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Sounds like you don't hang out with jazz musicians much. You'd be surprised. But no worries, given your age no physical harm was implied, just a few chosen words that's all.
Originally Posted by Bob_Ross
Dude, I haven't even gotten started, gimme a few more weeks around here...
Right, 'cuz the most badass tough guys are always the jazz musicians!
"Come fight me bro!"
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05-09-2025 05:12 PM
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Worked for Ulf Wakenius. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
I am thinning/balding but not bald. I have never liked wearing hats, but in the last decade I frequently wear a Kangol hat to prevent sunburn on the top of my head. I sometimes wear it at gigs. I have summer/tropical versions and a couple of wool ones for cold weather. Worked for Wes.
I also have a tweed bucket style hat, but it just makes me look like some daft eccentric Englishman from a BBC show set in the countryside. You know, one of the ones where someone announces that "poor Col. Cortington-Miller's head has been found in the aspidistras. How ghastly." Everyone gasps, teacup poised in midair. An elderly woman puts down her knitting and inquires as to whether he was wearing his glasses. As far as I can tell from television, the English countryside is the most dangerous place in the world. I would never wear that hat on a gig. It verges on ludicrous and might put the band or the audience in danger.
I have never understood the propensity to wear a wool stocking cap year round. It's hot and humid here in the summer, the hat must make it far worse but I see people wearing them. Dave King always wears one.
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Me and my American wife moved from London (where we once saw a guy brandishing a knife and running down the street after someone else) to the English countryside. So far she's been very disappointed in the lack of murders she's been called on to investigate. Originally Posted by Cunamara
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It's bald men doing away with the hirsute in a rage of jealousy.! Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Northerners wear caps, so stop mithering, I wear a flat cap all the time when I take the whippets and ferrets out for a walk to the corner shop for the essentials, Tripe and Black pudding. Bury Market is a great place to shop.
But, what are you having for tea?
To my eyes, my flat cap looks better than my bald head. See my flat cap video below (recorded after my Tripe and Black pudding tea).
Edit: Below, a typical day out in a Northern town.
Last edited by GuyBoden; 05-10-2025 at 07:06 AM.
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So what's up with hats?
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Shaved head, and mostly hatless, with the occasional exception - hats for art's sake.
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Why does a "big band" get a pass? Originally Posted by ruger9
And how "big" does a band have to be before they're allowed to read music on the gig?
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I saw Joe Lovano and the Paramount Quartet with Julian Lage, Will Calhoun and Asante Santi Debbriano. Julian had charts in front of him all night...
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And Joe Lovano wears hats Originally Posted by Cunamara
lol posers
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Why are bald guys wearing hats different ("poser") than guys with hair wearing hats? Do you just have a hat phobia or something? Or do you have a problem with bald people? Originally Posted by Bob_Ross
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My point exactly! Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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They aren't. You're confabulating. Originally Posted by ruger9
I still wanna know what the deal is with "big bands" and charts?
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Charts are a contentious issue, mostly among internet warriors. There is this badge of honor thing about not needing charts. "You're not a jazz musician unless you can instantly play 1,000 songs in any key from memory. And you should be able to learn any song on the bandstand in real time with no charts." If you use a chart, you're an unprofessional poser. Never mind the many videos you can find of musicians like Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, Ron Carter, etc., playing from charts.
Among pros I know, it's generally considered better to play from a chart and get it right than to guess at it by ear and get it wrong. After a couple of passes through the tune, the charts is less important. If you can play a song without a chart, IMHO the results tend to be better by reducing "visual capture."
Visual capture - Wikipedia
Times have changed. Modern tunes (post 1959j are often more complex or structured less predictably than rhythm changes and blues that used to be most of the repertoire.
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Sorry, when I see a jazz combo all staring at their charts while playing "All Blues", I know that I am seeing and hearing a bunch of cats who are not quite ready for prime time. The love of jazz music is not helped by people performing it at a poor level. New generations of jazz listeners are best served by hearing jazz done well. Originally Posted by Cunamara
A complex tune or arrangement is another story and not all players know every tune, so charts have their place, but for weak players, they are, IMO, at best, a crutch.
Joe Pass told aspiring jazz guitar students that the best advice he could give them is to learn tunes. That was good advice from a master.
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Yeah, that's pretty much the story. Overall, it certainly doesn't bother me to see music stands and charts per se on the bandstand. That's entirely normal, and always has been. For the most part, I expect experienced players in a public performance of standards-based jazz to know the tunes they're playing, and not knowing their own repertoire mostly by heart is usually not a good sign. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
That said, I do know some people who play most tunes from a chart. The guys I'm thinking of are experienced players with tons of gigging experience. One guy I know can sight read almost anything perfectly and improvise well (both comping and soloing), but for whatever reason he prefers to have a chart in front of him (even for tunes he's played countless times).
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I'm guessing you missed the short-lived Fender promo: Buy a dozen of their custom shop hats, get a free custom shop guitar. Originally Posted by ruger9
Do you actually have a Fender Custom Shop, or could you only afford the "stupid hat"?
It didn't last long, they quickly realized it was not a cost effective advertising strategy.
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I'm not going bald, just graying a bit early from all the stress!
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I’m in the same boat, no hair up top, but I usually skip the hat unless I’m out in the sun or playing an outdoor gig in the cold. On the bandstand, I’ve found it’s more about confidence than covering up. Some folks rock hats as part of their look, others go clean, and both can work.
Funny enough, a buddy of mine suggested I check out luvme hair just for kicks. They do wigs and pieces that actually look pretty natural if someone really wants coverage without living in a hat. I haven’t gone that route (I’m fine being bald), but it’s nice knowing there are options out there if you want to change it up once in a while.Last edited by Eugle; 09-22-2025 at 05:08 AM.
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I'm in Autumn Flat Cap wearing mode, here at Guy's Tower in Warwick castle, earlier this week.
Guy's Tower is a bit too modern in comparison to the castle, built by the Normans in 1068.
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The missus and I are planning a few days in the Warwick area in October. My youngest son is at the university there but we have only ever gone up there to either pick him up or drop him off! Originally Posted by GuyBoden
I'm in Autumn Flat Cap wearing mode, here at Guy's Tower in Warwick castle, earlier this week.
Guy's Tower is a bit too modern in comparison to the castle, built by the Normans in 1068.
Just wondering what hat to wear. Probably this one with a guitar on it.
Any decent 'archtop' shops in that area?
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I didn't see any Medieval or Norman Archtop Guitar Shops, but Warwick Castle is spectacular (£30), but a steep climb around ramparts/towers, I've been before a long time ago, the Falconry event was more than outstanding too. Originally Posted by garybaldy
The missus and I are planning a few days in the Warwick area in October. My youngest son is at the university there but we have only ever gone up there to either pick him up or drop him off!
Just wondering what hat to wear. Probably this one with a guitar on it.
Any decent 'archtop' shops in that area?
Last edited by GuyBoden; 09-12-2025 at 10:42 AM.
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I’m bald, bald, bald. I view it as an advantage. Washing what’s left of my hair takes half a minute. I don’t have to dry it. I don’t own a brush or a comb anymore. Haircuts take about five minutes. Freedom of a sort.
Sometimes I wear a hat. If I could work the early 50s Frank Sinatra vibe, I’d wear a fedora 24/7. The sun is bad for me, I get a bad rash and look like a Gorbachev imitator. It’s painful, like someone sticking an ice pick in my brain. So always outdoors. Inside, it depends on my mood. But sometimes I wear a bow tie. Sometimes I wear suspenders. And I prefer a 1917 Hamilton size 16 caliber 992 railroad-grade pocket watch, so there’s that. I have five or six hats with brims, mostly Panamas, plus flat caps, baseball caps (Chief Wahoo preferred), a beret, and a brimless baseball cap with a German union logo. Occasionally, (oh, the horror!) I wear a hat, a bow tie, suspenders, a vest, and a pocket watch all at the same time! Call me a talentless bum, I dare ya!
I don’t really care if someone wears a cap. I don’t really care about the brand of shoes they wear or the color of their eyes either. Whatever.
No way would I wear a rug. That would be like returning to serfdom. Well, maybe not quite that bad.
Finally, when performing before an audience, your wardrobe is part of the show, even if you think playing jazz absolves you from everything other than the music.Last edited by stevo58; 09-14-2025 at 03:01 PM.
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