Look Mom! No stick!

My favorite from this day, 4.11.10, is A Child Is Born. This is the first time I've posted video on this site as I hadn't had any to share before this week . . . a blessing in disguise, though I'm improving. We play very occasionally with bassist/octogenarian, Ed DeMatteo and I'm very happy to have this documentation making music with him. I'm not sure if this is a good way to present videos; I had to borrow code from Facebook and then use the Flash thing on this site, so I'm not sure how stable viewing will be . . . probably best to hit pause and let it load. If it doesn't work, I'll delete the post and find another way to share. Also, you may notice my kit miked up for recording. Well, you get what you pay for because the engineer forgot to save data before shutting down his multitrack system, so POOF! Luckily, he had some video, but it's just his cam microphones . . .

!i

Sorry keith, I can't see a link , just 4 boxes. I never tried uploading video to this site. What type file is your clip ?



Peace, TED

Thanks for trying, Ted. Those 4 boxes are videos; just click on them. Maybe try a different browser . . . they work here.

Hey Keith,

I was able to open it up with Google Chrome and watch. I wanted to ask a question: what was the purpose of this gig - were you just being paid to provide some background music for an outdoor cafe, or was this a concert or what ? I guess my reason for asking is that I was a little confused as to what you guys were trying to do. What I mean is that the choice of material , since it was not your own compositions, was a bit off the beaten path from what most people would know. I know who Vince Guaraldi is, though not that tune, and I was not at all familiar with the other three.

Which isn't to say that I can't enjoy something I don't know, or that no one else can either. It's just a hard thing to pull off. I thought the playing was good, and I greatly enjoyed seeing something current from you on the drums. The picture clarity was excellent and I'm jealous because I can't get my videos to look that good. I realize the mix was the camera mics so the sound would change depending on where the cameraman moved.

I thank you for sharing that because it just represents the magnitude of styles that are covered by the drummers on this forum, and we truly are a diverse bunch ! And though it is not my taste musically, I have the utmost respect for what you guys are playing.




Peace, TED

Very nice, Woof

I am familiar with the Vince Guaraldi tune. They play it on a jazz radio station (KKSF) out here quite regularly.
Never heard "A child is born" but I think it's a beautiful piece, at least the way your band performed it. Loved
the exaggerated movements you were doing Looked very cool, gave you a visual aire of confidence and just
simply worked with what was being played. Those are the only two I've listened to thus far, I'll hit the other
ones up a bit later.

Nice work though, Woof. Very good.

D.

Thanks for checking it out guys, such excellent witnesses. As you both know, feedback is important. Our ears are big enough to know when we suck and, hopefully, our heads aren't so big we can't appreciate constructive criticism. That's why I'm here and post stuff, though I always feel like I'm going out on a limb here . . . by choice because I wouldn't have it any other way than to share some life while we're all still on the planet. Especially with purists like Don who might lop some heads in the process or experts like Ted who know more than enough to be dangerous. And then there are people like Suss who will hypnotize you into submission, leaving nothing or no one behind.

This is a Sunday brunch gig. That and the fact we had a guest bassist who's around 85 dictates our style and song choices. Sometimes we rock it harder and sometimes it's hard bop. Depends on where we are in the set and if patrons are trying to have a peaceful brunch . . . we're hired as a duo for economic reasons, though I wish they'd pay for a trio. Luckily, we often have musicians joining us gratus . . . and sometimes unluckily. That Guaraldi tune was a monster hit in the early 60s, #1 and a Grammy, but lots of people have never heard it. Invitation is a really beautiful, well-covered song we played on the fly called by the bass player. Pianist is like a human jukebox making all that possible, including allowing me to get better. Stan Getz said you can't improve unless you play with people better than you which is why I've always been the one get the gigs and pay the band, otherwise I might not have an opportunity to gain experience.

That's why Stan hired THESE guys:


This was concurrent with RTF's first incarnation and they played a lot of the same Corea originals, including material on the Captain Marvel record made that same year, i.e., La Fiesta is on both RTF's first record and with Getz.