Leadership and communication

Leon Grizzard · From: Austin, Texas, USA

Sunday night there was a tribute to songwriter Cindy Walker (Bubbles in My Beer, Miss Mollie and about 500 other classics) at the Paramount Theatre here in Austin. The format was having different Texas and Austin music personalities sing two or three Cindy Walker songs each. There was a house band, and some of the artists brought a player or two to add to or substitute for the house band members. The house band was Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert, Earl Pool Ball (piano), and local rhythm aces Sarah Brown (bass) and Lisa Pankratz (drums). Elana Fremerman (fiddle-Hot Club of Cowtown) was listed as a performer along with Ray Benson, Johnny Gimble and others, but she was defacto the house band fiddler. Top notch players, all.

The overall effect though, was ragged, or maybe unorganized. Not in terms of missing changes (except for when Leon Rausch sang Bubbles in my Beer, saying it was the way Cindy wrote it, that we had probably not ever heard, and either the band had never heard it either, or maybe Leon got a little mixed up on verse and bridge structure), but in terms of there either not being a clear leader in charge, or in some cases players, Ms. Fremerman and Johnny Gimbles’ granddaughter Emily, not paying attention to what was going on. Ms. Fremerman stole two or three solos, one from Cindy Cashdollar as Ray Benson turned to her and said “Take it Cindy,” and others where it wasn’t maybe totally clear who was supposed to take it - Elana is always ready to jump all over it. Emily Gimble started a piano lead just as Johnny was digging in with a long low note on his fifth string.

The point is, even the best players can look not on top of it without leadership and communication. (Volkaert and Cashdollar, I hasten to add, were paying attention the whole time, and never got in anyone’s way. Volkaert head was turning this way and that, like a linebacker trying to read the offense).

(There were other rough spots, the train wreck final number Dream Baby with everyone on stage, singing into mikes that weren’t on etc, and earlier, somebody invited Ms. Walker up on stage, but had made no provision for that taking place. She walked up in front of the five foot high stage, and some musicians walked over and hauled her up by her arms. Sometimes it is just flat embarrassing to live in Austin.)

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

I heard ok reports aboput this but my experiences seeing Miss F are that she is not the most disiplined intramentalist.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
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chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Having had an ensemble of players, at one time, I'm very clear that democracy belongs in textbooks, where it can't do any harm, in those situations.

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

Sounds like a rookie mistake.
They went out onstage without a simple "Formula".
For example, X instrument takes fills on the first verse, Y instrument the 2nd verse, Z instrument the 3rd verse/chorus/bridge as the case may be.
Same for solos.
XYZ in that order.
Of course this isn't an all encompassing solution, but cuts down about 90% of the confusion of a throw together band or jam.
The other part is, everyone agrees that if there are 3 lead instruments (say lead guitar, steel, harmonica or fiddle) that for 2/3's of any given song, your instrument will not make any sound whatsoever.
I usually reinforce that last part by saying, I don't want to hear any "Rhythm Harmonica", or any "Rhythm Fiddle". Please just stand their untill your time to shine comes. The only instruments that play from the beginning to the end of evey song are drums, bass, and rhythm guitar (which may also be the lead guitar, in which case the steel will "pad" the guitar lead.

Just a simple set of ground rules for success that are easily modified to any given song or situation (which is mainly to ensure the fiddle player puts that darn thing under their arm for a while, and the harp player zips his pie hole for a while!

)
Oh yeah... and turn you amp away from my ear.

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

..that was an excellent review, Leon...well written, vivid description, I could feel your pain from here...

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

I wasn't there... had my own gig..., but it sounds like it was a typical Austin "tribute" show. I know all the pickers personally except Fremerman and and they're all top-notch, some world-class. But with too many lead players things can get crowded, especially when the players, in their usual bands, have more responsibility for the leads than in that situation.

For example, Elana Fremerman, she of Hot Club of Cowtown, is quite new to country music and plays more than 50% of the solos in her band. So she's bound to be more assertive, shall we say.

Sounds like Redd and Cindy had their hands on the handle, though. As I would have expected.

They know the score.

Also Lisa Pankratz is about my favorite drummer in Austin TX for me to work with. She's on my albums. Terry Kirkendall as well, but that's another thread.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
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[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 25 February 2004 at 11:37 AM.]

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 25 February 2004 at 11:42 AM.]

Leon Grizzard · From: Austin, Texas, USA

Not that much pain, Pat. We had a wonderful time, and it was a great to see Cindy Walker. Emily Gimble is still young; Alana is a joy, and total sparkplug, not unlike Ms. Walker, although perhaps a bit of a h*g. I just regret missing out on about three Johnny Gimble solos and a couple of Cindy Cashdollars. And at times the stage was crowed so sightlines were bad, etc.

I still cringe when I think about them hauling Cindy Walker up onto the stage by her arms, though.

Rick McDuffie · From: Benson, North Carolina, USA

This reminds me of some of those Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony "celebrity jams". Pure torment.

If you get a chance to see the "Concert For George" DVD, that's an example of how it should be done. Eric Clapton is clearly in charge and, while there are many great players on the stage at once, it's very organized.

In the end, it just goes to show that you can be a hot picker and still not have a clue what it means to play in a band. Nothing takes the place of saddle time.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

"Too many chefs spoil the soup."

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Sounds like a cupla rehearsals would have been a good idea.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Some western swing players I did a weekend with where we had five leads (Bobby Black, steel, Glen Tarver, fiddle, Gary Howe, guitar, Sandy Coker, guitar and me, piano, introduced me to a system I thought worked great. We simply traded off by going around the stage in the same order on each song. If the solo came when it was your turn to play you got the solo. We would even give the intro on the next song to who's turn it was from the last song. Turned into a real no brainer with very litte "hand signaling" or calling out "Take it away..." BW

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Now that I no longer play "professionally", I actually believe in rehearsing. I used to consider it cheating, though.

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John Lacey · From: Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada

I deal with these situations every weekend at our little Black Diamond jam. Mind you, they have excuses, most of them are amateurs, but it's so difficult to get them to listen to a simple layout methodology beforehand. They all want to pick-at once!!

Andy Greatrix · From: Edmonton Alberta

That's ok John. It gives you time
to go to the sandbox and grab a beer
on the way back. Greg can play lead
on bass while you're gone.(grin)

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