Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Great post Pat.... I'm on business in Memphis but will follow this thread to see where it goes.

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this. Nonetheless, the topic continues to be interesting to me. I agree with Bill that a weak section can weaken a strong player. Bad time, a constant search for a moving pitch center, a narrow range of dynamics and lack of support for the lead voice can all seriously diminish a trumpeter’s tone, endurance, accuracy, etc. ….and of course it also diminishes the joy of playing music.

However, when I first posted this I was thinking more along the lines of the mental/psychological changes this causes and the creative challenges and general effect of the different group dynamic. In the two situations that inspired the first post I found that I adapted my thinking, manner and feelings to each circumstance to get the best musical and social result FROM EACH GROUP. This was a challenge and, upon reflection, probably not one I would have been up to had I not logged 35 years worth of jazz gig experience and the coping tools that has given me.

To recap my initial situation, I was comparing two very enjoyable gigs played within a few days of each other. One was a jazz trio gig with guitar and string bass (both very lightly amplified). I was very clearly the leader on and off stage. The two musicians were very talented and skilled players in their 20s (the age of my own kids). We were playing jazz “standards” in a fairly small room for listening and a bit of dancing. Very quiet and graceful stuff.

The other gig a few days later was a quintet gig (trumpet, guitar, bass, drums, Latin percussion) in a jazz club. In this group everyone is a very experienced professional jazz performer. It was a cooperative group and no one was defined as the leader. The guitarist and I took turns speaking to the audience. Two of the guys are in their mid to late 30s and the other three of us are in our mid 50s. While I feel like a peer of the musicians in this group, I feel like I am constantly required to stretch the limits of both my technique and my creativity in order to keep up with them. Sometimes I feel like I am being swept away by the energy (including, but not restricted to, volume). We were playing lots of original tunes and a few standards and well known jazz tunes for a listening jazz audience.

Both gigs were pleasurable for me and I think we made some very good music. The quintet gig left me feeling both spent and exhilarated (We played the most uplifting version of Freedom Jazz Dance I have ever participated in).

On both gigs I was doing most of the tune calling with the advice and consent of the others. When I played with the younger musicians, if a tune was vetoed it was usually because they didn’t know it. With the older band we would veto tune suggestions because the tempo, key, rhythmic feel or vibe wasn’t quite right for the moment. That was one clear difference.

I guess the thing that got me thinking the hardest was how my role changed and my playing changed-beyond the obvious musical differences of repertoire and instrumentation. With the younger players I found myself having to talk a bit more between tunes with clear verbal instructions and reminders about details of the music. When playing, I also had to edit what I did so I sent clear musical signals and cues to guide them and help shape the music. This forced me to play and think in more clear and direct ways. It allowed me to more clearly shape the sound and direction of the entire group according to the way I was hearing the music. I controlled the dynamics and the sequence of events.  It led me into a different kind of lyrical and uncluttered playing. However, it made it very hard not to be self-conscious and analytical much of the time.

With the veteran band I could assume that everyone knew the repertoire and had a massive repository of knowledge, skills and great musical instincts formed by extensive experience and many years of immersion in the music. I didn’t have to think about guiding anyone else when I was playing. I could more easily clear my mind and focus on hearing and executing the missing trumpet parts. It was possible and absolutely vital that I try to stay 100% music conscious (in the world of sound) and 0% self-conscious. There was a feeling of complete trust that I couldn’t always find with the less experienced players. However, the level of demands on my skills and the extremely high level of both creative and physical energy required to keep up was very challenging. I seriously doubt that I could have been the leader onstage in the way I was with the younger group and had enough left over to completely fulfill my own performing role.

Thoughts? Comments?