Playing that rehearsal and concert really felt good. It’s been such a long time since I got to play jazz with a group. The leader of the group even asked if I wanted to take a solo or two, and I happily agreed. I ended up soloing on half the tunes. The group had two guitar players… so that was a challenge. At least one of them was always playing, so we were constantly stepping on each other’s toes musicially.
The concert itself went surprisingly well. The band sounded pretty rusty on Wednesday, but pulled through with only minor hiccups on Saturday. Pressure from the director and the need to not look foolish in front of your peers always proves to be a potent combination at the last minute for most musicians. We must have played 10 tunes, or so it seemed. I’d never played a concert that long with the same band.
I talked with several of the musicians afterwards, and I asked around, saying I was interested in finding a group to play with regularly over the summer. I gave some guys my number, and I’m hoping something will work out. The leader of the band told me about an agent that booked solo gigs for piano players like me. I hope to get his number soon and see what works out. I could certainly use the extra money.
The band director, who plays saxophone, played at a local club afterwards that night. I went and checked it out, interested in how he played. It was an R&B group, but still fun. I recognized a small majority of the tunes. They even played one of my favorites.
It was a surprisingly eventful weekend, which is a welcome change of events.
