The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #112047 Message #2367282
Posted By: Barry Finn
16-Jun-08 - 04:42 PM
Thread Name: more session rudeness
Subject: RE: more session rudeness
If 'they' were invited & booked to play then part of the job discription (for running an 'open' session) is "to invite" all-warmly, "to accomodate" 'all' other musicians, to make the session "as friendly" to all who venture within listening range (even the onlooking-non playing public), to be aware of the groups level of musicianship & try to focus in on common material &/or try to hit on tunes that at the very least can include & accomodate the style & repertoire. If you can't then ask those sitting by waiting to showcase what they do. Ask those not able to jump in to lead (& then try to back them too). Ask them questions, suss or feel them out, it's part of making it a friendly/inviting seesion. If you know a musician who came a distance speak up to them & get them to lead a few. Make them all feel as if they'd love to come back. It's part of the session leader(s) job to bring out the best of those sitting in & to bring all to the table. It sounds to me that a poor job was done here.
OK. I don't lead sessions, I don't because I wouldn't do a good job at it. I don't have that kind of out-going personality to include all, I don't have a "talk 'em up" nature, I'm not a good enough musician to bring along a very good musician to do their best & have them enjoy themselves being brought along for the ride & then get to thank me for the lift, I wouldn't recognize that something different or special in someone's else's playing to the point where I could appropriately comment/encourage/showcase their playing by asking them for a solo or asking them for a special spot in the session, I do have the sensitivity, to see if someone who has an instrument in their hand isn't opening their case to take it out & play it, I do have the awareness to note that a musician isn't sitting down to play & is looking forlorn or in wonderment. I do note the face worn by the on-lookers & woder if they're smiling & having a good time, it they're tapping their fett or fongers, if they're humming along, if they're applauding. I try never (if it's a session I'm regular to) to let a musician walk out the door if they haven't sat in, if it's a lack of chair (& that's the only good reason, aside from them being beginners), they can have mine. I also try to note when a musician comes in & scopes out or sizes up the session & is making up their mind on weither or not to join, watch, listen or go. Sometimes a great musician doesn't want to sit in with those that aren't as good, they get tired of playing with us "lessers". They too sometimes get tired of not being able to play with their "great" peers (they are so few & far between sometimes). Grab them before they walk out & you miss out on what they have to offer. They are usually older types, they don't let you know how good they are, usually they're a bit humble (at least in my experience). If you get free drinks as a session leader get them a drink, as them to play a couple before to go.
It's your job, it takes time to know your job & do it well, learn how to do your job. Your job is not to play well, it's to play well with others & see that others have fun playing with you.
When I 1st started playing seesions it was in the Boston area & I had
the great fortune to start out at the Old Village Coach House back in the mid 70's. That session was a hold over & extention from the great Dudley Street Sessions of the 40"s & 50's. Regluars were greats in their fields, Paddy Cronin, Larry Renyolds, Seamus Connelly, Mance Grady, Joe Durain, Johnny Cuningham, blah, blah,blah. All the best acts stopped in on their way through town. At all times, even up to this present day musicians of all levels,
styles, nationalities, colors, religions, backgrounds were wecolmed warmly & encouraged to play along, from the newest to the oldest (our 90 something old bones player, a regular, just pasted away), from the best to the worst (this takes sensitivity, here you need people skills). I remember Seamus Connelly telling me to stop playing softely under the table & start playing so's I could be heard & inviting me to sing. If he had been harsh on a beginner like me back then I would have died & never continued playing or singing in seesions. These people had such finesse when it came to leading sessions that it was like watching an art form.
So it doesn't matter a shit how fast you all can play or how good you can play or how much you'd like to "play with each other", what matters is that you do what you were invited to do or paid to do & that's to see that you all play "well" with each other & that everybody else has a good time doing that too!
If you can't do this things but want to continue leading sessions, find a right hand or even a right & a left hand who'll help you out with these things. If there's a core group of say 4 or 5 of you, discuss the type of session you'd like to lead, who has what skills that would help better the session for all, who's good at greeting strangers, who has the gift of gab, who has the awareness of what others are thinking & feeling about how they see the session, who's good at getting feedback from the other musicians, who's good at talking to the noddler or the hog about giving others a chance, who's good at telling someone that what they're doing isn't exceptable but making them feel like they'd love to come back all the more.
Barry