What would you do?

[OLSONGO]

This brings to mind when I played with Manfredo Fest, RIP primo Brasilian piano player, he was 90% blind and as you know this develops keen ears. Lets say on a gig we would be playing and if something was out of place he would turn his head at you and make this facial expression..like it hurt, there you knew to chill and fall in place.

Paz
Olsongo



Edited By OLSONGO on 1204733124

[Jongo]

Good luck CongaTick! I was playing with a jazz group for awhile and it was a lot of fun but a lot of work. Don't lose your confidence, keep working through it. I had a similar situation and I cut back what I was trying to do, played less notes and focused on groove and it really worked. It is funny that Windhorse mentions Mozambique because that is what I played, in this jazz tune I would play Mozambique and it would swing.

[bongosnotbombs]

I can relate, I play bongos regularly with a jazz jam every tuesday. There's the core group and then the guys that come to jam, you never know what tunes they are going to play.

I have always loved jazz, so I am familiar with a lot of the standards, I think it would serve you well if you did too. I also have a blues background which helps with feeling when the changes are going to happen.

I rarely take solos, I just don't feel the need. I get enough creative expression by varying the pattern and from fills. I prefer to add to the mix. Sitting out is good too sometimes. I must be doing something right because I scored another gig last night.

There's a lot of good advice here from others. I think if you dropped out we'd all be a little sad .

Hang in there Congatick!

[CongaTick]

No question I will stay with it, considering all the great advice. Not tonight though (wife's orders)---tail end of flu bug still nesting in my chest-- but will be back in next thurs. This will also give me a chance to continue prepping and practicing. Great advice on working the standards, bnb. Yep, this is a core trio, plus all the sit-ins. Every day I feel more and more confident. Also, changed my drum config positions a bit to make it ease fluidity between the three, thereby playing a more melodic series of patterns to complement. Seems to work nicely. Man, don't know what I'd do without you congabros.

[CongaTick]

Well, I'm off tonight to give it another try. Been immersing myself in the genre and working on simple solos using a click track and feel nervous but excited and enthused. Wish me luck. I'll let you guys know how it went. And THANKS for being in the wings for me. Your spirits will be with me tonight.

[Congadelica]

Break A leg .

Good luck

[CongaTick]

Thanks for being there.

[Congadelica]

http://www.youtube.com/user/TumbaitoLatinBar


thought you might want to check this out brother

[CongaTick]

Wonderful link, CD! That's the kind of latin jazz groove I would love to hook up with. Unfortunately that's harder to find as an informal club jam in this classsic rock/scream-'n-thrash/accoustic-whiner scene than tits on a bullfrog. However, to report-- last night's jam with the hard bop/straight jazz group was successful. Usually sitting out the first set, lead sax brought me in for a song on the first, and midway, threw me a solo. I though I muddled through it, but apparently not, 'cause got a bunch "good-jobs" from the pros after the set. Rest of the night went well and I settled in with them for some tight stuff. Practce, practice, practice. Thanks all for your real support. It helped,

[thomas newton]

One of my first public jams was with a freejazz saxo player, his drummer and 2 random guys on bass and guitar.
I admit I was completely lost pretty much all the time but I will play with them again anytime because I have nothing to lose and lots to gain by doing so - and they were welcoming enough to ask me up so....

The saxo guy would play a phrase and general cacophony ensued. I couldn't find any regular timing in any of it so when I got the chance I put some in - as has been suggested above. I figured that since the audience were not freejazz aficionados anyway they wouldn't really single me out in the general chaos.

So i just tried to have fun,
Saludos
Richard