Kick in the Pants

A few things have come up since I last posted. In no particular order, a sax player contacted me about starting a jazz duo though he hopes to add drums and bass at some point. This is an interesting proposition. I really want killer jazz chops, though I feel like I'm really far away from that right now.

I found out about a job that I had an audition for last Thursday. I don't want to talk much about it yet because I'm still waiting to find out if I got the gig. What I do want to talk about is the kick in the pants this was. I had to have three songs ready, and I ended up getting nervous as hell about it. I really don't know why. I had theories, but no definite answers. I think it had to do with being so long since really playing in front of anyone, not having the band nor CH to play with recently, etc. I felt as nervous as I did before the first gig with CH. It was an awful feeling, a tightness in my gut that drove me crazy. Unlike the time before the first CH gig, I only had a week between finding out about the audition and the audition (on the other hand, CH was a month of being nervous).

Of course, once I completed the audition, I felt much better. In fact, while I was playing, I was so focused on what I was doing the nerves I had immediately before were completely gone.

Two days later, I sat in with my friends The Snake Charmers. That turned out to be an absolute blast, and I got a lot of good feedback from my performance, including from the manager of another performer who might be looking to put together a band.

Between those two events, I feel fine again. It's pretty nice, actually. While I might get nervous for some types of auditions or anything really particular that wants parts played exactly, for most things I feel fine. Last night was the first CH rehearsal for a show we're doing on November 14 at 2 PM at The Jet Lounge (mark your calendars!) and even though Ant and I were the only people there from the previous incarnation of the band, I felt completely fine. I didn't even know the particular songs we rehearsed and it didn't really bother me.

A friend forwarded me a Craigslist ad for a blues band that's looking for a keyboard player. I got in touch with them yesterday and am talking with them about checking them out as well.

In reality, I only have CH going on for sure, but I could have several others.

Collective Hallucination - 100%
Jazz duo - 80%
Audition - unknown, completely in their hands
Blues band - probably could have it if I want it, we will see once we meet
The other performer's band - depends if they make a band
A gig I'd really like, I think - I don't know, I have to get my butt out there and sit in with them before I have any idea

To be honest, that's too damned much. If they all came through at once, I'd have to pare it down, at least for now until I learned how to manage doing multiple bands. I also realize how these things work. While it may seem like all these things are coming at once, most of these people have other things going on and may not get to me or be a while. Holding my breath is not a good idea! I think I mentioned in a previous post a band that had expressed interest in having me play on their recordings or something like that. Their release party is coming up and they never asked. I don't know why, but that happens. Whatever they are happy with musically is what I want them or any artist to do. It's all good.

With any luck, all these things will come through but they'll be staggered in such a way that they will be manageable.

Posted 2009 09 30 at 6:42 AM

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