The Lo-Fi Loungers

I got the privilege of joining The Lo-Fi Loungers last Sunday for a private party here in Dothan. Their bass player couldn't make it so they called me up. The gig was very low key- just a little private party with a bunch of really cool cats. Kids playing and a nice breeze keeping us from melting. The group plays jazz  from the 1920's, '30's, and 40's and, believe it or not, has a repertoire full of tunes I have never played before.

The real point to this little post is two fold. 1) You should know who these guys are and 2) You should hire these guys. Seriously. They are humble and totally unconvinced of their awesomeness. Check out their Facebook page and judge for yourself. Tell me what you think in the comments, if you like. 

Make Jazz Succeed at Your Venue

To many venue owners around the Dothan area, jazz can be a four letter word. It's completely understandable. There's a desire to be more culturally diverse and bring in different things. The reality, however, is booking it won't guarantee a crowd. Particularly in an area so void of the art form that most people don't really even know what it is. In the event that you actually get people to show up and the night is a success, the venue owner wants to replicate that. Again, understandable.  So how do you get people to come? What about getting them back? 

First off, the show needs to be clearly promoted. People need to know what they are being asked to attend. To people who don't listen to jazz, the word itself is ambiguous. When one person thinks of jazz, they may think of Sade or Spyro Gyra (smooth jazz) while another may think Coltrane or Davis (BeBop, Hard Bop). Even people who are hardcore jazz fans won't know what kind of entertainment you are planning. So, it's necessary to include samples of the band's music, a picture (the way the band looks can be a clue to their sound), and, at the very least, a shot list of artists they sound like. If they are all acoustic, say it. Any way you can let the potential audience know what to expect the better. Remember, it's not like rock or country in which the genre is mostly self describing. Be specific.

Secondly, if you are not a "jazz venue" DON'T OVER DO IT. If you had a band come in and your joint was packed, don't book them three more times that month. Let it rest. If you have another jazz band/artist to book then spread it out. If you only have one to book, don't bring them in more than once a month but every-other would be better.

     **Artists, don't accept bookings at the same place that are too close together. You will suffer in the not-so-long run.**

Third and finally, PROMOTE it right. Don't run a radio ad for a jazz band on a classic rock radio station. That's just dumb. The people looking for live jazz are not going to be glued to that station. Your regulars will hear about it from being at your establishment or from talking to other regulars. Know your target. Facebook adds are cheap and very targetable. Flyers are cheap and still very effective (at the right places) and including a QR code linked to your website will make it even better.

Remember, people aren't going to come out and spend their hard earned money if they don't know about it. Don't rely on word of mouth. Smart advertising is the prerequisite for word of mouth and is the best way to create a buzz for something new. Make it easy to remember and easy to come to (dress codes not recommended). Jazz is people's music; It's life music. It's not dinner at the White House.

The Artist vs. The Entertainer

Every musician comes to a crossroad at one point in their careers; they must make a decision whether they want to lean toward being an entertainer or an artist. There are two extremes to these paths. The extreme entertainer has no musical vision of his own; he only plays what people want to hear, or at least, what he thinks they want to hear. The extreme artist only cares about his or her own musical vision; the audience does not matter. Is it possible to balance being true to your musical vision while being sensitive to your audience?

The debate of artist versus entertainer is especially prevalent in Jazz music. When Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie created Bebop, Jazz branched into two directions: the accessible pop music of the day and artistic music that required more active listening. Some Bebop bands even went as far as putting up signs that forbid dancing during their performances.

Miles Davis is another example of a musician who fought to be true to his musical vision. Again and again, Miles was always reinventing his music, despite what some audiences wanted to hear. When people wanted to hear "So What", he was already moving on to his next musical explorations. Miles even sometimes literally turned his back to audiences.

Does that mean that these forefathers of jazz didn't care about their audiences at all? No, but there was a point where they had the courage to draw the line and say "this is what we are doing, take it or leave it." Being true to yourself can be one of the hardest things to do as a musician. What if the great pioneering artists of the past just pandered to audiences or the almighty dollar? We wouldn't have the great musical works that we have today.

Not that I deserve to be compared to Miles Davis or Charlie Parker, but as a musician, I find myself often going against the grain of culture. I don't know if it was divine inspiration, but when I lead my own band to play my own music, I have chose the path of the jazz-fusion bass guitarist. I don't play this music just to please people or just to make money. If people like it or want to pay me to play it, great, but that is not why I do it. I play this music because I believe in it and I have an original statement to make through it.

It would be much easier for me to take a more typical musical path. I currently live the the worst possible place in the world for this type of music. It is funny the comments I get from audiences. "Hey, man, where's your singer? Y'all would be great if you had a singer" or "Do you know any Jimmy Buffet?" Sometimes even band mates make comments like "Why don't we play music people actually like." On the other hand, I have no problem playing hip arrangements of Christmas tunes or playing "Thriller" at Halloween.

So, how do you balance artistic vision while being mindful to your audience? Here a list of tips to balance the path of the artist with the path of the entertainer.

1. Melody. The aspect of music that resonates with everyone, including the musically illiterate, is melody. If your music has a singable melody, anybody can enjoy the music, no matter how complicated the harmony or rhythm underneath it is.

2. Communication. When a band is hired, there should be a clear line of communication between the band leader and the person hiring the band. The person paying the band should know exactly what they are paying for.

3. Be Prepared for Sacrifices. When a musician steps out of the ordinary, for example, someone playing jazz in South Alabama, he or she should be prepared to possibly take a hit financially, expect lower concert attendance or will have to take criticism from peers or critics.

4. Remember Tradition. Remember, jazz and pop music has traditionally mingled together (only in a sophisticated way) for quite some time. Actually, jazz used to be pop music. The most trite of popular ditties can be transformed into epic improvised excursions, like John Coltrane playing "My Favorite Things" or Brad Meldau playing Radiohead. (So far, I don't know anyone who has had any luck with a jazz version of "Margaritaville" though, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.)

Recap 1: Feel the Need/Make a Difference

There's nothing like playing with other musicians that makes you want to just play. The inspiration that springs forth from other people makes me want to write and play music all day. Sorry I haven't been on in a while. I wanted to make sure I had something to write about and had enough to fill up the space. Now, I have a lot to write about. Maybe, too much...Anyway, let's start from November.

We started recording and it has been an amazing experience. First off, let me say "Thank you" to the members of the Chris Hodges Band. I'm glad to be surrounded by so much living talent. We get along well in real life so naturally things just work out musically. By "living talent" I mean that when we play, it's not just sequenced music, organized into a specific mold. We start playing, and anything we play evolves on the spot, becoming so much more than what we originally intended, be it on purpose or by mistake. Eric Ward on set is awesome. He does great work. Probably the best drummer I've ever played with (sorry P.J.). Rusty Firth on guitar. He's just awesome. He never ceases to amaze me. And of course, Chris Hodges on bass....do I even need to say anything? Without him, this probably wouldn't happen. We (He) are the only ones really all that active in jazz in the area from what I can tell. I've heard of groups having gigs in the surrounding areas (Dothan or Montgomery, if you can consider that "surrounding area") but usually after the fact...I mean, besides the groups on campus. Most of the stuff I hear about now is coming out of Birmingham. In fact, we are making history (technically...hopefully) with this recording. We may be the first jazz group to have an album to come out of Troy without any official affiliation with the campus, i.e. TUJE, TUSB, etc. Our last session will be coming pretty soon and with that, the release of a yet-to-be-named album....I wonder where the release party will be?

On a different subject, 2 weeks ago, I was provided the opportunity to play with a man by the name of Raymond Reach. You may have heard of him. If not then go here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Reach). Yeah, "That" Ray Reach. The gig was for ThyssenKrupp, one of the world's largest steel producers. They were opening a new factory in Calvert, Alabama (yeah, I had to look it up too). It is one of the most advanced steel factories on the planet. It cost something to the tune of 5 million dollars to build. It will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. and help to bolster U.S. and German relations. There were representatives from the White House and Germany with full blown Secret Service detail. They even wore sunglasses...inside....at 9 o'clock....at night....yeah, I had no idea. I was just going to play a gig. Mind = Blown. I'm glad that I could be a part of something that actually effected so many lives on a global scale. I didn't find all that out until half way through the gig.

Before that, I was amazed by who I was playing with. Now, to drop a couple of names. Mart Avant of the Tuscaloosa Horns on Trumpet. Wow! He's top notch! An 'A' class musician and I got to sit right next to him. P.J. Spraggins on set. He picked up on everything...everything, like he knew the future...but just of what we were playing at the time. Carlos Pino on guitar....yeah, so apparently this dude is just out of this world on guitar. Richard Moten out of Louisianna on upright bass. The name sounds kind of familiar, right? He's a relative of Bennie Moten....jaw on floor. By the way, he's beyond excellent. Larry Wade on alto and clarinet. Just killer. Last but not least, Dave Amaral on Tenor and Flute. Stellar! What an awesome group of people! I felt very out of place. After a while, I finally settled in and started playing like I had some sense though. I also have to give a shout out to Casey Farris on Bari Sax. He's a hell of a reader and a driver. Thanks!

So, after all these mind-blowing experiences in the last month, I was kind of shocked. After a drought of not performing, I experience so much, with so many talented professionals, I can't help but wonder what I can do next? I want to go places and play now. I've always wanted to but just never did. I think I'm ready to go out there and do something. I was talking with Dave Amaral at the ThyssenKrup gig. He asked me what my "day gig" was. I told him that I worked at a restaurant. He immediately told me,"You need to get in a band!"....I'm kinda already in one but I know what he means. I need to do something with this...or die trying...sorry, I had to.

Jaco Pastorius

I seriously doubt there is a single electric bass player who don't know who Jaco Pastorius is. Whether or not you play (or even dig) jazz, you have to give Jaco his props! His first album, Jaco Pastorius, is, as Pat Metheny put it, "...without question the most auspicious debut album of the past quarter century..." and, along with Word of Mouth, is a study on what can be done with an electric bass, expanded harmonies and a big band.

One great but relatively unknown project of was an instructional video called Modern Electric Bass [VHS]. You can now get it on DVD, too. along with exercises and the like, it includes some really great jams with John Scofield and Kenwood Dennard. I can't even begin to count how many times I've watched that video (I have it on VHS even though I no longer own a VCR). This was my introduction to the energy of an improvisational performance and Scofield and Dennard blew my hair back every time I saw it. Remember, this was mid 90's and the internet was ssslllllooooowwwww and unreliable so this type of media wasn't readily available.

Here is a clip from the video where the dream trio plays one of Jaoc's most popular tunes, The Chicken. Enjoy.



I put together a list of esential Jaco recordings. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Jazz without Leaving the House

One thing that makes things difficult as a jazz musician in a small town is the limited (if any) chances to see/hear live jazz and it can be hard to “feel” your way through band leadership and stage management/presence without it. So, what I wanted to do was give some resources for musicians and, at the same time, maybe give newbe listeners some places to explore jazz without having to drop the money on going to a show that they may or may not like. I want to start with video; then we'll move to audio.

VIDEO

Probably, no, definitely, at the top of my list for online jazz is the live feed from Smalls Jazz Club in NY, NY. After the flash intro, the schedule will load and you can click a link on the left to go to the “Live Video.” If you’re not diggin’ the cats that are playing or can’t be in front of a screen when it comes on, you can go to the audio archive and listen to past performances of many of the artists. Seeing musicians you look up to play/lead WHILE the are actually on stage doing it can be an invaluable resource.

Another great place to stream great videos is Jazz Corner’s JazzVission. There, anyone can upload footage of any group playing jazz. There are videos of bands at private parties, showcases, and any other performance situation you can fathom.

Of course, we all know about YouTube but many don’t really know just how much you can find on there. One particular channel, Jazz Video Guy , ran by Bret Primack has a steady flow of great jazz videos. You can also find him at All About Jazz, another great site for jazz videos and audio.

AUDIO

Back in December,Jason Parker (@1WorkinMusician), a jazz trumpeter/blogger (and helluva nice guy) from Seattle wrote a blog called “10 Jazz Resources You Should Follow on Twitter” which covered some of these (along with several different ones). While the following is not focused on Live jazz, they do give you access to live tracks. But hey, studio tracks are important, too, ya know.

My main source for internet jazzphonia is last.fm. You can listen for free, it has iPhone, Droid, and Xbox 360 apps, and it can keep up with everything you play on all your devices. It makes suggestions and lets you stream music from your own library so you can have it when you aren’t by a hard drive.

AccuJazz (@accujazzradio) has an awesome selection of jazz channels. You can pick or experiment with different types all day.

Another is Curt’s Cafe. Curtis (@curtjazz) provides a great selection and now has a blog and a Youtube channel. His blog reviews albums and makes great suggestions for your listening pleasure.

The internet can bring pretty much anything you need straight to you. Don't be afraid of that search engine; USE IT. There are so many great things to read, watch and listen to. This list is just what I use on a regular basis. If there is something you use, comment it below OR email it to me and I may add it to this blog.

I miss coffee

Hello internet jazz/music junkies! It's been a while since I've written anything on the internet and decided it was time to remedy that. Lately, I've been trying to keep my ears to the ground, so to speak, trying to absorb all that I could musically. In the process, I have renewed my itunes account, mostly thanks to @redraspus (check out his web page and twitter. impressive). Through this I have acquired a lp that I am truly impressed and amazed by. Maurice Brown released a cd recently named "Cycle of Love". I'd call it jazz fusion but that wouldn't attempt to describe it accurately. I'd say it's r&b - jazz...maybe?. It's definitely worth a listen. I'm not gonna review the whole thing here though. It just proves that there is a lot out there and you just have to be looking for it. Fortunately, that particular recording just kind of fell into my lap.

Anyway, the reason I'm on my quest for any form of inspiration is because I've been trying to "evolve" my sound. In trying to become a better performer, I can't let myself get bored or comfortable so I push myself to listen to something different everyday. Itunes, youtube, facebook, twitter, last.fm, pandora; these are all means to an end. The end being me learning something and applying it in performance. I hear some musicians say,"I want to get better but I have no idea what to practice now. I have reached my limit here, or with this particular instructor. I'm the best I'm gonna be." That's just wrong. First, don't stop pushing to be better. Go out and find something that challenges you. Go out and find someone that sounds way better than you and ask them questions until they tell you to go away or until you've learned all you can. I learned something earlier this year. As soon as "you" say that "you can't", you won't. It's a defeatist state of mind. I get down on myself all the time. You wouldn't believe how many times a day I say that I suck or I need to be practicing right now. It's okay to kick yourself sometimes as long as you believe that you can always do better. I like to keep it modest too. I'm not the "I'm totally better than you" type. I'm more like the "I'm gonna be as awesome as I can be" type.

Also, I think I learn even more in the time where I'm not practicing physically. I practice in my head a lot. It's that thing that trumpet players do when they're fingering there notes on trumpet, without a trumpet. It's kind of sad...and awesome at the same time. It's the time where I don't have to think about holding my horn. It's when I want to hold my horn and do something about the notes pouring out of my head. It's when I hear something and I want to play it but I'll have to wait until I get home. Yeah, I'm a little obsessed with music. It's tragic because I haven't been able to practice as much as I want lately. I just started a job and things are starting to get busy. I'm just going to have to wait for things to settle down a little to get back into a groove.

Wow, this post went all over the place. Next time I'll try to keep it simple and to some kind of point.