HARD MALLETS!!!!

Man first night at Resorts with Joe Piscopo. I have to hit those vibes SO FRICKIN HARD. I can’t believe it. I think I’m going to try and bring my AMT mics tomorrow.

But man the moral of the story is HARD MALLETS. Get used to them, they’ll be your best friend!! I used the piper mediums, which ARE pretty hard but it was a struggle. This wasn’t even a big band, however I’m close enough to the drummer where it’s a problem.

Playing this instrument is so about volume I can’t believe it. i’m going to look around and dig up all my hard sticks and try them out on tomorrow’s show.

Man there’s so much to keep together when you’re freelancing. You have to keep your jazz chops together, your reading chops and then your chop chops. My reading is not totally happening, and to go in and read down charts put me in a little bit of a stressful mood! I never practice reading though. Oh well.

I also think it’s the opposite side of the brain, reading and soloing. It feels so strange to take a chorus and really try to play free and then start reading again. I thought i was crazy but Jimmy Bruno told me the same thing. He used to work a ton in Vegas and he said he’d go nuts if he had to play a solo and then go right back to reading music.

Well I have 13 more days to get those charts down!