Last night I began my new post as pianist for the local jazz band, Swing Memories. It is directed by an 85-year old tenor sax player named "Skeets" who has a personality as lively and pointed as his playing. The group is filled with other musicians across the age spectrum, although I am the youngest. Really, age was irrelevant: they're a fantastic group of musicians and I'm honored to be playing with them. However it's the shoes that I'm filling that humbles me the most. The man I was recruited to replace was 95 years old (!) and had been playing with the band for as long as it had been around (it was formed in the 1980s). I can only imagine how fantastic he was, since I never had the pleasure of meeting him before I took over. Even so I heard lots of great things about him.
Last night I was given a box several inches thick. It was such a big box that I naively asked, "What's in here?" The drummer, a very easy-going guy named Steve laughed and said, "Your music." I was nonplused; I un-did the clasps and slid the lid off and revealed a massive stack of chord charts. This was their repertoire: each piece numbered and indexed from 1 - 2061. If that wasn't enough, Skeets handed me a stack of new pieces that they were going to sight-read that night. Fair enough: I was sight-reading all of it.
Despite this daunting introduction I felt like the rehearsal went well. There were definitely a few times that I really felt in the groove with them. Then there were a few times that I got lost interpreting the hand-written notes of my predecessor, but I always found my way back in the end. They have a great sound and it was a joy to contribute to that sound and slip into their groove like an old shoe (even though I'm a 'new' shoe). What's more is that they were all really friendly and welcoming to me, and they made me feel right at home.
Last night I was given a box several inches thick. It was such a big box that I naively asked, "What's in here?" The drummer, a very easy-going guy named Steve laughed and said, "Your music." I was nonplused; I un-did the clasps and slid the lid off and revealed a massive stack of chord charts. This was their repertoire: each piece numbered and indexed from 1 - 2061. If that wasn't enough, Skeets handed me a stack of new pieces that they were going to sight-read that night. Fair enough: I was sight-reading all of it.
Despite this daunting introduction I felt like the rehearsal went well. There were definitely a few times that I really felt in the groove with them. Then there were a few times that I got lost interpreting the hand-written notes of my predecessor, but I always found my way back in the end. They have a great sound and it was a joy to contribute to that sound and slip into their groove like an old shoe (even though I'm a 'new' shoe). What's more is that they were all really friendly and welcoming to me, and they made me feel right at home.
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