I enjoyed the responses to Don's April Fools joke but it kind of fell into my thinking lately. Things have been going pretty well here in SC but as I said I didn't move here for gigs. This July I'll hit 50 years in the business and its been a great ride. I just passed up an opprotunity to join a working band here. I prefer solo but band stuff is fun too. The reason is I really want to manage my own schedule and be free to take off when I want. Also I'm getting tired of the same music. I know you have to play what they want but its getting boring to me. Someone asked for "Leroy Brown" recently and it did get some dancers going but I was thinking how much I hated it while playing. I'm not a musical snob but I know some of you must feel the same way about some of the stuff you have to do. Playing some jazzy stuff on a real piano at a house party recently was so much more fun.
Fran said something interesting about missing events. I've missed a lot because of music and regret missing some of them. Back then when bookings were by the month if you took off one Sat. you lost the whole month so you didn't have much choice.
I remember back in the day a musician who played Hammond organ 6 nights a week told me he was quitting and going to Fla. I said "why your doing great !' He said "I'm tired of being in a bar every night " Another very , very successful guy ( at one place he played the owner bought him a Cadillac for Xmas ! ) had his gigantic keyboard setup go down in a susipious restaurant fire. He said "thats it for me " and never played again. Burnt out in more ways than one.

I don't think I'll ever quit altogether but lets hear your thoughts ?

I still enjoy it most of the time, but I'm happy with just a couple nights a week. I don't do bars anymore and haven't in years. I still do the occasional private party, but usually I just play the same place. I don't have to move equipment, just walk in and play.
Sometimes you feel that if you have to do Mustang Sally, Browneyed Girl, etc., ONE MORE TIME, you will gag. I have a way of tricking myself. I will try to do it as if it's the first time I've ever played that song. Sometimes I will experiment with different styles, lead sounds, etc., to freshen it up. Occasionally, I'll pull up a midi file and play with that, to remind me how it's SUPPOSED to go.
I was recently invited to record an interview with a local art gallery, Norton Art Gallery. They are recording interviews with successful local musicians, and those that started locally and moved on to bigger things, in an effort to preserve the musical heritage and history of the area. They will eventually devote an area of the gallery for exhibiting the interviews, along with photos and other local musical history memorabilia.
There were some questions asked that caused me to reflect on my career, and my future. If anyone is interested you can hear it, but it is pretty long and pretty personal to the area. I was honored to be invited though!
At this point, I'm able to pursue fishing and golf and family four or five days and nights a week, and then "escape" to my world of music for two or three nights. As I've said, I get to play music, people tell me they like it, give me money, feed me, applaud me...WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE??!!
If it gets to the point that either I'd rather be doing something else, or that they stop inviting me to play, then I will have no problem walking away. Or maybe kicking and screaming as they drag me away.

Bill, only YOU will know when it's time to hang it up. In my case, I was working 6 to 7 days a week, often doing doubles, and not just the NH circuit. I also filled in for guys that had regular nite club and restaurant jobs when they wanted to take another, higher paying job, or had health issues. I loved every minute of it, and yes, there were times when I got somewhat tired of playing Leroy Brown, Brown Eye Girl, etc..., but I just jazzed them up a bit, switched to different right hand voices, etc..., which help maintain what little sanity I have.

If my health had not gone to Hell, I would still be out there nearly every day of the week, but now my lungs are shot, which effects my vocals a bit, and my back is disintegrating, which makes sitting in one position for one to three hours nearly impossible. I went to three surgeons, and all told me that there was nothing that could surgically be done, and surgical intervention was way to risky and could result in paralysis from the waist down. I have to live with the pain.

Fortunately, I knew this day would come and I have been preparing for it for the past 30 years, by stashing money into a retirement program that I established for myself three decades ago. Smartest move I ever made.

So, now that I no longer work every day and night, what do I do with all that free time. Well, I have a massive front lawn that needs mowing, which I'll do today with the tractor. It also has 7 rock gardens, all of which require some minor maintenance. With the yard work, I do what I physically can, then take a break, mix up a tall Green Coconut Margaretta and when I feel like it, go back to the task at hand.

I also spend a fair amount of time on my sailboat, even when it's not in the water. Today, I caulked a couple small leaks where bolts enter the cabin, and hopefully, that will solve the minor leak problem I have. In two weeks, the boat goes in the water, I'll reinstall the sails, put on the Bimini top, bring the bedding onboard (sheets, pillow cases, blankets), put the radar back in place, and reinstall the electronics. Next, the bar and pantry will be stocked, the refrigerator cleaned out, and I'll take the boat out on a shakedown cruise of a day or two. If nothing breaks, which I hope is the case, then I'll pack a seabag with clothes, add some frozen foods to the fridge, plus a couple bags of ice, then put up the sails and head down Chesapeake Bay, stopping when I feel like it, playing music in some of the marina restaurants and bars to make some fuel money, and do some fishing and crabbing at locations where I anchor for the night.

Of course, cruising comes at a price - I'll have to pay someone to mow the lawn every week, and with a front lawn of 2.5 acres, that carries a price tag of about $80 a week until August, when the grass doesn't grow nearly as fast and it only has to be mowed every other week. When October rolls around, I have two choices, either put the boat on the marina parking lot and winterize it, or, if my health allows, put up the sails and point the bow of the boat south, not stopping until the winter temperature and my age are the same (75), which seem like the most logical thing to do. At that point, I'll be living aboard the sailboat, which has all the neat things I have at home, but on a much smaller scale. And, again, if my health allows, I'll play music a few nights a week at the Marina and restaurant Tiki Bars, which will help supplement my cruising expenses. If I don't stay in marinas, I can live aboard the boat for about $500 to $600 a month, and that includes food and booze. If I opt to spend some time in the comfort of a marina, add another $750 a month for slip rent, water and electric.

Good luck, Bill,

Gary

Gary
I thought of you as I was writing. Health issues are something you can't argue with. Many musicians have been forced to retire for medical issues, some normal and some self inflicted. I was going for the mental aspect of the job. I still really enjoy making people happy even if I have to play those same songs for the 1000 time.
I'm glad to hear your going to enjoy yourself and keep doing whatever gigs you feel like
Good sailing.

Nice gig and you hit all the good reasons to keep it. I think I would hold onto it too. No chasing people around to get booked, and I'm really getting sick of that ! , no moving equipment, and best of all, your appreciated which is why they've let you hang around so long.

My 2 cents....
I do not think there is a simple answer to the topic, because it's not age specific, it's more a health-related question.
However, if / when the day comes when it is only yourself and not your audience being entertained, the show has been going on for too long.
One must recognize their own limitations, and learn to know when it is time to retire from the public room.

I will repeat............

"For me I hope the day never comes that I can't wake up and perform music on stage,... It's always been my passion & my love to be blessed with being able to share the magic of music with people."

some don't realize how lucky they are to be able to play professionally.....one of my fans once told me..

"God gave you a gift,....do you know why?" when I said No he told me ......
"because he wanted you to share it with the world"

I never forgot that,.....
to me retirement is a prolonged death sentence

My big satisfaction comes from knowing that my work is part of world-wide visual/audio communications efforts. In my field, this is the big leagues.


Plus, I often get to write/direct the entire project, and that's another big love of mine.

Playing for people....it depends on what people. For me, it's all about playing with others...making great players sound fabulous.

I know I have a limited audience, but I am NOT willing to play crap just because some uninformed person wants to listen to it.

When others do it, that's entertainment. When I play it's all about the music.

It's less money, fewer crowds and a lot more work.


I wouldn't have it any other way.


Russ

Bill,
You have touched on a subject that has many different emotions.

Performing --- Love of the music you understand.

Normally people do not stop performing until they are no longer effective. Even then they may keep trying.
Loving the music you understand is different. The joy of creating the music you understand stirs your emotions – there are times when you hate to stop playing. Many years ago when I was playing bars and lounges we played a job that started at 9PM and ended at 2AM. By 2:30AM we had the piano rolled out and played until 5AM.

The sax player in my band was one of the best. He is now 81 and still has a strong desire to perform. Not having the opportunity to perform any longer his sax and flute never leave their cases. His love lies only in performance.

IMHO, John C.

PS, Most musicians have some degree of both. I will play the music I understand until I no longer exist. It still stirs my emotions. I do not get tired of playing the same songs; I can play Misty with 400 variations and different harmonies depending on my mood.

Just got back from a gig in your old neighborhood Bill, Congress Hall, Cape May.

Hi Bill,

I can’t believe you wrote that or was it another April Fool’s joke? I thought you were really refreshed in your new environment and looking forward to knocking them dead showing the folks down there what us Northerners can do.

Truth be told, I’ve been contemplating posting the same thing these last few weeks. I burned out about 4 years ago, and ever since then I've had all kinds of excuses for not getting back to work. I watched my NH accounts go from 75+ to the three I have left. I think the AD’s saw I was burning out too. And, BTW, my own Achilles Heel was not Leroy Brown but New York, NY.....hate that song with a passion.....I’d feed it poison mushrooms if I could find an opening to ingest them!

I’m not sure what happened to me? The same here. After 50 years of playing full time, I just don’t want to play anymore. If I’m correct, it’s the direction music and entertainment took almost overnight. There’s no more appreciation for what you do, no professional respect that we used to eat up like lapdogs. Then there's Generation X-er’s in the audience on their smart phones, and....fill in the rest of the blanks. Aside from the paycheck there’s just no more pot of gold at the end of the rainbow like there was in the old days.

I do have the option to go into musical comedy as I have a good sense of humor and good stage presence. Or maybe learn that PA3x and take it out and do lectures on today’s music technology. But, again, it comes down to dealing with people. Most, up here, are rude, indifferent to you or your music, self-absorbed and focused on one thing only.....making money That’s the one glitch in the whole process.....people!

Newbies on the block don’t remember what it was like for us experienced musicians who came up through the ranks, so they have nothing to compare it with, so.....what’s out there now is the status quo for them. I think for people like us, back then we knew we were affecting people’s lives in a positive way and we walked away feeling good about ourselves and our contributions in making the world a better place. No more of that. Now it’s just a “bland”.....do the job and wait for your check in the mail a month later. The glory days are no more.

Didn’t mean to sound so negative, but you hit a nerve in me that I, myself, have been wrestling with for a while now. I mean, I still just love LISTENING to music, but playing it is something else. And I’m tired of the constant practicing when I'm not even working!

I think it’s something like, back the, when we sat at the piano, it was fun working out arrangements to please people or just learn new songs that we knew would jump start an audience, etc. Now the audiences (but I mean around my neck of the woods) are like bit players in the “Night of the Living Dead” series.

Unfortunately, since this is all I've done all my life, I'm going to have to find a way to get back into some kind of a groove. After all, bills DO have to be paid and while I'm financially OK now, "financially OK" doesn't go on forever.

So after all my ravings here, it comes down to.....I know exactly what you mean (unless it‘s your own post-April Fool‘s joke). Never thought I'd get to this point, but here I am too.

Now, if I can't figure a new direction for myself, I hear there's a "wise oracle" off Delancey Street in Chinatown that will answer any three questions for $1. My first question would be......."why do you charge so much?"

I think Gary is running the same “special” but at half the rate on Tuesday and Thursday evenings!

But, let me say something someone once said to me that I never forgot. It was: “would you rather be driving a taxicab in NYC on the night shift?” My own saying is: “the very worst of this job is still better than the BEST of any other job in the world.” Well, I suppose it’s not better than being a professional gigolo, but close to it!

Any others getting weary of playing?

Mark

Captain
You are in a situation and of a talent level I've always been envious of. Getting to play good music with good musicians for a crowd that appreciates you.
YOU also mentioned you were thinking of quitting the live music scene to concentrate on your production business. I bet the music wouldn't let you go.

[quote=Mark79100]Hi Bill,

I can’t believe you wrote that or was it another April Fool’s joke? I thought you were really refreshed in your new environment and looking forward to knocking them dead showing the folks down there what us Northerners can do.

Mark
No I'm not quitting just wanted to start a conversation among a group I feel is closest to my situation in the business. I'll keep going as long as I can find the right kind of gigs which is getting harder as I get older. I'm 65 but don't think I look it, and I know I don't act it but that ain't 40 or 30 or a 20 something which is what most of the working musicians here are. There's still the stigma of an older guy (me) walking into a place and asking for the mgr. to give him a card. Put yourself in his place and you know what he's thinking. I was treated so rudly at a place in Cape May I told the female mgr. "Do me a favor, don't throw my card away until I pull out of the lot"
I've hit the sweet spot of seniors here, Sun City, 8000 residents and they love me. I'm doing ever other Wed. at their CC restaurant. I just also am booking another CC that has the worst Karaoke host and singers I've ever seen for their only entertainment. I told them they need something else so we'll see how that goes.
Did a big AL place here and it went great. So maybe more of those as I branch out.
Thing is I got spoiled a few weeks ago and posted about it. House party where I played piano and sang and was treated with respect. I was on a high for two days. Wish I could get more like that.
The positives here are I have found that you do get treated better than up North, people in general are more polite and laid back, the gigs pay better than I expected and there only 3 hours. Most are earlier too.
I still practice every day as I have my whole life and am still buying equipment I don't really need so I'll" keep on truckin". ( does that phrase make me sound old ? LOL )
Mark from what I know of you , you have a very special skill set and I think you could use that to your advantage. Good luck

So tell me more about the gig. It must have been a private affair. I tried for a couple of years to get into the "Brown Room" there and couldn't get booked if I offered to play for free. A lot more opprotunities here but I do miss Cape May in the summer.
thgat's one of the reasons for my post. We're thinking about coming back there for the summer and I want to be able to make my own schedule.

I played the Grand Hotel Cape May so many times,....then after the gig I would shoot over to catch Fran Carango's band "Just Us" performing at Alfies In N. Wildwood
Fun Times love the shore!

Donny
I think I have a talent for entertaining people too and wish to do it as long as it makes sense. You've got your finger on what works for you and thats a gift in itself. Your in a great place for what you do so I'm sure you can keep going as long as you'd like but didn't you post a similar topic a while back ? I remember it shocked me.

I think this needed repeating if you want to continue successfully in the music business.

Mark

What I really hate is when people come up and ask "Have you got (name of song) in there?" They assume everything is some sort of karaoke. Don't know if I should feel flattered that it sounds good or offended that they don't even know I'm playing.
I'm thinking of turning my rear end to the audience so they can see that I'm playing!
In the old piano bar days, I had a huge mirror behind me, tilted so people could watch my hands. Also, they were sitting right next to me as well.

John....thanks for posting this. You made me realize something. I'm not tired of playing music. I forgot that I could sit at the piano and play Elvis's "Until It's Time For You To Go" and other favorites in variations for an eternity.

As I think about it now, what I'm tired of is having to continually adapt to this ever changing music business. And life in general if you want to stay on top of the game. Everything is complicated now. I don't have enough time anymore to get to enjoy the pleasure that I used to from playing my favorite songs in "400 variations!"

So now I need to remember, what we both wrote here, as I seek a solution to my burnout.

Mark

I'm glad you did.....I'm getting a lot to think about from this thread.

I hear you on this one. I'm also viewed as looking younger, feeling younger, thinking younger than I am, but the bottom line is I'm NOT younger and that's a heavy cross to carry in the music business. In other countries, they're not concerned about age...it's about the kind of music you're producing. Here's it's all about image and quality takes a back seat!

Ouch..that one really hurt. It's another testimonial to NJ. You have to live here to understand the mentality. It makes me think even more about leaving this area before I end up as "damaged goods" myself.


Yes, those few piano jobs are my life support right now.



So it's not my imagination. I think if people had to judge the USA based on this tri-state area, they would ostracize this country and kick us out of the United Nations!

Mark

I repeat....playing music is a real challenge these days.....and....an open invitation to personal abuse.

This thread is sooooooo good!

M

Mark
Funny thing is few people here are from here. Its all NY, NJ, PA, and Ohio. Its just contagious when people always say Sir and generally take their time. Driving on the main roads not so much but in the stores and other places its a diiferent feel. If you sit next to someone in a bar or restaurant you Will have a conversation with them , everyones very friendly. And none of that Yankee BS. Everyones accepted and I can even wear my NY Giants shirts all over.

I repeat....playing music is a real challenge these days.....and....an open invitation to personal abuse.

This thread is sooooooo good!

M


Or "You know the one <( Humms some unintelligible melody ) by that guy who used to sing on television ""
So you say Ok and play whatever you were planning to anyway

You guys must really have some problems. Sure, I've had people come up to me and ask if I had such and such of a song in there, to which I tell them NO! I tell them "All the songs are in my head, and I only perform the songs the voices in my head tell me to do." Sometimes that results in a strange look as they sulk away from whence they came. Most of the time, it brings a big smile, especially when I just hit a button and begin playing and singing the song before they walk away.

I think the funniest thing that every happened was when I was doing a huge job for the Susquehanna Shriner's convention, probably about 300 ppl in the audience, most of which were even older than myself. A lady came up to me, on the stage, and while I was playing and singing a song, she began asking me questions, which was driving me nuts. I ended the song early, never muted the mic and said "Maam, I find it very difficult to sing, play and talk at the same time. She said "Oh my God, then that was you singing, and playing, too?" I nodded my head and went right into the next song. She walked off the stage, trotted over to her table, and shook her finger at her husband and said very loudly, "Damned Fred, he was really singing and playing - it's not a recording!" He smiled, got up and headed for the men's room.

For me, the only challenges have come from Dom Mason, who frequently hits me with a neat song I've never heard and has me learn and post it. Usually, it takes me a day or two to accomplish this, but I usually manage to get it done.

Unlike DNJ, who says we must all succumb to the younger audience demands, I just keep on doing what I have been doing for more than three decades - entertaining my audiences. I'm not a Boo or Chas kinda musician, can't read a note, at least not well enough to play from the dots, and I don't utilize dozens of passing chords in ever song. Just a meat and potatoes kinda entertainer. I look at the audience in front of me, figure out what they want to hear, and go to work. I usually get lots of compliments at the end of the job, a fair dollar amount in tips and get invited back on a regular basis.

I guess I could do a DJ job or KJ job if I had to, but in reality, I really never had anyone ask me to do them. While I was in the Florida Keys I played for lots of younger audiences, they seemed to really enjoy what I did, but I can tell you that Spring Breakers do not tip worth a damned. And for the most part, the younger audiences didn't tip well either. The older audiences loved to dance, sang along with me, and they were the ones that tipped the best. I also discovered that locals rarely tip, but the older, out of town visitors were dropping 10s and 20s in the tip jug ever night.

I've never had anyone personally abuse me on stage, no one has thrown rotten tomatoes at me, some panties and bras, maybe (I wish), and by and large, every audience I've ever entertained has been wonderful. Maybe it's because I'm south of the Mason/Dixon Line and life is a little slower down here - Don't know for sure, though.

All the best,

Gary

Gary
I told you before, you gotta write a book. Love musicians war stories.

BTW i think you'd make a gread K DJ. Anything is better than this guy I saw the other night. Lousy sound, no lights, no lyrics for the audience ( had a TV on right behind him with CHEERS on ), absoultly no rapore with the audience, and his tracks were terrible. All he did was say the next singers name and then walk around the room.

Thanks Bill, I appreciate the nice comments.

Gary

Bill, 65 is the new 40 !!!
I hear you loud and clear ... I will turn 75 on April 16, and people are constantly telling me they can't believe my age - even WITH my bald head - ... and I don't know what 75 is supposed to feel like, but I know I don't feel it - unless I'm SUPPOSED to feel like I'm 50 - of course I can't do everything the way I did when I was 50 or even 60, but I get along pretty well ...
There are a couple of upscale restaurants in town that I KNOW I am a perfect fit for ... I've given them a demo CD and received high compliments, but it is always "We will let you know", and I realize that I may not look 75 but I don't look 40 either, and perception is a big part of the game ...
MANY years ago, while still playing with the band in NY, the sax player and I were talking to a guy who told us he 'used to be a musician, but didn't play anymore, not even for his own enjoyment' ... we walked away from that conversation asking each other "how does that happen. how does a musician not play anymore?" ...
At some point I know I won't be playing gigs anymore, but for now I will continue to pursue them and take whatever I can get, but I KNOW that - barring illness or injury - I will ALWAYS be playing, if only for myself ...

Tony
Hopefully my health stays good and I can be any age I want !!
Good points. Preception is a big part of it. People think because your a certain age you just play a certain type of music. Its hard enough getting new gigs without the stigma of age thrown on top.
Still I can look back and say I've had a good run at a good time so I should be satisfied. Thing is I still have the desire to schelp the equipment and do gigs. Not so much the money although it is nice but just the satisfaction of a job well done. I hate the booking part and thought by this time I'd be established enough to just have the phone ring or be the regular in some nice place. Moving twice in five years ruined that.
Best quote form a guy who called himself "Crazy Hughie" down the Jersey Shore.
"You don't leave the business it leaves you"

Tony, I know a lot of great musicians that no longer play, but in the scheme of things, they were never entertainers, and that's where the big difference lies. You can be the greatest musician in the world, but if you're not an entertainer, you will not last very long in this business unless you are with a band that has at least one great entertainer. Outside the band, the individual musician(s) usually can't land a OMB job. The only reason there are so many have guitar will travel guys throughout the country is that those same individuals can usually sing (though not all sing very well) and provide an entertaining show for the audiences.

Tony, you can sing - I've heard you, and you're one Hell of a good player to boot, so there's no reason that you cannot book those high-end restaurant jobs, other than you're an old fart with a shiny head. Until six months ago, I dyed my hair to medium brown. It made me look 10 years younger, or at least that's what Carol said. My loving sister said she likes it better now that I've allowed it to go back to snow white. She says it makes me look distinguished - I tell her it makes me look extinguished!

Appearance and perception are two very integral components of getting those cushy restaurant jobs - this I know for a fact. I tried to get a job at a local country club back when my hair was white and I was just 55 years old. The club manager said my CD sounded great, and he thought I was much younger judging by my vocals. He said he would be in touch - it never happened, and he never returned any of my followup telephone calls. Three years later, on the way home from a job, I stopped in to see him. By that time, I was dying my hair medium brown and did my mustache the same color. I handed him my card, gave him a CD, he listened to one song, and asked if I could start Friday night. I later found out that he didn't recognize me from three years earlier. I played that job for a couple years afterward, then the club changed managers, they got a DJ, and in a matter of six months, the attendance at the bar had dropped to just a few individuals at best on Friday nights, instead of the 100 or so I had when I played there. I was asked to come back a few years ago, but declined because they only paid $150 for four hours and I was making nearly that much per hour in the NH circuit.

Tony, if you appeared young, slim and had a full head of hair, you would be working there this weekend. Unfortunately, neither of us have those attributes at age 75.

Good luck old friend,

Gary

Near as I can tell, folks don't pack it in anymore unless they are physically unable...or the business doesn't justify it.

For example: sugar beets are a big crop in this area. Every fall for 3 weeks or so, anybody physically able(who wants to make some $$$) helps out. The harvest goes round the clock...24 hours till its done....12 hour shifts. I worked with two guys, one 78 and the other 80....both of whom took time out from their part time jobs to work the harvest. At 67, I'm one of the 'kids' of the group.

Gary, I'm not an entertainer,I'm 71 years old with totally white hair (what's left) and I get the cream of the single money jobs in this area.

I think that's because my end product is not limited as much as some of the three chord folks in the market. No one else out there plays "How do You Keep The Music Playing?", "Masquerade", Bluesette, "Song for my Father", "What are You Doing the Rest of your Life?", "That's All", "Here's that Rainy Day" and a lot more.

These tunes are different not because of age but because of structure. Same applies to anything from a Foreplay album.

When you are limited in your ability to play, you are forced to play simpler tunes, which, limits your appeal.

I NEVER lose a gig to "pickers and grinners". I'm part of the money establishment. This is a "one Horse Town" of "haves".

There is a long-time restaurateur who want's me to make a commitment to 5 nights at a place he's planning to open in early 2017.

On top of that, the reason I'm there is to pull work for my communications company. On that kind of job, I generally write $250,000.00 in repeatable (annual) job from the clientele.

I play what I want and get paid for it. And I have no competition.


Russ

Captain
I too have the white hair and I'm at the point where thats me. Too much of that dye sinking into my head. Everyone says I look better anyway.

Your a lucky dude. I love all those tunes and wish there was a place to play them. Sorry but you have to play the same old, same old here to keep working. Its like the McDonalds of the music business. Still fun but refer to some previous posts.
On my music stand right now is Rio de Janiero Blues. Going to learn it but doubt if I'll ever get a chance to play it anywhere unless I get another classy house party.
Keep playin the good stuff !

Bill, Rio De Janeiro Blue is a great song, I played and sang it tonight, and packed the dance floor at the restaurant. Russ, I also play some of those songs as well, as long as they are danceable. Donny Pesce once told me that if you cannot dance to the song, don't play it - he was right. Donny has been pretty darned successful in this business for a long time.

Tonight, I played and sang Saving All My Love For You, Begin The Beguine, Bad Leroy Brown, Autumn Leaves, Almost Like Being In Love, Beseme Mucho, A Pirate Looks At 40, Margarettaville, A Rainy Day In Georgia, After The Loving, Shake Rattle And Roll, Toes In The Water, Green Eyes, Rio De Janeiro Blue, The Wonder Of You, Can't Help Falling In Love With You, Nobody Does It Better, Last Waltz, Last Date, California Blue, and a bunch of others that don't immediately come to mind. I kept the place packed for the entire two hours I performed, so I guess I must be playing the music the audience wanted to hear and dance to. Additionally, I enjoyed playing and singing every one of those songs for them. I have to do one more job there in two weeks, then the boat will be in the water and I'll be in the boat.

Russ, I only know a few of the songs you listed above, but that's OK, you probably don't know the songs I perform regularly as well. You have your audiences and I'm happy for you in that regard. I guess we just enjoying playing different music to different audiences. Now, you keep saying you're NOT an entertainer, but in reality you ARE! You just don't look at in the same light as I do. If you were not entertaining those folks in the clubs and restaurants, you would not be getting the jobs - It's that simple. Now, the big difference between us is that I'm not there to garner new business for any other enterprises - I'm just there to provide musical entertainment the audiences and get paid for doing so. And, for the most part, the vast majority of musician/entertainers I know do the same.

All the best,

Gary

Gary, I know 99%, but only a few are on my playlist. Those are tunes that are pretty simple to play. Maybe that's also why people want to hear the.

Not from me.


R.

In general, I think people like the familiar, regardless of genre.

124, I agree. People tend to respond best to the songs they are most familiar with, including myself. Last night I played and sang Nobody Does It Better, which most of us are quite familiar with, but the audience last evening was not. They liked the song, but only a few people got up to dance. I performed and sang Beseme Mucho next, and the dance floor immediately filled to capacity.

Now, just because those songs are not complex to play or sing, doesn't mean a thing to the audiences, at least to any audiences I've played for during the past half century. I don't believe complexity has a thing to do with the entertainment value of a song, at least from an audience standpoint. All audiences, whether they are jazz aficionados or Jimmy Buffet fans, just want to be entertained. That's what they pay us to do.

All the best,

Gary

I work for a different "drummer". There is an element of education...advancing the appreciation of jazz and other forms of more evolved music. If not, I believe I'm not doing my job.

I'm the last of a standard bearer type. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer every year.

It's lots easier to just play simple songs and leave it at that. There's also nothing at all wrong with it.

If your main object is to entertain....fine.

If you believe it is your function to also educate, playing the simple stuff over and over is not an option.

Helping other players improve FEELS GOOD! Educating the public feels GREAT. Constantly reaching performance plateaus is FABULOUS!

Different strokes, for sure.


Russ

We did that with our band, I even have a demo of the beginning:

https://soundcloud.com/rorosetree/gesamt-demo-live-band-it-all-started-in-lo-mit-ak-pf-dm-rr

Sure wish I could hit those high notes, but alas, my bullfrog voice won't make it to those levels. Guess I gotta live with what I have.

Thanks Rosetree, nice vocals,

Gary

I would love to play "Masquerade" with you Russ. It is a favorite song I love to play on guitar. I am a dyed in the wool George Benson fan and love that song.

It's in my list, too. I use it as a warmup piece, bass inversions, phat voicings. Lots of scope on that tune.

Bill:

Your post caught my eye because from 1990-1999 I lived in Savannah and from 1999-2007 I lived in Hilton Head SC. At first I was working a computer admin day job on the island and playing keys at night and then I went to just playing fulltime. I was lucky to have some steady gigs on HHI and private parties and stuff in Savannah so I had it made for a while. I also played in a trio but eventually just played solo. Island life was excellent and I bought a condo near the beach at a good time.

Sounds crazy but eventually I got tired of Hilton Head - the good gigs that I used to play at went away and the condos all around me turned into timeshares. The whole island started out as friendly retirees and eventually became short-term drunk vacationers... life on the island lost it's charm and I got bored with the beach so I sold my condo just before the 2008 housing market collapsed (I was lucky). I bought myself one last chance to start over. The housing market was soft in Atlanta and I bought a nice house and found another computer job. Soon after I found a really good blues/rock band, and even though I will turn 60 this year I feel like a kid again when I play out.

The band has lifted me and I really enjoy playing with peers once more. I always have my solo gig in my back pocket (all my music is on my iPad and I still have a Yamaha 900 Pro, Tyros 3 and a Korg Microarranger) but these days I rock with a Hammond SK2 more than anything else.

So of course I miss Hilton Head a little but starting over in Atlanta has been good. And BTW, a plumber told me privately that he was seeing water rising in the foundations all over Hilton Head little by little, and that was back in 2008. My own condo had a little water in the first floor bathroom that we could never get rid of. I believe that the oceans are rising around the island and if that doesn't sink the place then one day the island will get hit by a hurricane - even a Category 1 will flood all the way to I-95. So enjoy "the low country" while you can and good luck!

Jim, I remember when you played those jobs at HH, those were the good old days. It was you that gave me the idea to purchase the Bob The Flame lights and my audiences absolutely loved them. I sold my last one to Don Mason a few months ago.

All the best,

Gary

Yes, people love the Flame. It certainly draws attention.
Glad to hear you are doing well Esh. You should hook up with Chas!

Jim

Thanks for your uplifting post about the future of Hilton Head LOL! BTW, I'm not on Hilton Head but directly inland in Bluffton. My community is 10 miles from the HH bridge and on one of the highest points in Bluffton. Did you know Bluffton is called that because its on a Bluff overlooking HH. Love trivia. We are not in a flood zone so no flood insurance needed. The oceans are rising and being 7 block from the beach in Cape May NJ I saw the water table get higher the last few years there. Wind would be our big concern but where can you move that doesn't have some sort of weather problem ? Bluffton is growing rapidly and houses sell very quickly. Hilton Head is for the vacationers and God Bless them for geting drunk and throwing their money around. I love a full tip bucket. Bluffton is for the full timers and our neighborhood is a nice mix of young families, working adults and retirees. Very quiet.
I'm sure the music market has changed since you were here but hasn't it everywhere ?
I've seen enough in my 7 months here to know its very similar to NJ so you have to go with the flow ( flooding pun ).
Good luck with your band, I'd love to have an excuse to get an SK2.

That would be GREAT, NIGEL!

R.

I would hate to play it with you, because I would feel quite inadequate. I'd be afraid I'd miss a chord somewhere and risk ridicule.

ABSOLUTELY NOT, Mason! If anything, I'd be afraid that I don't do the right kind of backing/support.

You have a track record and an ability anyone would be proud of.

Only an idiot would ever say anything negative.


Russ (# 1 Mason fan) Lay