roles with my rhythm player took a familiar group of people into very unfamiliar territory - and it was a rush. I'm sure I just got high on the novelty of it all; regardless, we all agreed that this thing could and should be gigged. We're looking at it as an alternative configuration and format for when the primary guitarist isn't available, but it could also lend itself nicely to a variety of venues that the main incarnation of the group usually wouldn't play. The main band's repertoire and sound is heavily steeped in 60s - 90s pop, soul, blues, and Motown with some Americana, country, alt-rock and even gospel tunes tucked away for when they're needed. This acoustic thing would overlay with that to some degree, though I also hear loads of folksy and roots music potential.
In a very unlikely way, I feel I'm at an incredibly unique place musically. The stars align, and suddenly the players I'm affiliated with just seem to snap together like puzzle pieces. It's comfortable and exciting, like the culmination of some personal calling that (unlike so many other facets of life) just happened to go right. Again I say that nothing is forever, and what little wisdom I've gained along the way dissuades me from making anything out to be more than what it is, but it sure is neat to be in a place musically that I almost feel like I spent over four decades being "customized" for.
There's no deeper meaning to this posting - pretty much just storytelling - though I do hope to inspire some good tomes from the TB community about that feeling of "being where you're needed" musically. I'm embarking on the experience right now, and it's all good. I'd like to hear about yours. Maybe we can all jump in and encourage each other with good vibes and the positive stories we've gathered from our musical journeys.
Just a thought...
Since I've been on board, there have been two personnel cutbacks, and another multi-instrumentalist with a diva complex was replaced last winter by a veritable phenom of a guitarist. He comes complete with a long list of pro credits, has played around the world with plenty of high-profile acts, yet somehow chose to affiliate with us as his mainstay local group. We are now settled nicely into a five piece configuration and the chemistry just works on all levels, musical and personal. When we go out of town for a gig, the after-show hang with a few adult beverages - preferably around some quiet hotel pool - is as much a highlight as the opportunity to play. Rehearsals are equal parts work and fellowship. We all enjoy each other as people, and that's an attribute I place a big premium on. I'm just 48 years young, but during my first couple decades of playing bass, I learned all I needed to about being in groups with incompatible personalities. In this case, it turns out I'm in a group of nicely balanced personalities that also happens to be a deep talent pool. Nothing in life is forever, so I make a point of enjoying it in the now. I don't realistically expect to find this level of comfort and musicality in a group again.
Anyhow, the primary guitarist is still called to travel and do some bigger things from time to time. And, as with most any working band, we have a solid sub list. The guitarists that have covered for him are all excellent players - one is a "jazzabilly" type (I don't know how else to describe this style, but it's remarkable) who had recorded with Roger Miller years ago, another is a well-traveled session player, and a third is a heavily blues-inspired type who also comes with a pretty extensive credits list. He's equally at home on a National resonator, an open-tuned acoustic with a slide, or his surf green '59 Strat that sounds utterly amazing. So last night, the rhythm player called and suggested we get together for our version of a rehearsal, which is always a mostly acoustic affair. I usually bring a small practice amp and a bass, but the guitarists will often just play their electrics unplugged. This turned out a little different. Our first-string sub was there instead of the regular guitarist, along with myself, our usual rhythm player, and our singer gal. The guitarist wanted me on second guitar because I'm a fingerpicker. I'm not a lead player by any stretch, but I can form any common-use chord and most jazz chords in several positions, and I also really enjoy folksy fingerwork on acoustic. So then our rhythm player drags in with an upright bass, his weapon of choice from his days as a blues and rockabilly guy. He's a plank-spanker from way back, and is also good at dropping nice solid lines under just about any other roots music style. Our singer mixed us all some adult beverages and we proceeded to kick out acoustic renditions of everything from Nina Simone and Roberta Flack to Allmans, Doobies, Ray Charles, and greasy old blues stuff straight out of the 1930s. Being surrounded by all these acoustic sounds, not to mention singing harmonies (which I don't usually do) plus swapping roles with my rhythm player took a familiar group of people into very unfamiliar territory - and it was a rush. I'm sure I just got high on the novelty of it all; regardless, we all agreed that this thing could and should be gigged. We're looking at it as an alternative configuration and format for when the primary guitarist isn't available, but it could also lend itself nicely to a variety of venues that the main incarnation of the group usually wouldn't play. The main band's repertoire and sound is heavily steeped in 60s - 90s pop, soul, blues, and Motown with some Americana, country, alt-rock and even gospel tunes tucked away for when they're needed. This acoustic thing would overlay with that to some degree, though I also hear loads of folksy and roots music potential.
In a very unlikely way, I feel I'm at an incredibly unique place musically. The stars align, and suddenly the players I'm affiliated with just seem to snap together like puzzle pieces. It's comfortable and exciting, like the culmination of some personal calling that (unlike so many other facets of life) just happened to go right. Again I say that nothing is forever, and what little wisdom I've gained along the way dissuades me from making anything out to be more than what it is, but it sure is neat to be in a place musically that I almost feel like I spent over four decades being "customized" for.
There's no deeper meaning to this posting - pretty much just storytelling - though I do hope to inspire some good tomes from the TB community about that feeling of "being where you're needed" musically. I'm embarking on the experience right now, and it's all good. I'd like to hear about yours. Maybe we can all jump in and encourage each other with good vibes and the positive stories we've gathered from our musical journeys.
Just a thought...
