What I Can Play or What I bring?

I have recently been enjoying Cuban music, in particular that of the Buena Vista Social Club and its members.

For those of you who are not familiar with this group of musicians, the story is a modern-day fairytale ...

Cuban music has for decades been the envy and shining star of the World (especially Latin) music scene. Many of the stars who put it on the map had retired or had to find an alternative living to make ends meet: selling lottery tickets or shining shoes in the street, or selling tobacco.

In 1996 Juan de Marcos González, a young Cuban bandleader and arranger was fascinated with the old stars of Cuban music traditions such as Son, Guajira, Son Montuno, Rumba and Bolero. He set out to see how many of them were still living (many had been stars in the 1940’s, 1950’ and 1960’s). To his amazement he was able to contact a large number of these national treasures of Cuba’s musical heritage; the list was impressive:

• Don Rubén González - legendary pianist and pioneer of the mambo
• Orlando ‘Cachaito’ López - third generation bassist
• Ibrahim Ferrer, Piya Leyva, Raúl Planas, Manuel ‘Puntillita’ Licea and Omara Portuondo - legendary singers
• Compay Segundo and Eliades Ochoa - tres player and guitarists
• Amadito Valdéz – percussionist
• Barbarito Torres - Laoud player extraordinaire
• Manuel ‘Guajiro’ Mirabal - Cuban legend, trumpet
• ... plus more

In order to understand the stature of this group, each one of these names was at the very top of their profession, many having had a significant impact on the history and direction of Cuban music. Each one of these musicians (plus other top calibre musicians) performed together, in the same room at the same time to record the largest selling Latin album ever (over 8 million copies sold). Everyone enjoyed working and performing on the album and no-one was interested in where their name went on the list of credits. Music was being made for the love of the music and no thought was given to any potential financial gain (though this was eventually considerable).

Live performances in Amsterdam followed release of the CD, and the jewel in the crown was when this group of Cuban musicians were able to play a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall, New York in 1998, captured on film and CD. When you read the album notes and DVD booklet or watch the performances, the joy and emotion of making music together is clear.

This fairytale ending to the story was that these humble people found a new lease of life as they achieved global recognition and ‘stardom’ when many of us would think of taking it easy: most were in their 70’s or 80’s (Compay Segundo was in his 90’s).

By 2005 many of these great characters had passed on and only recently (Feb 2009) the great Cachaito also died ... but their legacy continues.

Why have I taken the time to mention all of these people?

Well, imagine a group of top name Rock n’Roll stars gathering to record an album. Now think about the ego problems; who’d play with whom; who wouldn’t play with whom; who would want their name at the top of the list?

For me, the great power and impact of these recordings is the enjoyment, passion and love of the musicians for their music that shines through so clearly. Everyone is in it for everyone else, making the whole band look great. It’s even recalled that at one stage, Ibrahim Ferrer had a bad throat and was struggling to sing and suggested that perhaps someone else should finish the album! That’s a bit like Eric Clapton suggesting someone else should finish off his guitar solo. This level of humility is rarely seem today in a world of get what we can, when we can, however we can.

This excursion into Cuban music has taught me a lot more than just the notes and beats. Engaging with characters of history (and today) who are prepared to make everyone else look good by playing their part has re-challenged me to ask myself, “Is that the sort of character I am? Do people want me in the band for who I am as well as what I can bring.” I read many stories today where the key to a ‘successful’ career in music isn’t so much what you can play, but what you a as a person bring to that particular situation. I also read that our musical output reflects our personality. All I can say is that I hope some of my performances haven’t really let people know what I was feeling on the night!!

I know that rediscovering my love of Latin music through encountering these characters has re-challenged me to be a musician that people want to play with, rather than a musician whose talents are admired. It has also reminded me that I cannot try to project and hide behind a different ‘musical persona’. Music is too transparent for that. I guess my priority is to ensure that my day-to-day life is such that I’m happy for people to see the real me when I play as a musician.

Or perhaps when I get my priorities in life right, my music will take care of itself.

To Read Dots or Not Read Dots: Is That The Question?

I heard an interesting comment the other day (and not for the first time). Two friends were discussing music with a couple of other people; the exact subject matter I do not know, but what I heard was familiar ...

"Well, if they can't read music they are not a real musician."

Now I don't know about you, but I don't respond well to those sorts of comment. I think it's a bit like someone saying, "If you don't understand how an engine works then you can't drive a car" or "If you don't understand how electricity is generated, you can't switch on a light bulb."

Sure, understanding about engines and the generation of electricity is very important to the designers who create these things, but for the consumer? I know reading music is an important skill for many, but what about those great musicians who have never seen a musical note? Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Art Tatum (arguably one of the greatest ever jazz pianists) are/were all blind, but few would say they were not musicians because they couldn't read music.

I have a couple of friends who are totally blind who also have perfect pitch so they can sit down in any situation and play along with whatever is playing, without having to be told that it is in B-flat or whatever. They don't read it, they hear it. So I guess they could use a counter-argument and say, "Unless you have perfect pitch you can't be a true musician because you have to read the dots to play the tune."

As with all arguments, there are flaws from both sides; flaws which seem to relate more to human insecurity than anything else. We are not always comfortable with views or abilities different from our own and in defending our corner we often unintentionally alienate others.

Surely the issue isn't whether one can read music or not, it's more a case of whether one can make music (as opposed to just playing the instrument). The difference between these two is light years apart, and I know that in any situation I'd rather play with passionate, non-reading musicians than sight-reading automatons with no feel.

Thankfully, most of the musicians I work with are musicians first and foremost some of whom read and some of whom do not. And those who read? It is well down their list of priorities for playing. They see it as a tool not a dictum!

Drummer Joke

A man goes into a shop and says,

"I'd like a pair of 13-inch Zildjian KZ Custom hi-hats, a 16-inch Sabian AAX Ozone crash, a 22-inch Paiste Signature ride cymbal and a Wuhan 14-inch China. Oh! And could you throw in a pair of Vic Firth 5A sticks and a 14-inch Remo Ambassador coated head please."

The assistant behind the counter looked at his customer with a puzzled expression and said, "Are you a guitarist?"

The customer smiled and said, "Yes, how did you know?"

The assistant replied, "Because this is a fish and chip shop"

Practice

Today's entry is short and to the point ...

A couple of quotes which I hope you will find helpful and thought-provoking:

"It's not practice that makes perfect, but the right kind of practice that makes perfect"

"The difference between an amateur and a professional is, an amateur practices until they get it right, a professional practices until they can't get it wrong"

Lessons from a Master

Earlier in my playing career I had the privilege of taking lessons from one of the true characters in the drumming scene. He wasn't renowned nationally but on the local scene he was called simply Mad Bob.

His technique was awesome and his ability unquestionable. Bob was able to play, beat for beat, many of the best-known pieces by his hero Buddy Rich. Bob was the driving force behind many of the big bands and brass bands in the region. Always a spectacle, his trademark beaming smile visible amongst the blur of arms and sticks, a smile that clearly demonstrated his passion and ecstasy as he sat behind the band, pushing the music along, stabbing with the horns, giving everything to the music and people he loved.

The main lesson I learned from Bob was his passion for playing, his passion for teaching, his passion for life.

Years later I had the privilege of visiting Bob at his home, just before he passed away. A man now ravaged by an illness that took his voice, his strength and co-ordination, and that could have so easily taken his dignity. But deep in his eyes burned that same fire that had burned through those previous years. Nothing inside Bob had changed, except now he was also at peace with his Maker.

The creativity and drive came from his heart and his inner passion and was inextinguishable to the end.

I hope that in my life and playing, I can show something of the passion and commitment that I learned from my friend and teacher, the late, great, Mr Bob Nutt.

Happy New Year

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives ... so goes the saying.

A new year with new potential and new opportunities. Some will come our way; some we'll have to go out and find; some will be expected and others will be out of the blue.

In whatever shape today finds you, remember that 2008 is a year in which we can all make a difference in some way.

• Perhaps it's learning something new ...
• Perhaps it's being able to play something we've never been able to play before ...
• Perhaps it's just picking up a pair of sticks and making our very first sound from a drum ...

Whichever way we make a difference ... whether to our own life, or to the lives of others ... let's try to make sure that 2008 is a year we can look back on and say, "Something special happened that year!"

How Do Bands Stay Together?

Today's entry is very short ... Check out this link for really good, sound advice from experience on why some bands are so good, and how they stay together at all!