noynekker Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 We got a gig out of town at a country bar, but we only knew one country song, had to play it four times . . . afterwards we were loading up the van and a girl came up to me and excitingly said "how long have you been playing guitar" . . . I was the bass player. We finished the evening off by playing an original song . . . and that same girl said, "and what was that weird song at the end ?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 6 hours ago, noynekker said: a girl came up to me and excitingly said "how long have you been playing guitar" . . . I was the bass player. A female actually noticed the bass player. Take the win ! 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywtelejazz Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 (edited) On 3/4/2024 at 10:14 AM, Grem said: Great story Kenny. Thanks Grem ! I enjoyed your story also . The Music Store I worked at on W 48 Th St in NYC in the mid 80's was a magnet for having top musicians and guitar players dropping in to socialize , window shop or kill a little time between Gig's . Vernon used to come in and visit one of the guitar guys that worked there . They usually had conversations by passing the guitar back and forth and playing a little each time they did that . We had to do that there because if the owner or MGR heard 2 guys playing the same tune together at the same time on different guitars he would start yelling . I have seen him yell at some known players and it didn't matter who you were 🤣 One day I stood there and listened to Vernon and he started playing some Jazz .... Apparently he was working on developing and improving his chops in that genre so I said hey I play that type of music and he reluctantly handed me the guitar . I played him the same tune he was playing with a few kitchen sinks thrown in just to remind him that unknown guitar players that live under rocks that have to work in music stores can play too . As I was playing he backed up and put a WTF look on his face with the added you ain't so posed to play so good , you work in a guitar store look on his face .I laughed right back at him for that and I won't say we became friends but the few times I saw Vernon after that meeting we wound up having a few conversations VIA passing the guitar back in forth ... All the best , Kenny PS I can spill the beans regarding a lot more encounters along those lines w top tier players that have taken place over the years in various musical settings and circumstances .I just don't want to end up dropping names for the sake of trying to elevate my poor ole ailing self esteem 🫣 Edited March 7 by kennywtelejazz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grem Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 4 hours ago, kennywtelejazz said: just don't want to end up dropping names for the sake of trying to elevate my poor ole ailing self esteem Don't worry about that. I would love to read about your encounters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywtelejazz Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 (edited) Back in 1978 I was fully immersed in my studies with Barry Galbraith . Plus I was working at a music store on West 48 Th St N .Y. C. ( my first music store Gig on W 48 Th St) It would take me weeks to learn how to play his chord melody arrangements of Jazz Standards . One of my favorites at the time was Here's That Rainy Day . BTW it took me months to learn and get that one in playable shape . So here I am I'm working at a music store and a lean well dressed gentleman wearing a Stetson cowboy hat and boots that cost as much as a down payment for a brand new car walks in carrying a guitar in a case. I was standing right near the entrance of the store so I said to him "can I help you" . He smiled at me , and said "I'm just looking around ",I asked him "what type of guitar you you have in the case "and he said "would you like to see it?" and I said "yes ". So we amble over to a part of the store where we had a little space and were we were out of some of the customers way .... He cracks open the guitar case and in it he has a 1950's era Gibson acoustic L 5 in Blond w a cut away. I just about shot a nut in my shorts when I saw his guitar 😆 I told him I loved Arch Tops and that I played a Pre War Epiphone Deluxe with a D Angelico fingerboard combined w a DeArmond Rhythm Chief P U ... He asks me if I wanted to play his guitar as he hands it to me . His L5 was a true joy to play . Real smooth , great action and a lovely Gibson acoustic tone .When I get done playing a few of the chord melodies I had been working on from my studies he asks me if I had a Union Card . I told him no I didn't have a union card . He says get one ! I ask him why and he tells me I will need a union card if I would like to take him up on his offer of giving me a gig in a Broadway Show . I was like what !!!!you want to get me a gig on Broadway . He then introduces himself to me . His name was Craig Chambers . Craig was the band leader of The Rio Grande band. The original band for the original Broadway version of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas . You bet I went out and got a union card ...I got the gig as a 2nd sub of the guitar chair partially due to politics and the fact that Craig liked the way I played ...At this show the band was small and the union forced the production to hire more band members to meet the min quota for the size of the theater , I didn't know that going in but either way I was so happy to have a little toe hold in something musical greater than selling guitars , picks and strings . I never got to play the show . I was #2 sub and Craig's #1 sub was fully fit and ready for duty . What they did do with me was they had me strolling outside and all through out the the theater playing my arch top acoustic while people milled around the theater before they found and got into their seats . I was OK with the situation as it was. I had the benefit of making a good friend at the time .I hung out with Craig , his wife and many of the cast and band members socially I remember we would go out some times for dinner ...like 20 of us and when it came time for the tab I would have to chip in more than what I got paid for the show because we divided the check evenly ...maybe that's why they hired me ...not 😁 Craig would also invite me to sit in with him and the band he used for his club gigs in N Y C . Those were some good times back then and I still think about some of the people like Craig Chambers I met from back then . People like that are so far and few between . So now every so often when you hear me say "I went from whats happening to What Happened "? it is these type of stories that illustrate what I mean 🙂 all the best , Kenny Edited March 9 by kennywtelejazz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywtelejazz Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 (edited) OK it is now time to share an experience of what happened too me where I'm not exactly proud of the experiences out come . away ... Having said that ! This one goes down as not being my brightest idea ! Back in the day I went full on fastest guitar slinger mode by entering into a fully one sided competition of fret board chops with a top call session guitarist in his own home and boy did I really pissed him off . When all was said and done this guitar hero got up off his chair and stood there there pointing his finger at the front door of his N.Y.C. home while commanding me in a forceful tone of voice to " Get the hell out of my house now " I'm not gonna put up with this $Hit in my own home " So I handed him back the 60's Fender Strat ! he played all "his" iconic guitar parts on from the song /recording Reeling In The Years and left . From that day onward for at least what seemed like a solid decade my phone stopped ringing..... It took me a real long time for the light bulb of that lesson to light up and fully take root. What did I eventually learn ? When you think your the fastest guitarist in the West. Don't go out and try to prove it to The World . Resist the temptation to prove your agility and prowess by fast drawing on your musical jam partners and collaborators. When you are playing music with people it is always possible they can help you because they may turn out to be an asset or even form a future alliance with you to help aid you in your musical career . The opposite effect can also be true which I happened to find out that day! It don't matter if you playing checkers , cards, bowling , golf or guitars ! Always tailor what you play on your instrument to complement their playing ! Learn from my mistake !!! 😢 Don't pull a "Kenny " !! Always let them win Kenny Edited March 17 by kennywtelejazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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