| Author |
Topic: I am playing with Jerry Byrd tomorrow. |
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 5 Jun 2009 7:49 am |
|
The OTHER Jerry Byrd of course,
the jazz guitarist recently with Nat King Cole's brother Freddy Cole,
and Natalie C. from time to time too.
Plus Rashan Roland Kirk, Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie,
Lonnie Smith, "Slide" Hampton....
It's been a pleasant education too!
I am 'band leader' for the 650 plus person gala,
plus the press, governor and dignitaries.
I have Brazilian-jazz singer Josee Koning down from Holland;
her 5th album is released on Sony Jazz.
She needed a band for the Samui Regatta Gala awards dinner,
and then for a week at X2 resort. (Cross To)
My little free jazz video on Youtube and local chatter,
got me the call to assemble a band.
But I had to go to Bangkok to do it, needing serious readers,
with serious Brazillian style experience...
But now I have big band leader and trumpeter Steve Cannon
of the west coast 'Blow Hard Big Band'
and former 2nd lead trumpet for Arturo Sandoval.
Steve also just turned down Tower Of Power's 1st trumpet chair...
A local island mate Mark Tweedale on drums.
Who has done some serious woodshedding for this gig.
A Music Professor from a Thai university, Pang W. on piano.
A fine player with a really great attitude too.
And just this afternoon added two REAL Brazillian percussion players
Beano and Deividi who were playing across the street
from the Gala show hotel, in a Brazil theme restaurant,
and they really kicked the rhythm section into higher gears.
So we do the gala and a Monday evening club gig with this band.
Then, Tuesday and Wednesday next week Jerry, Steve, Mark
and I accompany Josee for 7-9pm sets of jazz with a bit less Brazilian.
Then Thurs-Sat. Steve is gone to the 'Hua Hin Jazz Festival'
to play in 2 bands there, including local legend Koh The Saxman,
so I am going to get a real work out in a
Jerry Byrd guitar trio, backing Josee.
Real old school jazz like a Rudy Vandergelder record.
Jerry is playing '77 Gibson L5 guitar traded to him
PLUS cash by George Benson for a earlier L5,
given to Jerry by Wes Montgomery.
He is playing through my '59 Bassman clone amp and loves it.
Another + vote for this amp, and in yet another style too.
SERIOUS sight reading in store this next week.
But we have a fine swinging sound and Jerry is smiling,
so I expect to get a years music in 5 days.
He was surprised I new of the 'Hawaiian' Jerry Byrd,
but asked me if he was really as good as he had heard...
I of course said "Probably BETTER, than you heard."
That got a smile.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
 |
Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
|
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 5 Jun 2009 11:12 pm
|
|
Gonna try and get the main show on one video camera,
The local video house wanted 19,500 baht or $563
to get me one similar camera to my Sony,
and two camera men... Sorry folks NO SALE.
The smaller gig should be easy to do.
Yeah it has a dream like quality to it for sure.
Steve is a good buddy and a KILLER trumpet player,
and with the two Brazilian guys Owwee doggies
big band latin gonna happen!
Check www.Joseekoning.com
she is pretty cool herself.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
|
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 6 Jun 2009 4:09 pm
|
|
David.
Tell Jerry you know Bill Hatcher from Atlanta and watch him flip out.
I refretted the Wes Montgomery guitar that he traded to Benson. I kept the frets. Every once in a blue moon I pull out the little plastic drawer they are in and just look at them.....the guitar is the same one that is on the cover of the Movin" Wes record. Pointed cutaway L5. |
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 7 Jun 2009 6:20 am
|
|
Hey Bill, will do.
I talked with Jerry today, during the day off,
but I want to see his face, so I didn't mention you yet.
Last night was incredibly tiring,
made worse by the drummer taking my rental truck's
keys home by accident. I had to check a large hand cart
into the hotel bag room, at 1:15 am,
then get a 25km taxi for me and 2 roadies.
He found the 2nd set of keys a 2pm today...
But the show went over great:"Incredible","Awesome",
"Brilliant", "Best in all 5 years", "No fist-fights on stage!!".
These comments diametrically opposed to last years reports.
Jerry played great as expected, but considering we
put it together in 3 days rehearsals it was well received
beyond our own expectations.
But I was so burnt out I had a 3 hour, 4 handed,
Wat Po massage this evening just to find out if
I had lost any body parts, and not noticed.
Glad this one is behind me finally.
One more gig with the larger band tomorrow,
then barring issues a quartet/trio w/singer gig runs for 5 days.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
|
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
|
Posted 7 Jun 2009 6:37 am
|
|
I still wanna be your houseboy. I change strings....  |
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 7 Jun 2009 7:21 am
|
|
Do we get to call you Hop Sing?
Hop Sing, change string prease?
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 7 Jun 2009 7:05 pm
|
|
Not so good pics and nothing good showing Jerry, yet.
L-R Pang on piano, myself on Bass-6, Jerry's head peakjng through,
Mark Tweedale on Drums, Steve Cannon on Trumpet,
Josee Koning vocals, Daveidi and Beano on percusion.
L-R Pang, Jerry, me, and Steve.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
|
David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
|
Posted 15 Jun 2009 7:32 pm
|
|
Well I survived a LONG week.
Jerry was brilliant at many things,
and I got to just play duo with him for 3 hours one night.
It was more Brazilian than jazz
and so a bit fish out of water.
The last night, when I planned to video,
a french nylon guitarist who had lived in Brazil showed up out of the blue.
I had been looking for Gilbert for the gig,
but no one ever had a telephone for him.
We have both been here 4 years and never met.
And yet have mutual acquaintances,
who said he would be good for this. They were right!
I had not brought monitors that night,
but he sat in the whole night and was a
bit loud in the PA.
But musically he knew the music down cold.
But I will look for some excerpts and edit
when I am not too burnt out.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
|
|
|
