Looks very much as though I have a job at the Governor’s School for The Arts in their Jazz band program. I had all but written off the possibility of working at the GSA when a former high school teacher of mine who works there called me to say that their bass guy just left. I am waiting to be contacted by their HR person so I can get W2′ed, fingerprinted, and TB-tested. It’s because of this waiting nonsense, part of me is still not celebrating because I haven’t even stepped foot in the classroom yet. This is the first job I have ever be offered over the phone. I’m just not believing it yet, I guess. We’ll see what happens.
I don’t know how much money this GSA gig will fetch me. I still may need something else in the part-time job department.. but I have been picking up some new students because of this website. That will definitely help, not just for the money, but also it will get me back in the routine of playing every day. Hopefully that will continue to happen. I would really, really like to be playing with more people.. particularly more Jazz.. or Jazz-related funk. Something like the Greyboy Allstars where the rhythm section is straight-up JB’s but the chords and melodies are almost fusion-y.
I did a search on some of the Berklee alumni related sites to see if there were any alums in Hampton Roads. I apparently, am the only one in Norfolk, at least on the registry. That kind of hurts my feelings. I really wish I knew more people around here that played the kind of music I want to play. The problem is that music is a social business and you really need to make a face to face contact with them. Very often musicians aren’t the most internet savvy crowd but even the few who are will be just as skeptical and paranoid as the rest and won’t respond very quickly to a guy who emails them and says he wants to jam. The internet helps bands once they are together, but it doesn’t do much to get them together. Blogging is kind of like a sending out a message in a bottle.. once you release the post it goes out to all of the ping sites and then google and if someone is looking for you, they will find you. In my case, this works better than email because I never know who to get in touch with.
Here’s a Top Five list from me to you… I’m not providing links. You gotta do the research yourself
- Freddie Hubbard - A Soul Experiment
- The Meters - Look-Ka Py Py
- Greyboy Allstars - West Coast Boogaloo
- Brand New Heavies - Brother Sister
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Naturally
Top Five Albums of The Moment
That was fun. I’m gonna do more of those.
What a coincidence…I’m listening to TNT right now! Then again, you know that’s the only Tortoise I ever listen to on a regular basis. I know the Sharon Jones & Dap Kings is good because I was with you when you bought it, but I’ve only heard parts of the other albums. You can’t go wrong with Brand New Heavies.
You’re on your way over here to share my King Size Snicker bar with me. I hope you’re hungry because Snickers really satisfies.
The “post-rock†genre that, I guess, Tortoise gets lumped into is made up of about 50% great bands trying to do something new for instrumental music (The Mercury Program), and 50% boring crap. Tortoise is a genuinely unique band, I think whenever I hear am instrumental indie rock band I inadvertedly compare them to Tortoise, which isn’t really fair. I am enamored with how simply they execute some of the most creative music ever. It’s like Zappa but three times slower.