Ignorant participants at Jam sessions.

[jazzyvee]

I guess I should take some comfort in the fact that he didn't notice I was playing an alembic otherwise he might  have complained about, why I was using it to play things other than the the baselines of Stanley Clarke!

[keith_h]

I know it's easier said than done but to me you just have to do your best to ignore the jerks. There are to many other things in life that are so much more important.

I guess I should take some comfort in the fact that he didn't notice I was playing an alembic otherwise he might  have complained about, why I was using it to play things other than the the baselines of Stanley Clarke!

With the Alembics going on in Rio shouldn't that be him recognizing your Olympic?

[hammer]

I'm hammer (Brian) though I've  never really weilded one and love both Druha Trava and the Malina Brothers who are Czech bluegrass bands (even though I'm not Czech). Racism is based on engendering fear of "others," the opposite of what music does.

[cozmik_cowboy]

There's a darn fine bluegrass band around here who for several years had an amazing Czech bassist (saw him kill it in jazz gigs, too; he was a grad student in Bass at the local university).  I always thought it was a tad incongrous - I was unaware there was an actual Czech bluegrass scene!
And he had the most beautiful doghouse I've ever seen - I'm talking Alembic-grade figuring.

[edwardofhuncote]

Although I'm much less plugged-in these days, back in the 80's and 90's there used to be a vibrant bluegrass music scene in Europe as well as Japan. In fact upon thinking about it, almost all of my international exposure has come through music. We toured for a short while with some Germans and Austrians. Even with a language barrier it was easy to see how they'd mastered the styles. It was remarkable to watch.

[811952]

It is what it is. I usually try to just smile and roll with it. Except for real actual jazz/bebop, I can generally roll with it well enough in most situations. It is more than a little bit consistent that the players with the most limited ability and/or understanding of music are the ones complaining about what other players are playing.

I once was a regular at an open-mic thing and would back up whoever asked. There was another regular who did a Beatles schtick every week, just with acoustic guitar and a couple of girl singers, and it was okay. He asked me if I'd be interested in playing the next week with them, and I of course said yes, that would be great. Then he told me I'd need to audition first. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of being asked to play then immediately being told that I might not be good enough for the three song set with a guy who played simplified versions of songs everybody in the room knew by heart.

On the other hand, I have to say that I've met some of my favorite musicians through playing those free open-mic nights and jam sessions.

John

[deepwood]

Hi, my name is Tyler and I play Alembic basses. In the '90's I was the token white dude in a Roots Reggae band from Jamaica touring the West coast. In the '80's I was the token white due playing Guittaron in a mariachi band in Texas. In the reggae band I would stand, literally, behind the drummer, wearing a variety of big hats pulled down low (at the band leader's request). But, the Rastas treated me well and made sure I got paid, not to mention having my back should there be some tribulation. Playing guittaron with the Mariachis I was asked to get more of a tan and grow a mustache. In this case I grew a beard, and the tan came easy. I was also fluent in Spanish. Eventually one of the trumpet players tried to set me up with his georgeous niece. Whew, that was a close one.


There was a heckler one night while I was with the reggae band. The set seemed to end quickly and then the Rastas introduced themselves to the heckler behind the club- problem solved! Cultural differences are often a blessing, and there wasn't too much blood. No stitches required, and the band invited him back inside. I think the heckler was then moved by the power of Jah!

[japhy4529]

I'm of German ancestry and I've done the hokey pokey. 

It truly amazes me the level of ignorance in some people.

[jazzyvee]

Well the same guy came to the Jam session last week but placed himself and his friends right up the back out of the way and would not come onto the stage to do a song.

[ed_zeppelin]

I'm of German ancestry and I've done the hokey pokey. 

It truly amazes me the level of ignorance in some people.

I was addicted to the hokey pokey, but I turned myself around.

[lbpesq]

It's a weird coincidence that the subject of the Hokey Pokey has come up.  I recently heard that Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

Hehehehe

Bill, tgo