Playing solo gigs question..

[jazznylon]

Playing solo gigs is harder than I thought! I was playing through the setlist well until the owner told me to play more 'lively' and also told me to play louder. It was 4 songs in and i just finished playing blue bossa. I turned up the volume midway as I didn't want to overwhelm the few people eating at the place and apparently thats still not enough! Needless to say I pretty much forgot the rest of the setlist about 40 minutes in as I also cannot consider sentimental songs (or minor keys).. I just winged it in for the next 15 minutes pretty much noodling in the major key plus chromatic notes.

Here is the setlist:

1) Take the A Train
2) Cantaloupe Island
3) Tenor Madness
4) Blue Bossa
5) Straight No Chaser
6) Satin Doll
7) The Girl From Ipanema
8) So What
9) Donna Lee
10) Autumn Leaves
11) 26-2
12) Summertime
13) Elle
14) Blue Monk
15) All of Me
16) Perdido
17) Fly me to the Moon
18) I Could Write a Book
19) Beautiful Love
20) Solar
21) Tune Up
22) Freddie Freeloader
23) Road Song
24) Impressions
25) Chitlins Con Carne
26) Out of Nowhere
27) Well you needn't
28) Embracable You
29) Nows the Time
30) Little Suede Shoes
31) A Night in Tunisia

Songs I ended up playing:

1) Take the A Train
2) Cantaloupe Island
3) Tenor Madness
4) Blue Bossa
5) Satin Doll
6) The Girl From Ipanema
7) So What
8) Donna Lee
9) 26-2
10) Perdido
11) Well you needn't

After everything is finished the owner told me that they are pretty much looking for lively music (They do Flamenco) and they'll consider calling me for special events. I think its safe to say that it probably won't happen.. Is there anything I should learn from this? All of this was done without backing tracks of course

[mr. beaumont]

Owner is a moron thinking solo guitar would be "lively."

Cool set. 26-2 solo guitar? That's lively enough for me!

[wintermoon]

Most places want you to turn down.
You don't have to memorize an entire set list, just bring one along.

[dlew919]

Playing solo gigs is harder than I thought! I was playing through the setlist well until the owner told me to play more 'lively' and also told me to play louder. It was 4 songs in and i just finished playing blue bossa. I turned up the volume midway as I didn't want to overwhelm the few people eating at the place and apparently thats still not enough! Needless to say I pretty much forgot the rest of the setlist about 40 minutes in as I also cannot consider sentimental songs (or minor keys).. I just winged it in for the next 15 minutes pretty much noodling in the major key plus chromatic notes.

Here is the setlist:

1) Take the A Train
2) Cantaloupe Island
3) Tenor Madness
4) Blue Bossa
5) Straight No Chaser
6) Satin Doll
7) The Girl From Ipanema
8) So What
9) Donna Lee
10) Autumn Leaves
11) 26-2
12) Summertime
13) Elle
14) Blue Monk
15) All of Me
16) Perdido
17) Fly me to the Moon
18) I Could Write a Book
19) Beautiful Love
20) Solar
21) Tune Up
22) Freddie Freeloader
23) Road Song
24) Impressions
25) Chitlins Con Carne
26) Out of Nowhere
27) Well you needn't
28) Embracable You
29) Nows the Time
30) Little Suede Shoes
31) A Night in Tunisia

Songs I ended up playing:

1) Take the A Train
2) Cantaloupe Island
3) Tenor Madness
4) Blue Bossa
5) Satin Doll
6) The Girl From Ipanema
7) So What
8) Donna Lee
9) 26-2
10) Perdido
11) Well you needn't

After everything is finished the owner told me that they are pretty much looking for lively music (They do Flamenco) and they'll consider calling me for special events. I think its safe to say that it probably won't happen.. Is there anything I should learn from this? All of this was done without backing tracks of course

What you’ve learned (what we all learn)

Bookers just book. They only realise later you’re not what they’re after.

You can be playing the best you’ve ever played, and they’ll hate it.

You can be playing the worst you’ve ever played, and they’ll love it

You get blamed for not knowing what the booker didn’t know

Your next gig will be better.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rpjazzguitar]

Lively solo jazz guitar is difficult. I've heard some players do it (Mimi Fox comes to mind, and a number of Brazilians, playing in their idiom), but what I usually hear (Joe Pass Virtuoso style) doesn't strike me as "lively" even when it's well played.

The client is entitled to want what he wants. If a player's skillset doesn't extend to the client's desires, so be it. Most of us have a hard enough time playing our usual stuff, whatever that is. You can't play everything in every style. Well, most of us can't.

[Tone Deaf Tony]

Here, you're preaching to the choir. But there, you've got to know the audience and the room. Variety and excitement are going to get your next booking. For many around here, an evening of Joe Pass playing behind your dinner would be heaven, but to the general public, Joe Pass mixed with Paul McCartney, some Sting with Paco DeLucia or Mike Moreno will keep it fresh. The owner may not have been too articulate in his sentiment but maybe he meant to say "Make my customers smile, give them something they can feel at home with; sit at their table (metaphorically) and be comfortable and friendly."
Remember that solo is a challenge, and solo to a group of strangers who are not "hip" to jazz is not to be taken as a background gig, but rather you might think of it as the ultimate challenge.

[Marinero]

Here, you're preaching to the choir. But there, you've got to know the audience and the room. Variety and excitement are going to get your next booking. For many around here, an evening of Joe Pass playing behind your dinner would be heaven, but to the general public, Joe Pass mixed with Paul McCartney, some Sting with Paco DeLucia or Mike Moreno will keep it fresh. The owner may not have been too articulate in his sentiment but maybe he meant to say "Make my customers smile, give them something they can feel at home with; sit at their table (metaphorically) and be comfortable and friendly."
Remember that solo is a challenge, and solo to a group of strangers who are not "hip" to jazz is not to be taken as a background gig, but rather you might think of it as the ultimate challenge.

Always remember, J: if you aim your program at the least common denominator(dumbest audience)--you'll win the day. 98% of my gigs are solo. However, I'm very selective where I play(no lcd's): only very upscale restaurants, private events, weddings--no bars. Of course, I play Classical, Jazz, and Bossa and if one is getting more response, I'll keep going in that direction. Playing again . . . Marinero

[ronjazz]

Your set list is includes at least 20 songs that the general public doesn't know, and is probably a bit on the old side, and also has far too many jazz tunes for a general background-music gig. You need more "pop" tunes, even oldies, that are more familiar and will lend themselves more readily to solo guitar. Examples would be Under The Boardwalk, Sway, Save The Last Dance, Margaritaville, Black Magic Woman, Barcelona Nights, Brown-Eyed Girl, etc. These are simple tunes with pop or blues-based structures, strong melodies, and very familiar to most people. I've done thousands of solo gigs, from joints to concerts, and I've found that the best way to do a restaurant or background music gig is to use either a looper or make some prerecorded accompaniment tracks and have them in an iPod or your phone. You can even prepare loops at home that include some percussion done on the guitar body or muted strings, with a nice rhythmic chordal approach. This enables you to solo and stretch without losing the underlying harmonic and rhythmic elements. And don't worry about the inevitable nay-sayers: Bill Frisell does very well with his looper act, and is as creative and enjoyable as can be. I am doing two solo gigs in the nest two days; both will include my own self-produced backing tracks and a looper, and both are rebooking from previous appearances. I have over 100 tunes on my list, everything from jazz and blues to rock oldies and calypso, and I update many of the arrangements from time to time: different keys or feels or time signatures, so that I'm always paying attention.

As far as volume is concerned, most guitar amps are very directional, and do not fill rooms evenly. For solo work I rely on a Bose Compact, which sends the sound out 180 degrees with an even dispersion and avoids sonic hot spots. Definitely an ally in keeping gigs.

[Marinero]

"For solo work I rely on a Bose Compact," RonJazz

Ron,
For a non-techi, what is a Bose Compact? Good playing . . . Marinero

[cosmic gumbo]

"For solo work I rely on a Bose Compact," RonJazz

Ron,
For a non-techi, what is a Bose Compact? Good playing . . . Marinero

PA system

[Jonah]

Some owners I know consider the adavantage of solo jazz guitar is that it is ok for soft background music.
It is not loud, the conventional jazz tone is soft and not disturbing as horns can be.

For a player such gigs could be a good opportunity for practicing.

[ronjazz]

Bose Compact is a "line array" system consisting of a single base with a power amp, preamp and subwoofer in it, and a small column of 6 small speakers that is removable and can be raised by two lightweight extension columns to be at a height of about 6 feet, allowing the high and mid-range notes to be dispersed throughout the listening area. It weighs very little, has an XLR input and a 1/4" input, as well as mini-plug and RCA inputs for iPods or CD players, and a 1/4" output to go into a house PA for large gigs. It lacks effects and wide-ranging EQ, necessitating an external multi-effects device to get the typical jazz or rock guitar tones, a small Digitech RP 50 is what I use for solo gigs, a large pedal system for group situations. It doesn't feed back, thus can be placed upstage for the entire band to hear. It's an offshoot of the Bose L1 systems, which are larger and more powerful systems used by Pat Metheny and Steve Miller as onstage side-fill monitors. It is also a fine vocal or horn PA, clean and clear, with separate controls for the mic channel. I own no conventional guitar amps since the Bose was introduced 20 years ago.

[Jonah]

Lovely solo gig and very lively - check 17:26

[jazznylon]

Interesting responses here ! I have another solo gig at another venue coming up tommorow. Hopefully all goes well and it may become a regular thing! Who knows

[citizenk74]

Interesting responses here ! I have another solo gig at another venue coming up tommorow. Hopefully all goes well and it may become a regular thing! Who knows

Good luck! And remember: The only people who want you to suck are other guitar players who didn't get the gig!

[Alter]

Here's one of mine, some of it solo guitar, some tunes using a looper. I believe also a guest violinist for a few tunes. My biggest concern with these is variety, and liveliness. It's easy for a solo guitar thing to get boring for the non guitarist or musician viewer. You have to play to your strengths and structure you set list accordingly.

I wouldn't personally worry too much about what a restaurant owner said, but definitely pay attention to the reactions of both listeners and people that employ you for gigs! Record yourself and listen back, it's easy to spot weaknesses this way. Do YOU enjoy listening to your whole set?

Too much reverb on these, but it was a church..

Vlatos Jazz June 2019 - YouTube

[Marinero]

Thanks Patloch for the link to Attila Zoller. Very lyrical player, great tone and interesting ideas. I've never heard him before and I'll look further into his music. Playing again . . . Marinero

[Jonah]

Funny... Patloch put Attila Zoller and I put Andrei Ryabov..

it remided me about their duo playing where Attila plays a solo intro too byt the way...

They were close while Andrei was in NY and it was last years of Attila

[Alter]

Thanks! Yes, i just play first and then loop it and play over it, no prerecorded tracks. The looper on these videos is the small Boss RC-3, but i also have the RC-300 that i use in theaters or looper based performances. The RC-300 is the king of loopers really, the only one with 3 loops and a lot of effects, but for jazz stuff (and most other things) 2 loops are enough. I think Boss, Tc electronic and Digitech all make 2 loop loopers. I prefer the Boss ones, cause i 've been using mostly them for years and i am familiar with them.

A looper can do more than let you play as a duet or a trio, it can be used very creatively to play stuff you can't play otherwise, something like instant composing or building up tracks. I feel the more you use on a gig, the more you have to do to justify it being there. Its like learning a new instrument in a way..

Don't want to over-post on this thread, but using a looper DOES make a difference in what you can cover solo wise, and it can open up both creative playing and gigging opportunities! Couple of examples..

[rpjazzguitar]

Thanks! Yes, i just play first and then loop it and play over it, no prerecorded tracks. The looper on these videos is the small Boss RC-3, but i also have the RC-300 that i use in theaters or looper based performances. The RC-300 is the king of loopers really, the only one with 3 loops and a lot of effects, but for jazz stuff (and most other things) 2 loops are enough. I think Boss, Tc electronic and Digitech all make 2 loop loopers. I prefer the Boss ones, cause i 've been using mostly them for years and i am familiar with them.

A looper can do more than let you play as a duet or a trio, it can be used very creatively to play stuff you can't play otherwise, something like instant composing or building up tracks. I feel the more you use on a gig, the more you have to do to justify it being there. Its like learning a new instrument in a way..

Don't want to over-post on this thread, but using a looper DOES make a difference in what you can cover solo wise, and it can open up both creative playing and gigging opportunities! Couple of examples..

If I may ask, how do you get the loop to be exact? When I try, using my Boss ME80, I find it difficult to click accurately enough to nail the time. Is there a trick to that?

[jazznylon]

Just did another gig! It went very well (no backing or real book/pro). The manager said he loved my playing but he said the cubans are set in their ways listening pretty much only to cuban music. It remains to be seen if I'll get this gig regulary.

Tommorow I'll be going to the place again to meet up with the singers and perhaps get the feel of the audience. I'm definitedly no extrovert and it doesn't help much that I have poor Spanglish as well. We'll see what happens lol

[grahambop]

If I may ask, how do you get the loop to be exact? When I try, using my Boss ME80, I find it difficult to click accurately enough to nail the time. Is there a trick to that?

I think it’s just a question of practice until you get the feel for when to do it.

My boss looper has a quantise option that fixes a ‘sloppy’ loop but you must have the click/metronome on (and audible) to use it. So it’s not something you’d want to use when creating loops ‘live’.

[Jonah]

I tried to do things woth looper (I used small TC Ditto) and also freeze... but I still could not manage conventional stuff...
The things what Alter does are very cool and the way he does it is just fantastic!

it was fun for me to explore but still I felt awkward ... I liked more to do with looper things like 'layer' - sort of plyohony but I could not work out how to use it for self-comping... I mean I understand how but I do not like it... maybe later I will come back to it

[Jonah]

Here's one of mine, some of it solo guitar, some tunes using a looper. I believe also a guest violinist for a few tunes. My biggest concern with these is variety, and liveliness. It's easy for a solo guitar thing to get boring for the non guitarist or musician viewer. You have to play to your strengths and structure you set list accordingly.

I wouldn't personally worry too much about what a restaurant owner said, but definitely pay attention to the reactions of both listeners and people that employ you for gigs! Record yourself and listen back, it's easy to spot weaknesses this way. Do YOU enjoy listening to your whole set?

Too much reverb on these, but it was a church..

Vlatos Jazz June 2019 - YouTube

I seem to have listened all the vids form that gig. Fantastic.

Thank you

[Alter]

If I may ask, how do you get the loop to be exact? When I try, using my Boss ME80, I find it difficult to click accurately enough to nail the time. Is there a trick to that?

Not familiar with the looper in the Boss ME80, but on most looper pedals you only have to be exact the first time, all additional loops follow that length. If you can tap your foot you can do the looping. Also not all switches are the same, for my foot the Boss ones were more exact than the DIgitech ones for example. I also exaggerate when tapping the switch, hit it hard so i 'm sure it will work. Needs a bit of practice. I think it is more difficult to be able to play a whole chorus by yourself without speeding up or slowing down. That needs time to build if someone hasn't worked a lot with a metronome.