timwat Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Two unusual gigs (for me) this weekend. Friday, 3 hours solo piano @ Schramsberg Vineyards - arguably the only California winery that matters when we're talking sparkling. Told I'm going to be playing outdoors. When I arrive, they have me drive deep out into the vineyards. In the middle of the grape vines, Schramsberg has a quiet grove set in the middle, with an outdoor kitchen, lights, a long table for the private party, a stage and an old Knabe grand piano under the trees. Just a gorgeous, intimate setting - playing dinner music (and Stairway to Heaven and Jump snuck in for good measure) for the owner and about 40 family and friends, in the middle of a vineyard at night. I'm complete wallpaper, but the head chef caught Stairway to Heaven and wants to talk about what Zappa tunes I know during a set break. Blessed Relief, maybe. Weasels Ripped My Flesh, not so much. Saturday's gig is first time with a 9 piece wedding band that is constantly working. Bandleader doesn't use set lists. Let me repeat that. No set list - you just have to know most of the tunes in a 200 song list - and he calls them from the bandstand. First hour or so is of course jazz for reception. I brought the CP4 just for this stuff, and it's like butter. After 3 songs, he pulls out the guitar player and I'm playing the rest of jazz hour solo. It's cake, good thing I just had 3 hours of practice yesterday. Then the first dance and dance segment in earnest. I schlepped the Kronos / Wave rig for this, and we're off to the races - he's calling 3 songs at a time, then 1 at a time, etc. Only tune he called I wasn't totally prepped for was Dancing Queen (maybe the only song our of 200 I at least didn't work out the changes for.) It felt like the musical equivalent of playing laser tag or paintball - always checking around corners, not sure what's coming up next. I had loaded up iRealB with changes to (almost) all the tunes in the list, which helped tremendously. I found it an interesting mental challenge - and I tell you, the Bandleader is seriously good at "reading" the floor - he kept it packed the entire night, and brought them back when they started to lull. Very much a "band as living DJ act". I'm impressed, and I had fun. And the client was overjoyed at the end of the evening. End of the night, BL is delighted. He (and the rest of the band) say I knocked it out of the park, and am easier to work with than most of the other KB players in the rotation. Looks like I'll be getting more work out of this one. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzjazz Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Sounds great - it's nice to feel fulfilled eh? www.dazzjazz.com PhD in Jazz Organ Improvisation. BMus (Hons) Jazz Piano. my YouTube is Jazz Organ Bites 1961 A100.Leslie 45 & 122. MAG P-2 Organ. Kawai K300J. Yamaha CP4. Moog Matriarch. KIWI-8P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 11, 2016 Author Share Posted September 11, 2016 Yes, especially for a late bloomer who's probably never going to get to Big Show level. Being able to play a wide variety of music between different gigs, feel like I get to say something personal, and make some people happy, it's all good. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Good for you, Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyray Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Congrads sounds like the Bandleader was pleased as was the audience. Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aronnelson Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 I for one, offer to send you my chart for Dancing Queen my friend. We should all have this song ready to go. Just PM me hahahahahaha Korg Kronos, Roland RD-88, Korg Kross, JP8000, MS2000, Sequential Pro One, Micromoog, Yamaha VL1, author of unrealBook for iPad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 11, 2016 Author Share Posted September 11, 2016 I for one, offer to send you my chart for Dancing Queen my friend. We should all have this song ready to go. Just PM me hahahahahaha Much appreciated, my friend. Famous Confucian proverb: "Come to gig without Dancing Queen once, your are forgiven your transgression. Come to any subsequent gig without Dancing Queen under fingers, you may only have one child." I think that's how that goes. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Ward Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Yes, especially for a late bloomer who's probably never going to get to Big Show level. Being able to play a wide variety of music between different gigs, feel like I get to say something personal, and make some people happy, it's all good. I'm 30. Not that old, but I've only been playing seriously for 8 or 9 years at this point. I know people my age who have been playing since they were kids, and they can play circles around me. I feel like I will probably be a late bloomer as well, and what you've described is what I aspire to. If I can learn to be well-versed in multiple styles, and make myself and other people happy, I feel like that's a job well done. Good for you, Tim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Thanks for sharing. I love hear other working keyboard players' gig stories. I have neve played a winery nor been asked which Zappa tunes I could do. You got to stroke both off your list in one go. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveCoscia Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 That sounds like a terrific weekend. Living the dream.... Steve Coscia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aronnelson Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Yep, just PM me your email and I will send out the chart. Anyone else as well that wants it. :-) Korg Kronos, Roland RD-88, Korg Kross, JP8000, MS2000, Sequential Pro One, Micromoog, Yamaha VL1, author of unrealBook for iPad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 I've played piano in winery tasting rooms for years, but have never been asked to play Zappa I've never encountered a grand piano under the trees either. What a gig! Great report Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphollis Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Living large, aren't you? The first gig sounds like the near-perfect venue. Except for the Zappa fan, that is. The second gig appeals to me because it's hugely intellectually challenging -- random calls from a 200+ set list. That would keep me on my toes. I'd get home exhausted, but happy May more of these come your way Want to make your band better? Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 I couldn't do that. I've done plenty of last minute fill-in gigs with no list, but limited to the very narrow genres of my experience. Kudos. That's quite honestly the kind of talent, experience, and professionalism that separates the men from the boys, I consider myself at best an adolescent. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markyboard Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Way to go Tim- most impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyNQ Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Congrats Tim, sounds like an awesome weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenner13 Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Tim, thanks for the insight into your world. I'm mid 40's and only just now getting some minor local buzz happening about my current rock n roll cover group. Had a brief local "shooting star" period with an all original hard rock group locally last decade. I'll likely not get to where you are at. 200-some set list called from the leader randomly with no set list would have me in knots. High respect out to you, sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Congrats, Tim! I can't play jazz, so I wouldn't be able to consider playing either of those gigs. I've played for hundreds of wedding receptions, so I might be able to fumble through the non-jazz stuff for the wedding gig if I had the charts and was familiar with the songs. Not sure I would want to work that hard, however! "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Thank you guys for the kind words. Let me just say this - I'm not any different than anyone else on this board. I couldn't play jazz 6 years ago. I hadn't played any funk 7 years ago. I'm not really talented, I was never a prodigy, and I don't have "music major" practice habits. I'm like a lot of guys here who had to work hard for it, and I was able to because of life circumstances, loving the music, and having GREAT teachers (Johannes Wallmann and Peter Horvath). I started out sounding like very other crappy beginner jazz pianist, and have slowly cleaned up some of my playing because my teachers kindly tell me what still sounds like crap. No shortcuts, just putting the time in cause I love the music. The no-set-list-200-song thing? I'm betting most of you gigging guys could do it - I just had to bring the mental attitude - "this is going to be a fun challenge" rather than "oh man I hope I don't blow it". .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmymio Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 I know people my age who have been playing since they were kids, and they can play circles around me. I feel like I will probably be a late bloomer as well, and what you've described is what I aspire to. If I can learn to be well-versed in multiple styles, and make myself and other people happy, I feel like that's a job well done. With very few exceptions, there will always be those who can play circles around you. Just be true to yourself and realize that you have a unique musical offering to contribute and that no one else can play like you. 1935 Mason & Hamlin Model A Korg Kronos 2 73 Nord Electro 6D 61 Yam S90ES Rhodes Stage 73 (1972) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Ward Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Thanks for keeping it in perspective. I appreciate the encouragement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Nice, Tim. Congrats. Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 - I just had to bring the mental attitude - "this is going to be a fun challenge" rather than "oh man I hope I don't blow it". That's a good one to apply to all of life's challenges. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Nice to be appreciated. To be challenged is even better. Looks like you found your ideal gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Love your attitude Tim. LLAP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicale Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 +1 for the Schramsberg Vineyards. The champagne is excellent. Sounds like a marvelous gig, you must be pretty good ! Musicale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 2 things: - you studied with Johannes? Very cool. I was at Banff with him in 2005 - phenomenal player (and I'm assuming a great educator too). - with a bandleader calling tunes on the fly I'm assuming there were no transitions? Did it matter to the dancefloor that you guys ended tunes? (My current BLs are very much against even a nanosecond of dead air) My Site Nord Electro 5D, Novation Launchkey 61, Logic Pro X, Mainstage 3, lots of plugins, fingers, pencil, paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 I also wish to mention that TWICE I read it in your post as Steinway to Heaven, which I think we can now agree is a better title for it than the original. Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 2 things: - you studied with Johannes? Very cool. I was at Banff with him in 2005 - phenomenal player (and I'm assuming a great educator too). - with a bandleader calling tunes on the fly I'm assuming there were no transitions? Did it matter to the dancefloor that you guys ended tunes? (My current BLs are very much against even a nanosecond of dead air) Johannes is indeed a marvelous educator - was Instructor of the Year @ NYU before he took over the program @ Cal State. And yes, no transitions - drummer kept the 4 on the floor moving, and one of us starts the intro into the next tune - no pause, "beat matched", seamless flow, no dead air. So the dance floor feels pretty much what a DJ does. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 I'm impressed, Tim, but more importantly, happy for you. I hope all your gigs are as much fun! "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.