[Dixielandjazz] FW: Does Keyboard & Amp Sound DissappointAnyoneElse?

[Jim Kashishian]

I wrote regarding hauling a keyboard, amp, stoll, stand to gigs:
 
 > Easy-peasy, except you have to haul all the stuff around.  :>  Get used
to
> it!  Drummers have been doing it for ever!!!

And, Bob Ringwald answered:
>Spoken like a true horn man who all he has to remember is to make sure his
mouth piece is in the case... 

I, of course, knew when I wrote the above remark that it was not my place to
make such a statement...since I am not a pianist.  We all make such sweeping
generalizations, which don't necessarily include everyone in a particular
group.  Bob has done just that by continuing:

>He (wind instrument player)can waltz into a gig 30 seconds before the
downbeat and be ready to go.  He also can have his horn put away in 30
seconds and scarf up on all the women while the pianist and drummer are
still slaving away packing up their gear.

Wrong! A good brass man will arrive in plenty of time to be able to warm up,
tune up, and get mentally prepared for a gig. In my case, at many of our
gigs I personally carry a small 80 watt amp that I set up for the pianist so
he can hear himself better.  (It's my amp, and I paid for it, not the
pianist!)  Why would I do that?  I want the band to function as well as
possible. So, after gathering up the piano monitoring, I then pack up my
monitoring, and the drummer & keyboard are both long gone! 

Bob continues:
>I wonder how well a horn man would play if forced to use a different horn
on each gig with one or two valves or keys not working and the wrong size
mouth piece?  
  
That's precisely why the keyboards have been a blessing.  See Steve Heist's
comment following:

>The most definite plus is that I know exactly what I'm going to sound like
EVERY time I set it up! 

That's why I drag along my own mike, preamp & monitor system to a gig.  I
want to know what I am going to hear, and have some control over it.  

In the case of a pianist, all of this is lost to you when you play a real
piano. You are not in control of levels, eq, or monitoring.  Someone else
is.  Having said that, I understand that the touch & other nuances are
important enough for a good pianist to jump at the chance of playing the
real instrument.  That happens to our guy when we play a certain club that
has a baby grand.  He is thrilled!  The rest of us less so, as the
monitoring is always poor, and we can't really hear him properly.

The crux of the matter is that the keyboard is with us, and it won't go
away.  

Jim