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Topic: Some band leaders are still nice guys. |
Les Anderson
From:
The Great White North
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Posted 14 May 2005 5:57 pm |
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I think I can now attest that some band leaders are nice guys and do still want the steel guitar sound, even though his band is about as far from country as one can get.
I have been asked to join a wind, dance band: 3 saxes, 1 trumpet/trombone , bass but, no drums. I sat in with these guys about three weeks back while they were practising and getting ready for a local old timers convention & dance. Even though I have been playing the steel for less than a year and threw in more than a few sour chords and disastrous timing goofs, they liked the sound of the steel behind them.
The band leader gave me two CDs with thirty two tunes on them and told me to work with those tunes then come back and see him. He was much more than a little patient when we got together on Thursday night and told me which numbers to come in on with the steel and which ones to sort of bluff my through them until (as he put it) I found the chords I was searching for. It’s amazing what a couple of saxophones can cover up!
Wow, miracles never cease to amaze us.
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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 14 May 2005 7:48 pm
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| Les, congratulations! This isn't the typical band that hires a steel player...DUH... but that's something I think makes it even more exciting and unique. Playing with any kind of band really accelerates learning an instrument, and playing with different kinds of bands makes you learn different styles and techniques. You'll learn a lot about music and some valuable stuff with them, and I hope you have fun too. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 14 May 2005 11:28 pm
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I love it, a great chance to do something different.
Best advice with such a little information provided ;
Look for the holes, but don't fill all of them.
Think like percussive organ sometimes,
give them a bed fto float over
or a syncopated counter point.
Maybe get an old Alvino Rey album too.
Such a cool opportunity.[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 15 May 2005 at 05:39 AM.] |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 15 May 2005 5:09 am
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After not playing for a few years, I still remember one of my first "starting over again" jobs with a good band and some unfamiliar material.
Between sets I overheard the manager ask the bandleader how the new steel player was working out, and his answer was one that I would always be happy to hear: "He's playing what he is supposed to be playing".
www.genejones.com |
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Ted Solesky
From:
Mineral Wells, Texas, USA
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Posted 15 May 2005 7:41 am
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| I've been lucky to where the band leaders do like steel. The guy that I'm with now is very fair about $ split and is laid back about what to play. Where the song did not have a ride on the CD, he'll look at me and tell me to play. So far, he's my favorite one that I've worked with - Mike Alexander. |
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 May 2005 6:29 pm
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I have played with several big bands, with horns, etc. and usually the leader was pretty nice.
Most of them when I joined the band, the arranger used to write a few Alvino Rey type arrangements for me.
There was a lot of good musicians in those bands and I had to stay "on the Ball " to keep up.
In one band everyone liked the arrangements and the leader said to the arranger, "do you have 20 or 30 more like that".
Big bands were starting to fade out due to the cost, so then I went to small groups to keep working.
But all in all, in looking back , most all of the leaders liked the steel as long as I doubled on rhythm guitar too. LOL....al 
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 15 May 2005 6:40 pm
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| I prefer democracy in a band situation... NO leader.. 4 or 5 equals... My last band started in 1988 and is still going strong with that format.. I joined in 92.. 11 1/2 years with the same band... The band before that I joined in 1982 NO leader.. all equals.... I stayed with them to 1991 when I moved here to NY... As far as I am concerned, you can KEEP a band with an autocratic "leader"... Give me anarchy in music/band/situations... bob |
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Frank Parish
From:
Nashville,Tn. USA
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Posted 16 May 2005 8:04 am
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| There always needs to be a leader. Any business wouldn't be run without everyone knowing who the boss is. What I'm trying to figure is why all the horns and the steel and no drums? Are they going to playing with a machine?? Are good drummers that hard to find in your area? |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 16 May 2005 8:38 am
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| Quote: |
| I think I can now attest that some band leaders are nice guys and do still want the steel guitar sound, even though his band is about as far from country as one can get. |
I couldn't agree more, Les... there are several great guys I work for around here who always try to include me whenever possible, even though their music doesn't "need" steel, and will often dig into their own pockets to pay me what they feel is fair when the gigs don't pay enough. These days I find that level of thoughtfulness inspiring and heartening.
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Les Anderson
From:
The Great White North
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Posted 16 May 2005 7:12 pm
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quote:
Frank Parish Wrote:
There always needs to be a leader. Any business wouldn't be run without everyone knowing who the boss is. What I'm trying to figure is why all the horns and the steel and no drums? Are they going to playing with a machine?? Are good drummers that hard to find in your area?
Frank, I have no idea why this group does not use a drummer. It may have something to do with money or, a bad experience with drummers or any number of reasons. I was not about to start questioning anything with the fellow because I was flabber gasted by his asking me to play with them.
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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)
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