June 12, 2008
We were treated to not just one, but two terrific singers: Linda and Rebecca. Our audience at Jefferson Heights was very appreciative of their great sound.
The jammers devoted the first part of the evening to going over some of the tunes we’ll be playing next Friday at The Laurels. We’ve got seven tunes ready to go; it should be a lot of fun.
Improvisation is what jazz players do and it’s good that we don’t get fazed by little things that don’t go according to plan. For instance, we’ve become accustomed to having a drum kit at the venue. John had graciously left it there for us to use for several months or so and, well, yours truly got a little bit complacent, expecting it to be there. Forever, I guess. Ever quick on the uptake, I noticed right away that something was missing.
What to do? Well, improvise, that’s what. Linda and I scouted out various items that might fill in for a drum kit. After a few minutes, we had put together an improvised setup. It consisted of a folding stool, upon which rested a bright red plastic sand bucket (the “conga drum”) supporting a clipboard, to which was fastened an aluminum pizza pan with a finely textured surface. This was the “snare drum.” Over to the right, on a chair, was Al’s attache case, forming the base for a plastic bin and a 9″ cake pan; the “tom tom” and “cymbal.”
Well, guess what? It worked! So well, in fact, that I’m thinking of adding a cake pan to my kit; it had a great clangy, dirty sound. The pizza pan had a surface just perfect for brushes. And, for once, the drummer wasn’t too loud.
Gordon
Posted: June 13th, 2008 under Gordon, Reviews.
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