[Tradjazz] Dixieland Buffet

[Bruce McNichols]

With the instruments that I play, I guess that one's as bad as the other.

This band hired me to play banjo, years ago. They already have a fine reed 
man. As it turns out (although I don't spread this info around), I haven't 
played sop sax in years. As our business got leaner and leaner (starting 
about ten or more years ago), our groups got smaller and smaller. In the 
"old days" we considered 4 or 5 pieces to be "a small band." These days, 4 
pieces is unuaully "large." Most of my gigs are duos and trios and loads of 
them are banjo singles.

As such, I began booking myself as the banjo man. As it is, there are very 
few available banjo guys that we like, so it wokrs out well. Without ever 
planning it, months, then years, went by without me playing the sax. It 
ain't as bad as with brass insturments (trumpets etc.), but even with a sax, 
one gets out of shape rather quickly. The embouchure (you should pardon the 
expression) becomes very weak and I've found that the fingers don't seem to 
work as well as they should.

Last year, we had a big deal session of radio programs at OKOM. We had about 
fifteen players. I spent a month of taking an hour a day, to practice horn 
(along with records). At first I could barely play at all. After many weeks, 
I was doing rather well. When the session came along, I was so busy 
producing the recording and coordinating the band, that I never did play the 
sax.

Again, on the gig in question, I've been hired to play bj and I do so, 
happily.

M


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harry Callaghan" <meetmrcallaghan at yahoo.com>
To: <tradjazz at list.okom.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Dixieland Buffet


> Bruce McNichols ; banjo and vocals; WHY NO SOPRANO SAX ?
>
> Bruce McNichols <muskrat at bestweb.net> wrote:  Dixieland Buffet - Every 
> Thursday - 6:30-9:30PM
> Silvermine Inn and Tavern, 194 PERRY AVENUE, NORWALK, CONNECTICUT 
> 203-847-4558
>
> Constitution Jazz Band - Last Thursday of each month
>
> Bill Gray, trombone
>
> Russ Whitman, reeds
>
> Barry Bockus, string bass
>
> Herb Gardner, piano & vocals
>
> Bruce McNichols, banjo & vocals
>
> Simon Wettenhall, trumpet & vocals
>
> On Other Thursdays see:
>
> Joe Hanlon & the Bearcats
>
>
>
> McN
>
>
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