Member

So I was asked to play for Obama's inauguration party. Ok, cool, I'm a big Obama fan, of course I'd do it. In a second. One catch. None of the entertainment is getting paid, according to the person that wanted to hire us.

I'm still cool, I would do it. I'd feel like I was doing my part. Make sense? Still I'm kind of pissed. You mean bailout for the banks, for the auto industry for the real estate market.... but musicians play for free.

Hi everybody, I bet you're all familiar with this video of Gary Burton playing F blues. It's on YouTube, as well as on the Vic Firth site. I tried my ear at transcribing the first chorus, and turned it into a Band-Box file. It's great stuff. It shows how Gary approaches every chord in the progression from the 7th chord a half-step (or step) below or above. He does this consistantly thoughout his solo. Perhaps some of would like to take a look at this transcription. Many of you, I am sure, will be able to play it as a kind of etude. For me, it's much too hard.

Tony, I liked your gig story. I have one from almost 40 years back, when I was young and foolish. Once I had just become the proud owner of a sailing boat, and thought I could sail, not drive, to a gig. The gig location didn't look too far away, on the map. I thought it was feasible if I got an early start. But never trust the sea. Through the morning there was no wind at all, and I was making no headway. All of a sudden, in the early afternoon, a storm came from out of nowhere and hit bad. Panic on board.

Hey all at vibesworkshop,

I guess you probably noticed that I haven't been posting a lot lately...

well the thing is a litle too complicated to really get into but it comes down to this:

-I have been struggling with a landlord that wants to buy us out of our current home for about 6 years now...
- my father in law has been living with me and my girlfriend for a year
- we finally have a new home and also my father in law
- our new home is crappy and needs tons of work

215-475-5083

This is very important. That's all I'm going to really say. It could change your life.

Ok here's a gig story for you. Maybe get you going and get a few of you guys to try and top this one.

In order to pull off my rehearsals and gigs yesterday I had to:

Wake up at 4:30am
leave the house at 5

I got in Manhattan at 7:30

8:30 Unloaded my equipment at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Practiced by myself there for one hour.

Ran up and did a rehearsal at Machiko's Rehearsal Studio at 10 with Elio Villafranco

Got back to the Museum at 3 rehearsed with Joe Piscopo at 4

Played 6 to 9:30 then ran to the Zinc Bar with Elio and played 11 to 2 and drove back.

When it rains it pours. All us musicians trying to make a living get so angry when we get 3 calls for the same night. That means we lost 2 gigs!!

Things are slow here in Philly and just last week I got depressed about not having a bunch of gigs. Then it rained and then it poured.

Now I have about 15 tunes to learn, a bunch of site reading, a couple rehearsals, a few gigs and about maybe a thousand miles of driving.

Harry Sheppard is a vibe player from Houston and Formerly New York. He played with Benny and Billie Holiday and everyone else back in the day!

Here he is on the Mallet Kat.

---- Tony Miceli

This is to die for. He is smokin' here!

All about Nico's instruments are here.