Every night, somewhere in the world, three or four musicians
will climb on stage together. Whether the gig is at a jazz club, a
bar, or a bar mitzvah, the performance never begins with a note,
but with a question. The trumpet player might turn to the bassist
and ask, "Do you know 'Body and Soul'?"--and from there the subtle
craft of playing the jazz repertoire is tested in front of a live
audience. These ordinary musicians may never have played
together--they may never have met--so how do they smoothly put on a
show without getting booed offstage.
In ""Do You Know . . . ?"" Robert R. Faulkner and Howard S.
Becker--both jazz musicians with decades of experience
performing--present the view from the bandstand, revealing the
array of skills necessary for working musicians to do their jobs.
While learning songs from sheet music or by ear helps, the jobbing
musician's lexicon is dauntingly massive: hundreds of thousands of
tunes from jazz classics and pop standards to more exotic fare.
Since it is impossible for anyone to memorize all of these songs,
Faulkner and Becker show that musicians collectively negotiate and
improvise their way to a successful performance. Players must
explore each others' areas of expertise, develop an ability to fake
their way through unfamiliar territory, and respond to the
unpredictable demands of their audience--whether an unexpected gang
of polka fanatics or a tipsy father of the bride with an obscure
favorite song.
""Do You Know . . . ?"" dishes out entertaining stories and sharp
insights drawn from the authors' own experiences and observations
as well as interviews with a range of musicians. Faulkner and
Becker's vivid, detailed portrait of the musician at work holds
valuable lessons for anyone who has to think on the spot or under a
spotlight.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!