Randy G.
2008-10-06 16:53:00 UTC
I had the opportunity to play my first real blues set in "public" this
past weekend. For the last 11 months or so I have been playing at a
weekly open mic blues jam in a bar. Things have been going quite well
there, and I seem to get along with most of the regulars (who knows
what they say behind my back?) ;-) .
This past Saturday the Exchange Club of Paradise (California) held
their annual Blues and Brews which is a fundraiser for local school
music programs. The "Upper Ridge Blues Society" is the groups I play
with... group in the loosest sense of the term as the only membership
requirement is to play the blues and show up at the jams, which is
cool by me.. Our rehearsals were two of the jams where we sort of
went through the set list to get a feel for how many songs we could
do.
The set went really well considering we aren't really a groups at all.
MY wife took some video with my Sony still digicam which also does
rudimentary video. While the sound it records is not the best, it
still gave me the opportunity to hear myself play for a good amount of
time, and even though I am my own worst critic, I felt quite
comfortable listening to myself, and a couple of my solos I have
listened to a few times and have been quite pleased.
In the meantime, I am still trying to find a place in an established
(or about to be established) group... WHAT IS IT with musicians? One
fellow who sounded motivated, and had practice space, a drummer with a
PA, etc., flaked on me and evidently changed hi mind about starting a
group. The most recent fellow who contacted me I think may be in
jail..! Last time I talked to him he said, "I am on my way into court
and can't talk right now," and I have not heard from him since...
almost three weeks now... Is it my breath?
Randy G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
past weekend. For the last 11 months or so I have been playing at a
weekly open mic blues jam in a bar. Things have been going quite well
there, and I seem to get along with most of the regulars (who knows
what they say behind my back?) ;-) .
This past Saturday the Exchange Club of Paradise (California) held
their annual Blues and Brews which is a fundraiser for local school
music programs. The "Upper Ridge Blues Society" is the groups I play
with... group in the loosest sense of the term as the only membership
requirement is to play the blues and show up at the jams, which is
cool by me.. Our rehearsals were two of the jams where we sort of
went through the set list to get a feel for how many songs we could
do.
The set went really well considering we aren't really a groups at all.
MY wife took some video with my Sony still digicam which also does
rudimentary video. While the sound it records is not the best, it
still gave me the opportunity to hear myself play for a good amount of
time, and even though I am my own worst critic, I felt quite
comfortable listening to myself, and a couple of my solos I have
listened to a few times and have been quite pleased.
In the meantime, I am still trying to find a place in an established
(or about to be established) group... WHAT IS IT with musicians? One
fellow who sounded motivated, and had practice space, a drummer with a
PA, etc., flaked on me and evidently changed hi mind about starting a
group. The most recent fellow who contacted me I think may be in
jail..! Last time I talked to him he said, "I am on my way into court
and can't talk right now," and I have not heard from him since...
almost three weeks now... Is it my breath?
Randy G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com