"Laziness"?
"Discipline" ?
Sorry, you don't get to the point where you can play Coltrane's "Giant Steps" at 180 BPM on a variety of instruments by being a "lazy" musician. Or one who lacks "discipline".
You guys miss the point entirely. Actually several. I have nothing against band practice...when it is NECESSARY.
In both THE 121's and PLANET JAZZ...it is not. And for the umpteenth time...these are not "jam bands"...we don't "jam out".
We play songs....we begin together. We end together. When they have hooks/signature parts that make the song "the song"...we play them.
We simply do not need to rehearse "Black Magic Woman" or the latest Keith Urban song weekly to be able to pull them off w/o gaffes.
If YOU can't...and need band rehearsal, well, that's YOUR deal. Viva la difference.
Someone requested "Black Magic Woman" at the truckstop last wk. The band had never played it before, but three out of four us had in previous bands. Drummer....never. We nailed it, had people dancing, and the person who requested it bought us a round.
Now, as for playing it exactly like the record and Mike's notion that only bands who play 90% originals can/should play THEIR version of a tune...We played it damn close to the record on Fri night (w/o congas and timbales or organ) but the next night I insisted we play it as a straight up old time sh*t kicking country two-step.
As usual, the guys in the band thought i was nuts, but they indulged me and it came off as if we'd been playing it that way all our lives. People were up dancing...probably more so than when we played it straight! And it was funny....entertaining for both the band and the crowd. People were grinning, laughing (with us), and later on break the bartender told us she preferred our goofball country version.
And that's the difference between musicians who can comfortably play off the top of their heads and make it work and those who might need three rehearsals before they felt comfortable enough to try that.
PLANET JAZZ play standards and originals. Any jazzer worth his/her salt does not need "band practice" to sound "rehearsed" when playing these tunes. As for sounding "rehearsed" on originals....i'll either just show the other musicians the changes and they'll create PARTS (not what you guys dismissively poo poo as "jamming out") or i might give them a recording, or a written part or chord chart. They might do some work on their own at home....or not. But these are solid pro musicians who have played thousands of jazz gigs, put in immeasurable hrs to get to their skill level, and who not only are able to think on their feet ...but rightly take pride in the level of skill they have to pull that off w/o sounding like they're "jamming out".
They didn't get to that level of proficiency by being "lazy" or from any lack of "discipline". They got to that level because they worked their asses off to get to that level.
There's a misunderstanding you guys have here....i have nothing against "band practice" WHEN that's necessary. And hey, if someone needs to get together weekly or whatever to nail their parts on Loverboy and 38 Special tunes....fine.
But that's just not necessary for either of the two gigs i gig most w. Finding better uses of our time isn't laziness...it's simply part of being a pro. You put your practice time in where it's needed.
I've played in bands where we rehearsed plenty and that WAS necessary for those bands. It's not for THE 121's. It's not for PLANET JAZZ.
I never claimed that i could show up on a pickup gig w no rehearsal and nail 20 Beatles tunes just like the record.
And as for anyone not feeling comfy before you had me at three rehearsals....sure, if that's what YOU need to feel comfy....i'm there. IF you're paying me for my rehearsal time. Cos' if i have my parts together after one rehearsal...don't expect me to come back more so YOU can be in YOUR comfort zone w/o compensating me for my time.
Back to "laziness". I've spent (and continue to do so) zillions of hrs working on my chops, learning theory, acquiring new tunes, and keeping up on several instruments. I'd venture to say that I've put in as much or more time getting (and keeping) my $hit together as anyone else here.
No, as I see it laziness is making over the top generalities that fail to recognize and acknowledge that no two situations or two musicians are alike. And I have heard one goofy generality after another here.
Look, there ARE situations that require rehearsals...and there are those that simply don't for musicians who can play and communicate at the level that affords them that luxury.
If YOU can't....don't assume others are in that same boat.
