you do realize the irony in that statement?
act for yourself, Chas...

and no. i don't want or expect everyone to agree with everything i say, heaven forbid, what fun would that be?..and where did you get that from anyway? just because i said that you made a point of agreeing with the one point which matched your original contention, and didn't address any of the rest of it?

seems you may be the touchy one, no? cause it ain't me..
but I don't really want to start anything with you, as it's not conflict I crave, just the stimulation of exchange of ideas. that generates its own heat, healthy disagreement you can learn from. don't need the personal put-down, pal. I don't think i got personal, did I? and why would i, since i don't know you--why do you presume to know me?

I like it here, you can leave and practice if you like. hope it helps.

I practiced clarinet/sax an hour a day from age 10 to 19 and was a dud. next time I got into music I was 35..and decided i would play, not practice. not ever. even when i'm alone i just play. When i just play, i wind up playing for hours..not an hour a day forcing myself to do it. i guess you could say it's another way to practice if you like.

I opened Jazzmania Loft in NYC 1975 and nobody who wasn't better than me was allowed to jam. a lot of guys got to jam at first, but after a couple years very few..
i was playing with some of the best, but I was nowhere near as good. that's how i liked it. Play with people better than you and you get better. i never got good practicing.
but that's just me, not saying others shouldn't practice.
i also tried different instruments, different brands of same
instruments. It didn't distract me, it helped me. equipment
made a difference. It can't replace talent, no..but it can
enable talent. i'm still into equipment..only now it's keys.

Hey, I took the easy way..and look, overnight..at the age of 59, LOL, i was playing with Jimmy Smith at the 1998 Clearwater Jazz Festival. Long time to wait, maybe if i practiced i would have got there sooner? ...errrr NOT..i would have burned out, i think, like before at age 19.

so i started the keys thing 7 years ago, and i'm taking the same route, and just playing, and loving it..and doing whatever else i love..like writing these little dispatches on SZ, and it's a harmelss little ego trip, sure..but I have you guys to zing me when i go too far..and i can zing with the best of them, too..but i try to zing the content, not the person.

oops, outta time..gotta pack for a rare Tuesday night solo
gig in a little Italian Restaurant. aint the clearwater jazz festival, but no matter to me, it's all just music...every gig
is a blessed event. consider the alternatives....ouch...


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Miami Mo