Tracey and Keith:

Thanks for responding about yourselves and your music. Trés cool.

Thanks, Keith, but I'll repeat myself re: rocket scientist stuff: You know your drumset better than someone who has just gotten theirs. It's that simple. I've just used the instruments (JV1000/XP50) a lot. You guys weren't around when I painfully transcribed 120 drum patterns into dummy songs so I could use them as song starters/rhythm parts (because I was too afraid to program my own) and then promptly *initialized* the disk, erasing about a week's work with no back up. Duh.

I, too, work a (self-employed) day gig, but have been playing out for quite a while as well, either in jazz groups or in the duo I mentioned. My duo and I just play cover tunes for country-club jobs, corporate stuff, singles dances, weddings, that kind of thing. We've cut back out of boredom and burnout.

I played a Sunday deli-jazz-brunch for about two years using the XP: http://profiles.yahoo.com/dnarkosis
I play with pickup jazz groups and am currently exploring a Pat-Matheny style group here with some players.

I almost answered the "What do you guys want for xmas" post a couple weeks ago: In early December, I got myself a 1979 Rhodes Suitcase 73 electric piano in almost pristine condition. I used to have one but sold it in 1989 and regretted it. This thing is gorgeous and sounds gorgeous. I'm stoked.

With the XP sequencer, I'm do acid-jazz/trip-hop down-tempo stuff (is that vague enough?). But I'm not much of a composer. I envy you guys your composing chops.

Tracey: "If you were to listen to some of my stuff, you could probably more relate it to Pink Floyd or Alan Parsons Project. I like that kind of music a lot...just sitting there kind of in your own world while you're listening to it."

Man, there are a lot worse ways to spend your time. Sounds very cool. I, too, empathize with finding enough time for the music; heck, for *practicing* as well as for sequencing.

Keith: "I'm a professional drummer, and after 25 years of fulltime touring, gigging, and recording"

Whoa. Dunno if I'd last that long on the road.

"I play with a local original band called Thursday's Child"

I tried to download the demo, but the page doesn't exist. ??

Thanks for telling about yourselves. This forum has always been full of nice people.