This gig was weird before we ever got there. The contract I signed a few weeks ago said the gig was 7:30-10:30 PM. Last week it became 6-9, with the first half hour solo sax. As of yesterday afternoon, this was still the case. This morning, it became 6-9 PM for the trio, no solo sax. At 4:15, I got a phone call (still at home) asking if we could start at 5:15 and play til 9. Jump in the truck and away I go! Ellington and I were set at 5:15 with Nadav a few minutes later than that. The client pushed the gig back to 5:30-8:30. 5:30 passed…5:35…5:40…5:45…5:50…5:55…6 PM!…6:05…finally at 6:10, one guy came in and ordered a beer, and the client gave us the signal to begin.
So, there was that. They also tried to stick us with a closet to store dead cases on the fourth floor (we were out on the Grand Terrace on the seventh floor). The ever resourceful Ellington found an empty closet ten feet from where we were set up.
Later on we were given the slash-across-the-neck-signal (illegal in the NFL) mid tune by the head waiter so he could saber a champagne bottle. He finally got it on the third try.
All that was pretty comical.
The playing part just never clicked. I don't think we could ever hear each other well enough. I could hear myself and Nadav, but Ellington was faint…he said the same about Nadav. The time was all over the place, and it just made every note tricky.
On top of that, my hands just weren't working well. I'm pretty out of shape for a gig like this.
David Freeman Trio - October 25, 2012 by David B Freeman
davidfreemanmusic.net
