Doug Robinson

I don't warm up at all unless I have a gig or a session coming up, then I warm up for about 10 minutes a day for a week. Then again, I'm not tackling classical repertoire and it doesn't seem to hold me back in my jazz work. However, I'm finding it difficult to sit down and play casually right now, with all the time in the world on my hands. I kind of don't care very much if I create another improvisation or compose another masterpiece that few will ever hear. When I do sit down, something nice usually comes out but...having trouble finding the 'why' of it.

I like the idea of selling them for the cost of shipping except that I live in Central Mexico and it costs over $20 us to ship CDs to the states now! And just a reminder, it isn't about ME not being to play them, it's about the rest of the world. I saw a design for a CD Secret safe that looked pretty cool, and a mosaic table made of broken discs. Yikes, I never anticipated this. Depressing.

I find myself in the fairly heartbreaking position of having over a thousand CDs of my own music--various albums--that I can't sell anymore. No one has CD players anymore where I live, nor anywhere else apparently. They are all jazz-related and some feature killer players like Peter Erskine, Mike Stern, John Patitucci and so on. But I've sold as many as I'm going to. I'll keep 50 of each title just for vanity, but I really don't know what to do with the rest of them.

Boy, I bet they have fun together.

Off to a great start!

Dave, would you mind re-posting the link of where we can hear these compilations? I"m sure it"s right under my nose. Thanks!

Go for it, Dave!

My friend Fred Simon said something profound at the beginning of the pandemic, that suddenly the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had become the saddest song ever written. With that in mind, I wrote this: Love in the Time of Corona:

I Got the Blues, demo 2 I'll replace the drums with live ones. Not sure I like the synth solo--it's my favorite sound on my old S80 but...

+1

Brilliant. But no pitch bend? I'll wait.

You've got mine, right, Dave?

Here is the 58 minute set I just live broadcasted from Mexico last week--latin jazz, a lot of original stuff, non-traditional as you'll hear! Killer players all around.

Moonglow, I am literally doing my first live broadcast video concert tonight. We will play for one hour. In between songs we will ask people to make donations via PayPal to support the guys. The details are up in the shameless plug"s section. I"ll let you know how it worked out.

Well, no one is more pessimistic than I about the fate of live performance--part of it is that I play mostly different forms of jazz, which require (at least for me) the energy created by physical proximity with both the players and the audience in order to really take off. But... I figure I might as well dip my toe into the live broadcast arena and this friday May 15th I'll be reuniting my excellent latin jazz quartet for a one hour hit. it will be broadcast on FB and on instagram. The sound should be good, as this basement studio has done some good shows. The players are all raring to go--we haven't even been in the same room since our October gig! We'll have about 6 feet between us. I will put the details in Shameless Plugs--would love to have some Keyboard Corner Dwellers in our corner! FYI the instrument lineup will be Casio PX5s, Hammond SK1 (both through my Space Station), timbales, congas and bongos and electric bass.

The more I think about it, the more certain I am that there will be no live performances in venues other than solo or duo acts in outdoor venues for the foreseeable future. Our careers as live performers are probably over. I'm grateful that i have so many memories of cool and even life-changing gigs. But that's over.

" I'm seeing a HUGE pent-up demand to get out and party. Once anything reopens, it will not be a "let's tiptoe down to the club and check it out" kind of thing. In my area, everyone will flock downtown. " NO doubt. But I think when this happens, we will see a big surge in new infections and another, stricter shutdown will happen. This isn't just going to go away because we're bored or broke. It doesn't care.

The two most wonderful pianos I've ever play were a Bosendorfer Grand Dragon or whatever they called it with the extra bass octave and a similar Fazioli. Both were transcendent experiences--everything disappeared except the piano and me, and it felt like the instrument was playing me at times. Fazioli by a nose. A year later, I played a wonderful 6' Fazioli at NAMM--loved it! Again, I was lost in the music and when I turned around, Pianoman Chuck was there and we had a nice chat.

Love it, Mike.

I think people who believe the economy will come roaring back any time soon are in for a shock. It isn't just that people will be broke, it's also that we are all learning that it is possible to live without slaving at a job we don't love for money to buy crap we don't need. Eating out and movie viewing will survive in some form, but you're right--with reduced numbers of patrons, venue owners are going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. They CAN'T charge more, because consumers don't have it to spend.

Social disdancing, hehe. Great work. Man...I don't know. I live in Central mexico and while, Mexico hasn't been clobbered yet by the virus, we are braced for impact. Still, there is a significant percentage of the population--both Mexicans and ex-pats--who simply haven't been taking social distancing very seriously and it terrifies me. I bet if a club open up right now (it can't because the local gov't shut them down) with a dance band, it would be packed. And we'd see a big spike in infections soon. But up in the states, it's not so wild, wild west. I think we're all going to be out of work in terms of live gigging for the most part. as many others have pointed out, we won't be the only subset of workers affected this way. Has anyone here been making money off of tip jar/online concert stuff?

Groovin' is Easy!

David Eâ Thanks for your comments about the mix on my track. It"s just the way I prefer to hear music, like you"re in the middle of it all. I hear other mixing techniques and I really admire them but when it comes to my own stuff, I guess I am more for realism or at least the perception of it.

Lots of good stuff here, unexpected too. So far, it seems like most submitted things that didn't feature keyboard soloing but had great playing and production all around. Drawback's piece could be right off a Larry Carlton album.

Brilliant, Dave! Thanks.