OT: What was the best compliment you ever got?

[Chris Link]

This last summer I got a call to sub on short notice with bluesman Johnny Rawls. Woodshedded for a couple of days with the CD of tunes for the shows and was asked after the weekends gigs if I was available for his next time through town, which is coming up pretty soon.

[gangsu]

Originally posted by Markyboard:

Originally posted by gangsu:

Markyboard told me he's been waiting for me, all his life.

Anybody seen him?

Nope - not a trace.

!

[gangsu]

Now I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel, but I do remember one standout compliment. Mark O'Connor was up to play a fiddle concerto with our orchestra. I felt his eye on me the whole time I was playing this piano interlude thing, and afterwards he cornered me and asked me to move to Nashville. Ok I exagerrate. But that was gist, I figure.

Compliments are fun. I only give them when it's easy.

[Cliffk]

This guy wanders into the main room from the pool room, bopping manically to the groove of the song I was playing. Seeing me, his jaw drops and his beer promptly follows - seriously . As the song finishes, he screams: "Ya mimin' bastard, ya almost had me fooled!"

 

Bloody Philistines!

[Phred]

cliffk,

 

Cool story- but I don't 100% get it. Did he think you were faking? Were you ? Did he think the music wasn't live?

 

Enlighten me

[Tony Bennett]

I think one of the most memorable compliments was receiving applause in a Catholic church after I played a classical version of In the Garden. Apparently people just dont get applause in that particular church. Although my favorite compliment might have to be the night thank you for not playing brown eyed girl.

[Cliffk]

Phred, the goshdarn ignoramus thought I was faking - I wasn't

[Phred]

"You play the hammond like a 60 year old man". (I am 32).

 

One of my favourites is one that B3er mentioned in a different thread- "You are an amazing B3 player, but you look like a dork!" I laugh whenever I think about that one.

[Hammodel AV]

I was messing around in a keyboard section, and another guy started playing piano. I was filling in Hammond organ licks behind his piano (playing Steely Dan songs, I think, or at least that style), and he said 'you have a very good feel about playing -- what band are you with?'. My 'normal' gig is playing at church in a contemporary praise format. Come to find out, the guy was a famous blues guitar player in the Kansas City area.

[wmp]

I was at some trade show checking out keyboards about 12 years ago. I started noodling on one and a fellow walked up and started playing on my left. As we attracted a small crowd, another guy started playing on my right. These two guys just tore it up and left my pathetic ass in the dust. I don't know who the guy on the right was, perhaps one of you folks, but the guy on the left was T Lavitz.

 

Moments like that help to keep the compliments in perspective.

[bluesdisciple]

My favorite compliments come from other musicians.

 

The best compliment regarding a band I played in came from John Lee Hooker. We opened for him at a local club. He came in while we were playing and sat down in the front row to listen. During the break when he was signing autographs I went up to get mine and he shook my hand and in that low voice said, "You guys were very good man. I enjoyed listening to you." I was on cloud nine.

 

The best compliment I have received about me personally was from a friend who I played with in a church band for three years. When I moved to another town, we received the church newsletter and Gary wrote, "Mike is a great musician and makes all those he plays with better musicians. We will miss him." Very kind words and made me feel very appreciated.

 

The other compliment came from the past lead singer of the band I am in now after I was like in the middle of the third practice with them. We had just finished a song and he turned to me and said, "Man your keyboard parts are so tasteful and right on the mark." He is an outstanding musician, so it meant alot to me. I got all tingly!

 

BD

[BluesKeys]

I would say as many have the best compliments come from fellow musicians. I just did some studio work on a very talented guitar players original CD. I thought that was a compliment just being asked to play on it. Then he calls me to tell me he is thrilled with what I put down which makes me feel better.

 

I also have a standing call at a studio who's owner has played with many talented touring artists. He has me as one of the first on the list of keyboard players for his studio. I take that as a compliment. He even said to a mutual friend "what is that cat doing in Raleigh?" after he heard a live recording of our band.

 

I just want to play music and hope folks dig it as much as I do.

[Michiel]

I just got it today ...

I played a new compostion, a childrens song for two friends and their little child. The child, Lise, is little bit more than one year old.

 

A soon as I set in, the child begain to clap with the music, smiled and danced on it. It really was moving to see.

[Ben One]

From Eddie Jobson

 

I don't think it gets any better than this. :-)

[kad]

It came from my wife...

 

I put on one of my favorite solo jazz piano CD's - Herbie Hancock's "The Piano". My wife knows Herbie Hancock only as the guy that did all of that funky "Rockit" stuff. While the CD was playing, she came in the room and said "That's really nice." I said "You'll never guess who this is." She looked at me surprised and and said "Isn't this you?" I said "Not hardly, this is Herbie Hancock." She said "Oh, well he sounds exactly like you."

 

Women with no ear for music say the sweetest things!!!

[delirium]

What was the best compliment you ever got?

that I'm pretty...

 

(but that was a lie too )

[keyman_sam]

One of the best ones I've heard is : "How does that kid do it with that one keyboard (referring to my Fantom S)? A.R.Rahman (the composer who's tracks i played) has a huge studio with many gadgets. You cant do all that in one keyboard."

 

[Pat Azzarello]

Originally posted by Mr. Nightime:

Afterward I got one of the best compliments I'd ever gotten. I overheard the drummer telling the bass player, "We gotta get this guy."

 

It's nice when your playing is appreciated in that manner. While I won't be able to gig with them steadily, I am going to try to record their upcoming live album with them.

 

So, I'd like to hear, what are some of the most meaningful compliments you've received?

Sounds like you had a great night all the way around

 

My favorite compliment came from a guitar player/band leader after I apologized for not being on my game because I had taken a full-time job and my chops were slipping. He told me: "I'm not worried about you. I've noticed but you're still a better player on a bad night than most people are on a good night."

 

This hit harder because one of my teachers told me that: "You want to make certain that on a bad night, you're still very good."

[Joe Muscara]

One of my guitar player's daughters (not sure if it's the 18-month old or the 5 year old) apparently keeps singing one of my songs and wants to hear it again and again.

[Ed Coury]

Is there anything that says "we love you" more than a round of drinks for the band?? ;-)

[Phred]

I have written a few songs for both of my daughters - fun kids music stuff. I get requests for them from every kid that walks into my house.

[gfred611]

Mine's came recently:

 

The Band just landed another gig because of the "Hot Keys" playing!

 

Most touching: A little girl asking for my autograph and offering to help me carry equipment

 

Funniest: You must be the only HELL your mother raised!!!

[Eric Iverson]

The two best compliments:

 

"You were like a rock on that one" - meaning very solid on the rhythm.

 

"You have a lot of resources." - A nice thing to say to a very "jack of all trades" guitar player! Helped me see that being able to come up with good parts to tunes in different styles is a valuable contribution - you don't necessarily have to be flaming virtuoso or genius to make good music!

[Mr. Nightime]

I think this is appropriate for post # 1000

 

I'm about as Caucasion as they come. German, French, Irish decent, red hair, fair skin. Quite often I'll have people come up to me after I've sung a song and say, "If I close my eyes, I'd swear you were black." I take that as meaning that I sing with a lot of soul, and it's one of the best compliments anyone can say.

 

Then I tell them that I come by it honestly. My grandparents' names were (for real) LeRoy and Lucille.

[MidLifeCrisis]

Originally posted by Mr. Nightime:

I think this is appropriate for post # 1000

Congats on the 1000th post Ron

[orangefunk]

I used to do a jazz gig and a blues gig alternatively...

 

One guy comes up to me at the blues gig and says "great stuff... far better than the shit you played last night"

 

 

At the jazz gig, I did a piano intro to a song (more to take up space as we didn't have a big set list).... got a huge round of applause.. then at the end of the gig a beautiful girl came upto me and said "I wanna fuck your brains out..."

 

I guess thats a compliment... of sorts..

[Michelle ggurl]

Originally posted by learjeff:

Of course, I always appreciate compliments from musicians that are several levels above me.

Me too. But what I live for is what Marino touched on, when an audience member (either to recorded or performed version of my playing) just gets it. Because for me, it's about communicating first. And if I can do that with something I actually composed, I feel even more appreciative and humbled.

 

But the best one-liner I've ever gotten was, "wow, you don't suck!" That was back in high school, but still ...