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Originally Posted by djg
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10-30-2022 08:25 PM
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No, he purposefully spins everything to try to seat himself as the head jazz troll who's entitled to call everyone a beginner. There are plenty of players on the forum who play at or above his level who aren't constantly insulting everyone.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
As a saxophonist, I think I've rarely met guitarists we were able to play correctly while I was soloing : lost in the change, same comping everywhere and diva's attitude.
He is just explaining with his own words that doing everything to make the soloist feeling good and comfortable gives the opportunity to have good gigs and to be recalled.
About trolls, the forum is full of them (maybe I am seen like one of them) who have got every time something to say who give lessons to the others ignoring what it's about.
Lack of support, they know everything, talk about our playing and never analyse their own, if they did they would commit suicide.Last edited by Lionelsax; 10-30-2022 at 10:34 PM.
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Lol
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Yea... sorry Marineo my bad, lousy post. I'm nobody etc... I was just trying to say there are many really good musicians out there really trying to make a living in music. It's really difficult to stay working.
How many music shows do you go to, how much do you support working musicians?
Why don't you just do what you can already do? You said you have the classical playing together...with a few jazz and latin tunes. Those are great working skills. Most somewhat fail before they get their shit together. Most areas have jazz societies that help fund jazz etc...
Again sorry for shit post.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
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Originally Posted by whiskey02
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Originally Posted by whiskey02
why dont you speak for yourself, buddy, instead of pretending to be some sort of speaker for the forum?
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Originally Posted by Reg
Thanks for the clarification and you are, indeed, a gentleman to have written these lines. So, let me address each issue above so everyone knows where we're standing.
1. A majority of my posts deal with the death of Jazz and the lack of paid playing opportunities for musicians. I know this first-
hand as I watched venue after venue transition to Disco/DJ's and a few live Rockers. I bailed and retooled because I couldn't see
what real opportunities existed for working full-time in music and never looked back. For me, the decision was correct since
only a handful of my former associates plodded along and most needed to teach to stay afloat.
2. How do I support working musicians. . . since Covid, zero. But, I did my entire life to a great extent through live concerts,
LP's, cassettes, CD's. My day consists of about 2 hours playing(CG/JG) and listening most of the day on the internet and
cable TV.
3. I've played part-time solo gigs for the last 30 years. . . largely Classical since it is much easier to find paid gigs than if I
chose to try to play a Jazz gig. And, since my time was limited when I was working in another profession, I concentrated
on the genre that was the most accessible and easiest to find work. I love playing live since it hones one's playing
better than anything and develops confidence in your skills. However, for the record, I have not played live since
Covid and am still a bit reluctant since it is spreading again where I live and as a "Baby Boomer" I have a greater risk
than younger people.
4. There was a time in my younger life when I disparaged Classical Musicians as my soup du jour as being uncreative automatons and that if a guy wasn't a Jazzer he was certainly, spiritually, dead. That was until I began to study
Classical guitar at a time in my life where I once again had some free time from the money grind to return to music--
albeit as a solo weekend warrior. It was then that I realized nothing could be further from the truth. I am fortunate since
I have lived in both worlds of Music but since I've been retired for the last 6 years, I've begun to think about some ensemble
work(duo/trio) in my new residence (outside of my Chicago roots and connections) and the reality is that it is difficult to find
pro-level players since, as you mentioned, Jazz jobs are scarce.
So, R, thanks again for your considerate post and whether many of us want to believe it . . . Jazz is dying and is becoming the
realm of musical aesthetes who huddle like Christians in the catacombs and listen to their music. Jazz is out of touch with the common man/general public and there will be a time when we might all become "Bedroom Artists."
Marinero
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I would put an ad on Craigslist: "Jazz Guitarist looking for folks to jam with".
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Originally Posted by jim777
A year later I found a drummer, and when I got to his house he said "Hey, I found a bass player too," and it was the same guy, and he still couldn't play jazz.
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Why not looking for a flautist, a clarinetist, a saxophonist...?
If they know what they play (they usually know), it's very pleasant, you know what's happening, you don't have to worry about the bassist. You can vary your comping.
He or she will be happy.
I think a lot of people who blow into something don't find the right partners to play (I said "playing jazz" not other thing), they would be happy to meet you.
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Originally Posted by Lionelsax
I really want to play in an environment that allows me to completely lay out often. I love space.
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Since it's difficult to know and communicate your level to another musician, if you advertise you may get some players who are poor matches. I think the answer to that is to keep trying. And, to my way of thinking, focus on bassists -- you can play just guitar and bass and make music. Piano can work too, although I like bass for a duo.
Reg has many youtube lesson videos. Check them out. I think most players will get something out of them -- I certainly have.
We live in the same area and he's been more than generous. Just playing next to him in a group (I was sitting in), was a great guitar lesson every time.
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Ways I've met other players:
- Jam Sessions
- Social connections (that ebbs and flows, when my kid was younger I met a bunch of musicians through hanging out with other parents and through his school; met a lot of people in college, including people I still play with, but many dry spells along the way)
- Practicing in the local park
- Sitting in or hanging out with musician friends
- Organizations geared toward introducing musicians to each other (e.g., this place, which has come and gone a few times under different names; in theory Meet-up seems promising, but I haven't tried it)
- At gigs
- Online (I met a bass player I've been playing with for many years through usenet. I've met other people via social media connections)
In the old, old days, College and classified ads (the Village Voice had a section just for musicians seeking other musicians). I guess in theory Craigslist has replaced classified ads, but probably not for jazz).
Overall, it can be pretty challenging, and you have to be outgoing almost to the point of aggressive if you really want to meet a lot of players. I've had long dry spells. I'm currently in a pretty good situation that centers around a neighborhood jam session. But if I were to move to a new area, I'm not sure what I'd do. Maybe take a music class at a local community college?
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
And, now another layer is added to the impossible task of finding clubs that feature live Jazz and musicians who play it. Perhaps this thread really focuses on the death of the Art form(yes, I'm beating the drum again) that we all love. I lost some gigs during my "Coltrane Phase" on saxophone because I got too far off the road in the Funk/R@B venues. It was unlistenable to many and really didn't fit the club. And, in the 70's, only the stars were booked at the Jazz Clubs in Chicago since the competition was very stiff with the big names getting all the gigs: Moody, Ammons, Stitt, Dexter, Criss, Freeman, Griffin, Woods, Jacquet, Zoot, Getz, Rollins . . . well, you get the idea. I really don't know what the younger generations can expect for the future. If Jazz is to survive, we need to bring it back to the people . . . not to the handful of aficionados spattered around our planet.
Marinero
P.S. I recently had dinner with some former business associates(non-musical) who know I was/am a player. They found it quite amusing that they encountered a flute player on the subway platform in Chicago playing to the crowds with the intimation that he was a sorry, delusional soul. They even took his picture. The metaphor was very disturbing.
M
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Originally Posted by Marinero
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Originally Posted by Marinero
If you bring this vibe to your encounters with other musicians I suspect it will drive them away. I mean we all know that jazz’s footprint in the culture is shrinking, but the way to keep it alive is to keep it alive in both action and attitude.
As an example, a couple in my neighborhood (both music teachers with varying degrees of professional performing activity) took it upon themselves to incubate a scene.
They convinced a local restaurant to host a jam session, promoted the hell out of that, organized an annual festival, paid people to stream performances during the pandemic, etc., and have gradually expanded the scope of all that. There’s now a non-profit that funds events and commissions compositions (I’m a board member of that). There is now genuine scene where there wasn’t one 7 years ago. It’s all built on a foundation of positive attitude about the present.
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Originally Posted by John A.
Thanks for your honest feedback. However, I totally agree with you with the added understanding that we must be honest about what is happening to our Art and, as you mentioned above, how we might try to keep it alive. However, it's not my contact with other musicians but my lack of contact which, in comparison to my former life in Chicago, is quite significant. I chose over 30 years ago to retool as a solo Classical Guitarist since I wanted to continue to perform and there were and still are, real opportunities for paid performance. And, until Covid, I was a weekend warrior but I'm still concerned about contagion and haven't really sought any gigs. However, I do miss Jazz/Bossa ensemble playing but need to find other pros in my new area since I really don't have the time or inclination to be a mentor to developing musicians. I just want to play. I hope this is clear.
Marinero
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Originally Posted by Lionelsax
Marinero
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I contacted a band leader that I played with in the 80s. Turns out he lives on the opposite side of the country. We now write and record tunes.
Contact all the musicians you use to play with.
This is part of the current reality made possible by technology. Try it, you'll probably like it. And you never know were something might lead.
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Originally Posted by djg
Vintage fuzz on "space" transistors
Today, 08:33 AM in For Sale