[Dixielandjazz] Keeping your chops up:

[Steve Barbone]

"Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com> wrote (polite snip)

> When I lived in Los Angeles, my Great Pacific JB always had a Sunday night
> gig.  When I needed a sub, I could always call some of the best OKOM players
> in town, Dick Cathcart, Morty Corb, Abe Most, Dick Carey, etc.

Bob nailed it. Always call the great players. Trombonist friend Pete Pepke
gave me that kind of advice 15 years ago when I fretted about calling some
really top players for a gig which I thought was "beneath" them.

"Always give the guys a chance to say 'no'. You never know who will take
what gig. Even if only to keep his chops up."

This morning at 9:30 AM, I played a Funeral as a sideman with a pick-up
group of guys who drove over 300 miles round trip to do the same. I only
drove 110 miles round trip and the leader was very apologetic about it
figuring I would not be interested since I did not know the deceased (a part
time musician friend of theirs), and the money was not that great. Not that
I'm a great player, but the other guys are and we were all happy to do it.
He gave me a chance to say "no".

You never know who will be available. First time I played with Roy Eldridge
I was a sideman in an ordinary Dixieland Band of part timers. Our regular
trumpet couldn't make it so the leader called Roy from the Local 802 AF of
M book. He accepted. I learned quickly and thereafter did some neat gigs
with him, Coleman Hawkins and many other top flight jazzmen.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone