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I like piano a lot. I think it's harder to cover the space on guitar. I regularly go out to hear a trio which usually has piano, which I prefer to when they have guitar instead. My own bands are probably better, from the point of view of the audience, with piano.
That said, I really like being the only chord instrument. It changes the whole night. Instead of spending my time figuring out how not to conflict with the piano, I get to listen to the other instruments and I can play the harmony my own way. And, once I adjust to not missing the piano, I feel like the sound of the band is full enough.
One final point. There are some guitarists who are so skilled at comping that I prefer them to piano, but that's a lofty level to achieve and I'm not there.
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10-06-2025 01:42 PM
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Piano trios are amazing. The set after ours was a piano trio, with the same bassist and drummer that played in my trio. I knew her from local jam sessions, but she hadn't been around in a while. It was nice to see her play, and she's one of those pianists that makes full use of the harmonic and sonic spectrum of the instrument. It's a wonder to behold.
At the same time, when we played together at jams, with all due respect, it was as if it was just a piano trio, and I mostly laid out. No problem, jams are social gatherings and not just to await one's turn to play. Still, I can't help wondering that perhaps it would've been interesting for both of us to hold back and seek mutual piano and guitar interplay.
When I spoke to the pianist after the set, she said it was her first time playing the street jazz gig in over a decade, having tended to family matters and playing at home. For sure she could still play better than many I know, but maybe there's an on stage communal dynamic that's situation specific, which needs to be nurtured as much as individual skill.
Having said that, there have been occasions when I've had the privilege to be in a jam session with a truly accomplished full spectrum pianist, and when they've headed off into trio flights of fancy, it was incredible to go along for the ride, and to get into that magical transcendent musicking moment, even if I was just a flailing caboose on a speeding train.
Maybe that's why I like jam sessions more than formal gigs. They are opportunities for amateur and casual players like me to try new things, to stretch out, to play with others on both ends of the skill spectrum, to pay attention to group dynamics, and perhaps most importantly to gain practical experience in knowing when to play, and when not to play.
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Debut performance with a new 9-piece band last Friday night. Our set was:
"Super Mario Brothers Theme Song" (from the video game)
"Spinning Wheel" (BS&T)
"Tennessee Whiskey" (Chris Stapleton)
"Hella Good" (No Doubt)
"First Real Love" (from the Broadway musical Just In Time)
"Moondance" (the Michael Buble big band version of the Van Morrison chestnut)
"Spiderwebs" (No Doubt)
"I Don't Care Much" (from the Broadway musical Cabaret)
"You Know I'm No Good/Rehab" (Amy Winehouse)
Obviously not exactly a "jazz" band...
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Now that’s one interesting set list! When I was a kid in the late 1960s my favorite song was Spinning Wheel, probably from hearing it on Sesame Street, of all places, and a very early gateway to jazzy musics. It must be a blast to cover that one in a band with horns. Play in good health!
Originally Posted by Bob_Ross
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For tonight …
1 - Beatrice (F)
2 - Girl From Ipanema, The (F)
3 - Lawns (D)
4 - Back-woods Song (D)
5 - Stoner Hill (C)
6 - St. Thomas (C)
7 - Equinox (D-)
8 - Be Encouraged (C)
9 - Afro Blue (F-)
10 - On Green Dolphin Street (Eb)
11 - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (C-)
12 - All Blues (G)
13 - Bemsha Swing (C)
14 - Well You Needn't (F)
15 - Cantaloupe Island (F-)
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One of my last set lists from (gulp) 2012.
Dark Star
Impressions
Bemsha Swing/Lively Up Yourself
Footprints
Pick Up Sticks/Elizabeth Reed
So What
Afro Blue
Contemplation
The real masochists can listen:
T Tote Yote | As If Trio
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from last Saturday's gig:
Set 1
"Groovin'" - The Rascals
"Wave" - Antonio Carlos Jobim
"Watermelon Man" - Herbie Hancock
"The Ukraine National Anthem" - Mykhailo Verbytsky
"It's Too Late" - Carole King
"Blue Monk" - Monk
"Smiles And Smiles To Go" - Larry Carlton
"Mimosa" - George Benson
"Blue Tango" - Leroy Anderson
"Ashokan Farewell" - Jay Ungar
"Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)" - Tom Coster
Set 2
"Chitlins Con Carne" - Kenny Burrell
"So Far Away" - Carole King (but The Crusaders' arrangement)
"What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
"Angel Del Mar" - Bob Bauer
"Simone" - Frank Foster
"Hot Cha" - Junior Walker
"Footprints" - Wayne Shorter
"Battle Hymn Of The Republic" - Julia Ward Howe
"Way Back Home" - Wilton Felder
Set 3
"Take Five" - Paul Desmond
"Back At The Chicken Shack" - Jimmy Smith
"Wichita Lineman" - Jimmy Webb
"Sleepwalk" - S, J, & A. Farina
"Put It Where You Want It" - Joe Sample
"Feel Like Makin' Love" - Eugene McDaniels
"St. Thomas" - Sonny Rollins
"Eleanor Rigby" - Lennon & McCartney
"Road Song" - Wes Montgomery
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That's very eclectic, I love it.
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Yep, only reason I agreed to play with these guys. If I never do another gig that's nothing but "standards" it'll be too soon. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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Hello. Christmas came early this year. I played my first gig last night. My set was part of a yearly Presbyterian Church service “The Longest Night”, so it was short. I had fun doing it and the audience enjoyed it. Great experience.
Set List:
1. “Dark is the Night, Cold is the Ground” // “Blind” Willie Johnson
2. “Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed” // “Blind” Willie Johnson
3. “It Hurts Me Too” // Elmore James
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