From time to time I am honored by having some really great musicians come by and sit in with me.
This one is an extremely talented guitar player named Robin Vosbury. You may remember Cole Vosbury who was a finalist on The Voice a couple of years ago. Robin is his father. He worked with several big-time entertainers like Claude King, Faron Young, Nat Stucky, and the house band at Louisiana Hayride.
Anyway, he joined me a couple of weeks ago and we had a great time jamming at Ernest's!
Here is Midnight Rider. I'm playing Korg PA4X and he just plugged his guitar into the amp sim on my little Yamaha AG06 mixer.
https://app.box.com/s/1w7d559m5sn9q16fofr38fwhm18tbe8h
I'm waiting for Captain Russ to come by next!

Fantastic Don. Robin sure plays an outstanding guitar. The MP3 sounds wonderful. The amp sim on your mixer really sounds like a guitar through an amp.

really groovy Don, great stuff !!!!

regards
John

Real music and beautifully done. Nothing beats playing with another musician.
Don every time I read one of your posts I feel you have grasped the meaning of playing music and life. You just seem to glide.

After listening to Robin and you play together I can’t picture you retiring. Maybe a different type of venue.

Russ, after you read this post I know you can suggest some different venues for our friend Don. You’re da man.

John C.
The amp sim on your mixer really sounds like a guitar through an amp. Don, tell me more about this amp. please.

Thanks guys! It was a pleasure!
John, I have the best job in town, as far as music goes. I leave my gear set up and generally play two to three nights a week. If something important is going on, I may go in more nights.
The boss feeds me a gourmet meal every night (if I want it), they pay me fairly well, and the lights are low enough so most people don't know I'm 110 years old!
It's one of the very few places that still use a single or even a duo. You can get a "real" band for what they pay me, but I have a versatility and the knowledge and experience to handle this venue that would be hard for a four-piece group to do. The bandstand is quite small, a tiny dance floor, diners as near as six feet and as far as 100 feet away. The volume has to be just right, and you have to know when to hold 'em and when to break so they'll leave and open up tables. It's more than just playing music!
Sometimes if there is a large function in another room, I'll set up a system in both places and might play two hours in one area and two in the other.
If I were to leave and go somewhere else, it would hurt the business to a certain degree because a number of the "high-rollers" would go with me. So, if I get tired, I'll take some time off, but I really wouldn't want to take another "full-time" gig somewhere else. I do play a few private functions during the year, but anymore they have to be really $pecial for me to do them!
I normally have Sunday through Wednesday, and sometimes Thursday, off, so I can play golf, fish, travel a little or barbeque on the patio! Life is great; I hope it continues for a while more.
P.S. Almost forgot, the mixer I use is this one:
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/interfaces/ag/ag06/
I run the keyboard into a stereo channel, the laptop into another. I have channel one for guest singer. It has built-in e.q., compression and effects. Channel two can be used for either mic or guitar. There is a button that turns on the amp sim. Both channels come with presets and that's what I use. You can edit and change them extensively, but it must be done via USB and a computer or laptop. I haven't found the need to change anything.
The mixer is powered by a USB source, so there is no power supply (wall-wart) needed. My little laptop is powered the same way, so my setup is extremely small and light-weight.

Great stuff!!! I do remember Cole Vosbury from The Voice. I think the song "Nice Work If You Can Get It" fits the bill here.

Don
The description of the tasks you have beyond just music at Ernest's really hit home to me. I don't do restaurants anymore, but I have vivid memories of juggling the expectations of diners coming and going, volumes, directions from management and programming of the music. It isn't rocket science...but it ain't easy.
Eddie

Eddie, Ernest told me if I'd stay out of his kitchen, he'd leave the bandstand to me. Sounds like a fair deal to me!
I probably average singing Happy Birthday five times a night. It's a place for special celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, prom night, Valentine's Day...always something to celebrate! Keeps me from having to get a real job.

It would be my great honor (and a hell of a lot of fun)to play with my favorite Cajun!

In fact, it's on my list of "must do's". Honestly, just getting a chance to sit down and visit would be wonderful.

I call him all the time. I listen to what he says. Class act, kind and smart as a whip.

Ya gotta like that!

Russ (Don wanabe) Lay

Pretty good for a Country Boy! Wish I could have been there, suckin on crawdads, slurping oysters, gnawing on ribs and listening to you guys play LIVE - OH YEAH! Bet it's a lot warmer there, too. Really cold and windy here today and supposed to snow tomorrow.

Keep em comin' old friend,

Gary