Work Horse

I’m a workhorse. I run from gig to gig. I’m lucky in that they’re all usually really great gigs. Great players, always as challenging as ‘we’ want to make them. What I mean is if we’re a jazz trio playing at some dumb business meeting, then nobody is really listening to us, we’re just ‘atmosphere’. So it’s up to use to decide how ‘deep’ we want to play.

I can say that the jazz musicians around Philly ALWAYS play for the music, so most gigs are great gigs. Even when nobody is listening!

Well tonight was going to be a hard gig. I was playing at a new casino in the Philly area. What a ‘PIT’. It’s a horrible gig. I took 3 of them and can’t do anymore. They stuck us right next to ALL the slot machines. It was unbearable. I committed to 3 of them and tonight was the third and last one.

Well I showed all exhausted but ready to play, and I saw another band there. Oh boy, now dollars are running through my head. If I screwed up that will mean I will have to pay the other 2 guys because I booked the gig! That would suck.

So i called the agent, found out she double booked the gig. She’s a great person and was cool and said ‘Go home, I’ll pay you’.

Well if you’re a workshorse and that happens you know that feeling of joy, especially if you don’t have to play a HARD gig. It was funny because the other 2 guys in the band were cheering when I told them. I was laughing because here is 3 musicians happy because the DON’T have to play music tonight! But one must take this in context.

After a week of gigs, rehearsals and practicing, to get the night off will bring a smile to any work horse! Just go hang out in the ‘field’ and graze. Which is what I plan to do.

Yay, I don’t have to play music tonight!! Sounds weird but tonight I am happy. Tomorrow I will play music. I’ve been playing music for almost 40 years. I love it more than anything, except for tonight!

Have fun on your gigs, I’m going to just hang out and listen to some good music… and maybe practice a little. :-)