Age ain't nothing but a number

I love to see 'old guys' still doing it (at a high level). This guy is 80 yr. old and still kickin' butt. You may not like this type of music but you've gotta admire the level of playing at his age. You can skip the beginning of the video and start about 7:35. A lot of what he's playing in this clip is just vintage Jimmy Smith but he still does it very well. His wife, shown at the beginning of the clip, is 78. They both look pretty spry for their age. Hey, proof that music WILL keep you young.

chas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVKV0chh5sc&ab_channel=TheKennedyCenter

Chas,
“Hey, proof that music WILL keep you young.” So very true.

On the 11th of September I will be 90 years old. I still play my guitar (full melody chords) at half the speed I use to. My left hand on keyboard has not lost much; but my right has. I still enjoy playing; it gives me purpose.

Life is good, John C.

I still enjoy playing; it gives me purpose.

I am still a kid at heart at 80 yrs old, and my penchant for playing music has never diminished. Whereas I was playing out three times a week, Covid-19 put a stop to that. Instead, it gave me an opportunity to reassess and fine tune my material. For the past 17 years, I have been so busy preparing for my gigs, that I lost sight of the big picture.

As John said about purpose, I spend hours a day working on different aspects of my music. It ain't over until the fat lady sings. After that, I'll have to wait and see.

John, I think it's wonderful that you still find so much joy in playing music at this stage of your life. And Bernie, still gigging at 80. Fantastic! To both of you, let me say, it's what we all aspire to. But first, we have to live that long...and that means taking care of our health. I, myself, have just concluded cataract surgery to both eyes (with strong encouragement from Capt Russ). I can now see the charts and so therefore no more excuses for all those bad notes . My latest eye exam showed my eyesight restored to 20/20 but I still need reading glasses for small print....a minor inconvenience since I can now watch TV without glasses (when I say TV, I mean football ).

So to all you other lazy ol' farts out there, John and Bernie should be an inspiration to you...and a reminder that "it aint over 'til it's over'. Just keep on keepin' on (sorry, I love cliche's).

chas

Good for you Chas! And kudos to all that keep on. I just turned 71 and I can't see any slowdown at this point. In fact, music is even more exciting with my new toys. Gigging all the time still and loving every minute.

Happy football. Missed the game last night, but figured out more about my new board. Better use of time...

Will turn 77 last of the month and am planning a trip to South America to sit in for a friend at an international Jazz festival. Too soon to announce because of Covid and the health of the player I'm maybe going to cover for, but I'm UP FOR IT!

This dude is a classy "GROOVEOLOGIST! Many B-3 players concentrate too much on a traditional three change format. NOT THIS DUDE.

I have been happy playing that exact style an entire career. May have starved to death, but wouldn't have cared.

Leaving in a few minutes for a session for UPS.

Man have I been lucky.


R.

(Great to hear that you have had the cataract job. Makes a big difference!).

Unfortunately, distal neuropathy is continuing to take it's toll on my nearly 81 year old body. This is not diabetic neuropathy. It began about 8 years ago in my feet, then began advancing up my legs to my thighs. Now, it is in my hands and forearms. I can no longer feel my fingers, which is a real problem for an entertainer that maintained almost constant eye contact with his audiences. I knew where the keys were because I could feel them, which is no longer the case. Now I must look at the keys in order to be sure of the finger positioning.

Yep, age is a number, but getting old ain't for wimps and sissies. (I can tell you that with utmost authority.) Not only has this disease impeded my ability to play, but it also has an impact on my ability to type. I can no longer feel the tiny home key dots of the PC keyboard, you know, the ones on the "F" and "J" keys. I am a touch typist and never look at the keys to type, just the screen. Been typing since age 17 when I was a kid in the US Navy and a radioman copying Morse code groups.

The darkest day in my life was when I came to the realization that I could no longer function as a musical entertainer in front of an audience. My lungs gave out, my back was shot to Hell, the neuropathy made walking damned near impossible, and now my hands are damned near useless.

Good luck, from an old codger,

Gary

Gary, you had a great, long run and memories seem to be the most important thing, moving forward. We all get there, sooner or later. Best wishes to you.

Happy 90th Birthday John !!

Keep enjoying the music !!

In the video Chas has posted, surely Charles and his wife are enjoying what they are doing and this surely makes life beautiful no matter what one is into. Great licks and variety in the improvisations as well. And they seem to be in good shape for their age as well,it does make it easier to continue longer.

To all of you older guys, I'm 71, keep playing its good for you in so many ways. Russ I envy the cool things you get to do.
Gary , keep your chin up, We' all enjoy your expertise and advice.

Although I'd like to think I'm not an "old fart" yet (my teenage daughter would probably disagree), I am happy to be here with my elders and have learned a ton and I'm inspired by all of you. I hope to be doing music as long as I can at whatever capacity.

Pretty scary to be one of the ‘younger’ posters here in my mid-60’s!

But one of the things I comfort myself with, and hope we all feel the same, is that compared to classical music, or jazz at its highest level, pop music is pretty much a breeze to play even as our bodies slow down a bit. And arrangers make it even easier, compared to live band playing, where both hands are getting a full workout all the time.

To be able to hold a simple chord, or even a one or two finger chord, to be able to use pre-prepared chord sequences to do away with the left hand altogether, to be able to play less than absolutely precisely with the right hand and articulated horn and guitar sounds take care of the precision, and yet come up with music that can still sound amazing is a triumph of technology.

Compared to keyboard players from earlier generations, who faced a precipitous decline in the quality of music they could perform, we can make great music either in public or at home privately that can give us and others joy and comfort.

This gives me great comfort as I start to edge towards the age that some of you are facing now. My body may decline, but year by year, innovation by innovation, the music it can make steadily improves.

Something to look forward to! 😎🎹♥️