So I can't wait to get to my gig and show the boys the horn, get on with sound check then play through 3 sets and hear what they have to say!!!
Let me back up a bit... On Tuesday night we played for about 2,500 people in a theater setting... WE did not use our PA or In-Ear Monitors, just wedge monitors for 2-75 minute sets!! Having no In-Ears = Overblowing more than normal and that's exactly what I did...
Now it's Wed morning and I receive the California with a pretty sore lip.. Usually when this happens I baby it for a day providing I don't have a gig that evening and everything is fine the day after!!! So I played the Cali on and off in 10-15 minute sets if you will maybe 3-4 times as well as a few lessons... So far so good, I should be fine by Thursday!
Well not so fast, I warm up around 3 pm doing the usual double pedals, some soft long tones and then some clark study tounge stuff and played up to high C... I felt pretty good, now it's time to go to the gig!!!
The night starts out and I can't seem to get a handle on anything... I'm also nervous as hell for whatever reason. I can't seem to find the pitch with some of the notes and it's really messing w/my head!!! The first set ends and I'm pissed, depressed, blah blah blah!!!
The guys are asking me what I think and I'm just out of sorts over the whole thing!!!
The second set starts and I decided to approach the horn as I have owned it for years and not be afraid... Well that was the answer!
Everything began to line up including my mood. My fellow horn guys next to me started giving me the smiles and thumbs up thing... AAHHHH!
I guess I was intimidated during the 1st set for fear of the stuff happening that we're all afraid of from time to time!!! I basically attacked the horn and it responded instead of letting the horn attack me!!! I have to say that it took everything I could give it and then some... The tone is exactly what I'm looking for in this R&B setting... The pitch came into it's own or I should say I got my head out of my ass and started playing correctly... The valves again were beautiful yet took some getting used to because I think they are a shorter throw or stroke, however you would like to think of it..
In closing: This is a horn that is worth every dime and then some... If you take a test run on it, you will see as I have... To me it feels like the 1st time if you know what I mean!!!!
I'm finally liberated! What a blow!
Thanks for reading!
Tony G