do you play in band?

[fingerstyle]

I'm just wondering.. who else here plays with a regular band/group/ensemble/whatever? What do you play? Who's in the group? Do you gig?

I'm in two groups.. a Big Band. We play ANYTHING written for big band... from funk stuff like Chimps On The Loose, Latin like Puffy Taco, classics like Tuxedo Junction, more rock stuff like Knock On Wood and stuff. We have a very good sound in my opinion, and I enjoy it a heap because of the 'structure' of big band music- its less about improvising and more about playing whats written and playing it well!

The othe,r my fave, is a jaz trio consisting of myself on electric and double bass, a piano player and a drummer. Sometimes we made add a vocalist or sax, depending on the gig. We all have about six different real/fake books and we just play everything outta them!

Score... who's next?

[GhostNote]

Yeah, i play in a six piece band consisting of me on drums/keys/percussion, a tenor sax, an alto sax, guitar, electric bass, and another drummer/keys player. We play mainly funk, but also jazz and latin. we dont currently gig, but if all goes well, we are recording a cd next week, so we have something to give to venues to show them what we play ect. yeah, but my main instrument is drums.

[traveller]

I'm in a trio and we do gig. Its lots a fun to do gigs. I love trio's cause you've got so much more room to experiment and improvise and it brings out a lot of your talent!!! In our trio, we've got me on clarinet/drums, guitarist and soprano sax/ clarinet!! We're lookin to make it a quartet but are bass player can't make all the practice's which sucks

[baggagebassman]

Unfortunately, I don't know any other musicians who like jazz. If I did, I'd definately be in a band.

[jus]

I play electric and upright bass in my high schools jazz band, it's a great experience, especially since I am the only bass player, I really get a lot of playing/practice in. I also play in a bluesy jam band, I have some stuff written and some ideas on my own, but I don't really have the right musicians to really get what I want at the moment.

[Eman Ruoy]

I play in a few. Or did.

I play in my school's jazz band, for one. Trombone.

I play in a jazz trio with keys (me), alto sax, and drums

I used to play in a lounge group, until i quit: piano (me), bass, drums, alto sax, trombone, trumpet, guitar

And another decent group, trombone (me), trumpet, two altos, two tenors, one bari, and drums bass piano

[RHCPaddict]

I used to then I quit cause the singer and I were the only serious ones. It's a longer story but I really don't have time right now.

[6-String_Slinger]

i've been in a qintet/quartet for a little over a year now, we've gigged quite a bit, practice regularly, it's me on alto, then the standard rythem section. we started out with a trumpet player but he kinda quit out on us, he wasn't as outgoing as the rest of it and it showed in his playing, we kind of pushed him around if you can do that musically. we actually scored a summer gig playing as the house band at a local resturant, every saturday night from april to sept, 8-11, pay is somewhere in between 75-100 bucks a guy each night

we've also got 4 hours of studio time locked up later this month, hoping to make like an 8 track disc and then throw on some random live stuff we've recorded, things are going pretty sweet :D

[traveller]

hey 6 string slinger, sounds like a nice deal you got there. do you play your own compositions? If not, what music do ya play?

[Bryan Blakey]

I'm the drummer in a quartet (with sax) and we do play a lot of gigs. We've been together for about 3 years now. Our bassist is going away for college though so we won't be doing anything for a while. We play mostly original material.

[PianoPilgrim]

Im in a quintet as a Pianist/Vocalist (with Double Bass, Clarinet, Saxophone and Trumpet [+ a drummer sometimes]). We cover Jazz, swing and writing our own stuff too now! :) We've gigged in the past for private functions (at £125/hr), and we're all 14/15 yrs. old !! SCORE!!! (sorry to paraphrase, but....!)

[jake plays guitar]

i play in a group. we have electric guitar(me), electric bass, and tenor saxophone. were having a hard time finding a consistant drummer, we have one for every gig but its always someone different.

[jake plays guitar]

Im in a quintet as a Pianist/Vocalist (with Double Bass, Clarinet, Saxophone and Trumpet [+ a drummer sometimes]). We cover Jazz, swing and writing our own stuff too now! :) We've gigged in the past for private functions (at £125/hr), and we're all 14/15 yrs. old !! SCORE!!! (sorry to paraphrase, but....!)
WHAT!!! 125 EUROS AN HOUR!!!!

[traveller]

Im in a quintet as a Pianist/Vocalist (with Double Bass, Clarinet, Saxophone and Trumpet [+ a drummer sometimes]). We cover Jazz, swing and writing our own stuff too now! :) We've gigged in the past for private functions (at £125/hr), and we're all 14/15 yrs. old !! SCORE!!! (sorry to paraphrase, but....!)

How many hours do you play for??

[I play that funky music]

I play trombone in the school jazz band and bass in a regular rock band.

[Meet_TheNewBoss]

bass in high school jazz band
clarinet in symphonic band... which has nothing to do with jazz...

[Eman Ruoy]

WHAT!!! 125 EUROS AN HOUR!!!!
Pounds. Think, 250 Euros an hour.

[pikester]

Electric and Upright in High School Jazz Band.

[schvian]

im in a few bands, i play percussion in senior concert band at school, i plasy drums in the school jazz band, i play drums in the schools jazz combo and then i play drums in a band(kind of rock/raggae/funk we play some different stuff) so im really busy with music but i plan on doing music for my life so its worthit!!\

[PianoPilgrim]

WHAT!!! 125 EUROS AN HOUR!!!!

No, 125 pounds - GBP - £ - which is about 182 Euro

[RHCPaddict]

I play electric and upright bass in my high schools jazz band, it's a great experience, especially since I am the only bass player, I really get a lot of playing/practice in. I also play in a bluesy jam band, I have some stuff written and some ideas on my own, but I don't really have the right musicians to really get what I want at the moment.


Yeah, jazz band is a great opertunity for a bass player I find.

I play bass in jazz band, guitar/bass 'club', and I just quit a funk/rock band. I also play clarinet from time to time in band.

[pohl_56]

I play tuba and trumpet in the high school concert band.

Then every now and then our jazz band gets together. I usually play tuba in that but we recently picked up and electric bass player so I will probably go full time trumpet in that. The jazz band also has a piano player, drummer, and saxaphone. We hardly ever get to practice togehr (once a week at the most) and that sux but yea.

[blacklungfever]

I play bass guitar in a six piece ska band that also plays funk. So I guess it kinda fits in this forum.

I also play trombone in my school's jazz band. We play all big band/swing stuff.

[fingerstyle]

has anyone got recordings they could post of their bands?

[GhostNote]

has anyone got recordings they could post of their bands?


yeah, hopefully at the end of next week after we record our 5 track demo.

[traveller]

i've got 1 from about five years ago when our band first got together (we were young and inexperienced)

[pohl_56]

No-I would post some of out stuff but our jazz abnd is completely unfunded and broke so dont ahve any recording tech... grrr :(

[In/Casino/Out]

Yeah I play bass in a 7 piece Soul band at the moment, we have a tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, guitar, bass, drums and singer! We used to have a keyboard player but he got kicked out cuz he never showed up. We are trying to get into giggin again, I got one at a 50th birthday party this saturday. Heh not exactly very underground but I get payed! We do stuff like Blues Brothers and Otis Redding but we have written some originals. This is also my first post so uh, hi!

[LF96]

I play in a pretty normal rock band (where I play drums) with which I don't gig yet seeing as we just started and I can't let you hear any audio since we haven't recorded anything yet. I also play in a very extraordinary jazz/blues/classical/whatever-ensemble in my music school. The line-up of that band is like this:

2 percussionists (me and someone else, mostly me on vibraphone/xylophone and the other one on drums)
2 accordions
1 violin
1 clarinet
2 guitars
1 bass guitar
1 occasional piano (the teacher)

Despite the quite weird combination, this actually works out pretty nice. Right now we're playing some stuff from Porgy and Bess and some bluesy stuff. We only perform once or twice a year tho, and only come together once a week. Last year we did one concert on which we played a standard blues with room for each instrument to improvise a solo which was great fun and we also covered Mad About You by Hooverphonic (in which the vocals were played by a saxophone seeing as we didn't have a singer) plus some other song which I forgot. The line-up was pretty different then tho.

[franz sanchez]

£125 per hour for a function band is pretty reasonable - I occasionally play with one where they would charge up to £1000 per show (generally 3 50 minute sets).

I play congas and other afro-latin percussion - most of my work is with a funk band (working on 3rd album at the moment) - I also play with a house trio at a jazz club, whenever they require a bigger line-up.

Then there's dep and session work - the joys of being one of the only percussionists in my locale.

[metBANS]

The School Jazz Band - 1st 'Bone
Local Trio - Drums, Bass, Piana (me)
We got our District Jazz Band Back Together to Jam - 2nd 'Bone
Awesome Group That Fluctuates (1 Tenor, 1 Bari, 'Bone/Mellophone (me), Trumpet, Sometimes Soprano/Alto, Vibes, Bass Drums)
Quartet - Drums, Piana, Bass, 'Bone (me)

[6-String_Slinger]

fingerstyle: yes i have recodings of us doing all blues, yesterdays, and mr. P.C.
i don't know how to upload them but if you tell me i can get them up

traveller: yeah it's a lot of fun. we've only been doing covers for now but we're got a few different songs in progress, like a bossa, a blues, a funk you get the idea

songs we usually play:
all blues
st. thomas
so what
all blues
take five
take the a train
moanin
tough talk
freddie freeloader
some day my prince will come
blue bossa
black orpheus (just started it and i love it)
black nile
yesterdays
blue train
autumn leaves

i know there's more, that's just a quick list

[6-String_Slinger]

metBANS that's sweet, i love a great trombone player

how often do your bands gig/how serious are you?

do you use a trigger?

[pohl_56]

fingerstyle: yes i have recodings of us doing all blues, yesterdays, and mr. P.C.
i don't know how to upload them but if you tell me i can get them up

traveller: yeah it's a lot of fun. we've only been doing covers for now but we're got a few different songs in progress, like a bossa, a blues, a funk you get the idea

songs we usually play:
all blues
st. thomas
so what
all blues
take five
take the a train
moanin
tough talk
freddie freeloader
some day my prince will come
blue bossa
black orpheus (just started it and i love it)
black nile
yesterdays
blue train
autumn leaves

i know there's more, that's just a quick list

We play some of the same stuff. Big surprise eh? I like "Freddie the Freeloader's" kickin base line. (I play tuba usaully) and yea. :chug:

[traveller]

i love playing Blues For Alice cause its a great tune!!!!

[fingerstyle]

often our band praccys consist of opening up the real book and playing every piece in it to death until we find somthing we love. some faves at the oment include airegin, scrapple from the apple, all the things you are (stop laughing!), giant steps, anda few others.

[edhara]

I have about three different groups that I play in. One of them is a mix of jazz/smooth jazz (everything from Charlie Parker, Dave Sanborn, Spyro Gyra, a little Trane, some Sting, etc.), one of them is an R & B/disco group (the leader is a fantastic singer who used to be in Luis Miguel's band), and the other one is sort a culmination of everything.

At this point I play enough other stuff that I don't think I can consider myself a jazz purist at all.

[Biz]

I am in my High School Jazz groups. We have a Jazz I which is our top ensemble. It is a full size group. 5 saxs, 4 bones, 4 trumpets, and full rhythem section. I play upright and electric bass. Then in our Jazz II, I play Bass Bone, which I love. Then I am in a Jazz Combo which consists of me on upright, a killer piano player, a killer drummer, a killer guitar player, a killer trombone player, and a REALLY killer alto. We are getting ready for competitions around here in Missouri. Then I play euphonium in our Symphonic band which is our top ensemble for concert band.
-Biz

[Arclite1]

Little Jazz/Blues band, we play at wineries and whatnot, money isn't half bad.
Guitarist (me) , Drummer, Double Bass, Singer/Pianowoman.

[fingerstyle]

where abouts in Melbourne do you live? I'm about to move up there from Hamilton (the little rural town near the Grampians Ranges, which is in flames right now!) for uni.

[Drummer_On_Fire]

I play drums in my high school jazz band and concert band. We are currently playing John Coltrane's "Blue Train", and a latin piece called "Coco Walk". For my concert band, we are playing Santana's "Smooth". We just came back from placing 1st in a festival. P.S. If anyone lives in the Okanagan or Kelowna area, my high school is doing sessions at the Kelowna Community Theatre. If you come, you might see me there!

[pianoplyr77]

I'm really psyched, I finally got this unbelievable drummer and this unbelievable bass player together with me. We've just started playing together, so we're not really that tight, but ny the way we played at our first practice we are gonna get really good really fast.

[Celebrity Bowls]

no.

[fingerstyle]

^thats what i like to call a useless post!

[Naveed Afzal]

I play in a Jazz/Blues Trio that has many guests...

My friend and I both play Drums and Bass so we switch off, i write most of the originals as i also play guitar and keys, but dont live.

We've been playing alot of HipHop lately, Ive been trying to Arange a couple fusion tunes in a hiphop style.

[franz sanchez]

I'm impressed to see so many people persuing jazz via their school music departments - you guys must have some great facilities at your disposal - not to mention enthusiastic tutors. You're all pretty lucky.

In the UK music never seems to be seen as a 'serious' option for schools or colleges - hence the amount of underfunded school music departments and closures of music faculties at major arts-based universities.

[Officer Dickhead]

I play in 2 bands as well, here in musicschool, it's one of those things you HAVE to do or else you don't make it too the 2nd year etc.

One big band and one fusion band btw

[I Love Fat women]

I play guitar for a 5 piece rock band, but I hope to start a jazz band once I get better. I've only been playing for 2 years. We don't gig yet as we've only rehearsed 7-8 times so far.

[traveller]

we had a disastrous attempt at recording Koko. I think we'll put that one away for a while

[Arclite1]

where abouts in Melbourne do you live? I'm about to move up there from Hamilton (the little rural town near the Grampians Ranges, which is in flames right now!) for uni.

I'm down near Mount Eliza, which is about 45 minutes south of melbourne proper, I used to live around Ballarat kinda though.

[GhostNote]

^thats what i like to call a useless post!


Yeah, i hate tools who do that.

P.S can i be a part of the MX Aussie Bogan club? lol

-GN

[Officer Dickhead]

^thats what i like to call a useless post!

lol his first/only post as well :lol:

[fingerstyle]

I call upon all Australians to join the MX Aussie Bogan club!

On a more relevant note, it's awesome to see so many people here actually playing in groups.

[NastyNate]

I'm in my school's jazz band, we suck this year, but people tell us we're good. Four other people in the band and I have broken off into a combo, piano, trumpet, trombone, drums and bass (me). I'm also trying to start a funk band here, but all the guitarists I know of either suck or play metal. There's also <a href="http://www.myspace.com/outlets">this</a> "band" that I'm in, but it's a joke.

[GhostNote]

I call upon all Australians to join the MX Aussie Bogan club!

Woot!

Joyous!

-GN

[fingerstyle]

^haha...c'mon its a play on the stereotype that has plagued us for so many years. im not really a bogan. in fact, i dispise bogans, jcoks and anyone dull, aggressive or 'vexatious to my spirit'.

Speaking of that, I have band news. As a part of my course this year, I have to play in a small jazz ensemble, amognst other things, and the Monash jazz groups get to play at Dizzies and Bennets Lane quite a bit. So stoked!

[GhostNote]

^haha...c'mon its a play on the stereotype that has plagued us for so many years. im not really a bogan. in fact, i dispise bogans, jcoks and anyone dull, aggressive or 'vexatious to my spirit'.


Yeah, i know what you mean. Im not a bogan either. I hate them. Jocks?

[/QUOTE=fingerstyle]Speaking of that, I have band news. As a part of my course this year, I have to play in a small jazz ensemble, amognst other things, and the Monash jazz groups get to play at Dizzies and Bennets Lane quite a bit. So stoked![/QUOTE]


Awesome man! hope that goes well.

-GN

[PianoPilgrim]

I'm impressed to see so many people persuing jazz via their school music departments - you guys must have some great facilities at your disposal - not to mention enthusiastic tutors. You're all pretty lucky.

In the UK music never seems to be seen as a 'serious' option for schools or colleges - hence the amount of underfunded school music departments and closures of music faculties at major arts-based universities.

At my school music is very much on the back burner, as it were. This year there are no AS students, one A-level, and 7 GCSE - in a school of over 1000!!

As a result the department ends up with poor funding and a lack of staff. It's a real shame to see it happening, but happen it does :mad:

[nowhesingsnowhesobs]

Ha, my school is the reverse as music is a very popular GCSE, which isn't really a good thing. Most of my class either know nothing or really can't be bothered with the subject.