B15M

Hi Tony,

I was listening to the radio today and heard a singer singing with a big band behind her. I'm sure that the band was hired just to record with her but, I don't really know.

The band part was really hard. It was played well and I started thinking: I wonder how much they get to rehearse that stuff before they record?

When the part is complicated, how much do you get to practice before you record?

Thanks,
Joe

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kadleck

Hi Joe -

Good question. Actually, 9 times out of 10 (maybe more) players never see the music until the session. They may run it through a few times so the engineer can get sound levels, but that's about it.

Although some set bands may rehearse on a regular basis, that's not the norm. I would say that it's VERY rare to have parts sent before a session.

It's certainly possible that the band had a rehearsal before that session, but that's more the exception than the rule. That's why it's so important for all of us to keep out sight-reading chops together. (Doing shows is poison for sight-reading because you are playing the same thing every night!)

Thanks -
Tony

trumpetdoc

Also-

Sometimes the band has a rehearsal prior to the recording session for the sake of the vocalist. Especially if the charts are newly scored and the vocalist is unfamiliar with them.

Leon

wiseone2

Rehearsals for recordings are usually done at recording scale.........It is a business
I have done hellishly difficult dates, Mandy Patinkin's for example, with only studio time. Most singers have their own music people to work with away from the band distractions.
Wilmer

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Solar Bell

The Basie Band did a Christmas concert here in Detroit.

Mike Williams (lead trp) invited me as his guest.

They had a guest vocalist and used Nancy Wilson's pianist for the concert.

Mike told me they got the Christmas charts about an hour before the performance (not their usual stuff) and just sight-read the concert.

You could not tell.

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B15M

Wilmer,
Did you get to rehears the West Side Story recording before the singer showed up?

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trumpetdoc

Hi Wilmer,

I did not mean to imply that the rehearsals were not paid at scale. I was just mentioning that I have done paid rehearsals at rehearsal studios in New York (like Carrols or Michikos) that were set up prior to the recording date. I have also been hired to play (paid) rehearsals by arrangers to run through new charts to check for copyist errors although this seems less common with Finale computer coping as opposed to the traditional hand copyist. I have even been paid to cover rehearsals for several prominent NYC players even though I was not booked on the actual recording session. I know these situations are less common but I just wanted to share my experiences to show that there are exceptions to the standard procedure.

btw, you might not remember but we first met at Bill Vacchiano's wake and spent some time talking together.

Regards,
Leon