Rusty, the thing about in-ears is that you can get an overall mix that almost sounds like a record. You need to remember that you'e not only listening to music but currently playing the bass part. Ha! I would say that my sound at the Potato is still mostly the DI sound that I'm used to. In the above case, Gadd's full-range monitor and the PA were filling the room and my little Woods was almost acting like a sub. I've probably mentioned it before - Don Randi, the famous studio keyboard guy who built the place in 1970 - used a studio trick and filled the tiny stage with sand. That removed any bass note resonance and helps the little room sound so good. Even with John Daversa's giant band on - or near - the stage, with Jerry W smoothly wrangling the bass notes. I'm sure we'll run into each other there at some point although at this very moment it's hard to imagine when that "back to normal" future might happen. We'll get there!
Jazzyvee, some of the greatest musicians we know are not readers in the traditional sense. It's a handy skill to have but it doesn't make you a better musician. Remembering music and playing by ear are more important for the types of music we're all into. And as you say, in many cases charts are just not appropriate on stage.
Graeme, same here, once I get to the point where I can remember the arrangement the next step is to mark down the starting note. I think my ear works in intervals so the second note is based on what the first note was. Very handy for those rare occasions when JT would misplace his capo and the whole band would transpose the tune by a 1/2 step. Ha!!
Mario, thanks.
Jimmy J
