Leaderboard

Hello Friends; Well, I finally played my first ' jazz gig / jam session ' in a public venue. Some may recall I've been looking for quite a while for the right players and setting. I recently found a jazz trio (on Facebook ) that plays Sundays regularly at a cafe' , about 45 min drive away. They invite basically anyone to come and play whatever instrument and style they play. After contacting the leader, a jazz guitarist with 50 yrs of playing experience, and sharing some of my recordings and Jazz Studio collaboration videos, he was quite keen for me to attend. I practiced a few tunes ahead that I know well, and showed up early. The group was very friendly, & welcoming. There was a good drummer, bass player as well, who play together regularly. I listened for their 1st set, about 45 minutes, then sat in with them. We played a few tunes I had prepared for , Autumn Leaves, Black Orpheus, Summertime, and a G Blues. I stuck mostly to comping rhythm, except playing melody on Summertime, while the other players took turns soloing. I had a little trouble hearing the 'changes' , ( drums were loud, right behind me) but I was told I did very well. I though I could have played much better but for the first time I guess it was OK. There was also a very good trumpet player playing with us, which I really liked. So... it was overall a good learning experience ( 'diving into the deep end' as the leader put it) and great to meet and play with some good musicians. They invited me back anytime, so I left on a positive note. Next time ( a few weeks) I'll know more of what to expect. Cheers; Neil

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