Musical flash; for the general audience?

Subject: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: MichaelM
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:19 PM

I've seen too many groups where the instrumentalist is a bloody genius who is completely overshadowed by a charismatic/cute vocalist. Are the astonishing displays of musicianship only for other musicians? Does the general audience care for more than being able to hear the words clearly and being smiled at once in a while? Who are the instrumental solos really aimed at?

Michael

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: sophocleese
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:35 PM

Instrumental solos were introduced for two reasons. 1) to give the singer a break and, 2)to give the instrumentalist another reason for being on stage other than the remote possibilty that he might get to screw the singer, thus allowing the singer more time to concentrate on singing really well and getting the song over effectively.

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: MichaelM
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:53 PM

Considering the adulation that singers get and the desire of a large portion of the audience to "screw the singer" the instrumentalist must be hoping no-one shows up or the audience is driven away by the constant solosto improve the odds. I have experienced this desire as a singer (but only in very cheap bars (okay, open bars)). Ah, the social lubricant.

Tongue (my own) planted firmly in cheek.

Michael

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Grab
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 06:06 AM

Michael - yes. Take the cutey away and you'll still have some decent music. Take the musician away, and there's not much left.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: John P
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:35 AM

How many lead singers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Just one -- he/she just grabs the light bulb and waits for the world to revolve around him/her.

Seriously, it's all part of the music. All those great musicians don't have much of an act without the front person. And a lead singer without a band is like a jar of salsa with nothing to put it on.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Luke
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:43 AM

The singer usually provides the personality for the band. If the band hates the singer, they find ways to undercut that aspect. The greatest players I know try there best to play in a way that promotes the overall musical moment and supports the personallity the singer is presenting. I guess thats the notion. They could all play in separate rooms and no-one need come to hear them if that were the case. Instrumentalists who have an axe to grind should play some type of music where the singer stays home. Otherwise they are a royal pain in the ass. All solos should be aimed at the moment of perfect understanding of any given piece. That is what bands are all about.

Luke

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:44 AM

A singer without a band is the real traditional McCoy

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: John P
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:53 AM

Snuffy -- It all depends on your definition of traditional, but I generally agree. That's why I said "lead singer". There are a lot of lead singers in bands that couldn't pull off an unaccompanied folk song. Hell, most lead singers don't know any folk songs.

JP

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 09:11 AM

John P

Thanks for the clarification - I missed the subtlety! Nice to know we agree.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:12 AM

If the instrumentalist is really a genius, s/he is not competing with the vocalist for attention. A great "side man" works hard to complement the singer, not upstage him or her. There's no way you can look good by making your band mates look bad.

And yes, the musicians are often playing for other musicians, or at least very knowledgable aficionados. I sometimes take friends to hear jazz performers. As often as not, they miss the whole point of a great solo. If you can't grasp all the possibilities a chorus may afford, it's difficult to appreciate the choices the soloist actually makes.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: MichaelM
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:37 AM

I'm afraid that I have found most jazz performers (unless in a solo setting) to be playing to each other rather than to the audience. It's a bit like watching a musical tennis match. The audience doesn't seem vital to the event. They are overheard rather than heard.

Perhaps some of my perception of the place of instrumental solos versus vocals comes from bad experience (both as audience and performer) of music as background wallpaper designed to aid digestion and sell beer. Why do people feel that they can chat their way through live music (don't get me started about live theatre) as if the performer can't hear them? If they don't want to listen why are they there? Vocalists don't seem to suffer this as much as instrumentalists.

This may be why I feel difficult solos are aimed at other musicians. Too many times no one else is listening.

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Bernard
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 03:06 PM

Instrumental break = 'I forgot the words and am fudging!'...

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 10:41 PM

I found out a few thing during several decades of playing back-up:
Nobody except the three instrumentalists in the audience give a damn whether an instrument solo is hard or not.

People come to be entertained, not impressed.

If you want to impress people with your intrumental skills, let them know that your solo is difficult (whether it is or not). You can make pained faces, or sweat a lot, of just say something like, "whew! that's hard." or "notice that my fingers never leave my hand"

Always include the "applause chord"--you know, the F major in the key of G.

A recognizable melody never hurts (bluegrassers please note)

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Mooh
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 09:33 AM

Soph, that was really funny, but my batting average with singers has been dismal, and I make part of my living as a musical mercenary. Sigh. Best laugh I've had here for quite a while.

Peace. Mooh.

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Willie-O
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 09:46 AM

I dunno. Singers always get top billing, it's who the audience has been told to come and see. I write an e-mail newsletter and otherwise publicize musical events, and always try to mention exceptional bandmembers that will be appearing with the singer...I figure if the audience is told in advance to watch for this person, they will.

The really, really good backup musicians in the music scene, here as elsewhere I suspect, don't get a lot of notice because some of them play with everyone. If always acknowledged, they'd be featured in every review!

That said, there's a whole world of difference in how the bandleader--lets say lead singer--makes things happen onstage. Some are attention hogs, while the ones I prefer make room on stage for others' contributions.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Musical flash; for the general audience?
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Apr 01 - 09:49 AM

A band, or group, needs to recognize that its a team effort. The instrumentalists supports the vocalist who appreciates their effort and gives them time to strut their stuff (and appreciation of their efforts by filling in those remarks Dick mentioned).

The purpose of the team effort? To entertain the audience. There will always be a SMALL percentage of instrumentalists in the audience who could be impressed but the majority of the audience wouldn't know an excellant solo from a good solo. (I think they'd all recognize a bad one.)

An audience will pick up on the group dynamics on stage and it will affect their interpretation of the performance. If you are enjoying yourselves, as a group, and you look like you are, then the audience will get that much more enjoyment out of your efforts. If it is an effort to work with other band members the audience will see that too.

You can't hide anything on stage. It's just you and them and they are watching you.