I’m not gonna do a post for every rehearsal. It’s too hard for me. Too many knives in my back. Too much drama. Vaccine lines, abortion lines, commercialized insatiability, and cellular distractitution.

Nutty place. We dumb.

In the past I thought I could pull it all together and schedule some posts, but it's always overwhelming. I fell behind again on another post series. It happens... a lot.

This is the update for the current big band semester that started in fall 2022.

This semester starts around September 2022. I have a few images from rehearsal on September 12th. It looks like I was coming from my "real job."

The Drive and Parking

Just like previous semesters, people all up on our jocks. Tailgaters everywhere. Thankfully traffics not bad. Just a little congestion in the normal interchange areas. ‘tis the season in OC. Lots of people back to school and sunset getting earlier and faster every day.

Parking is free. Yes, parking is free. It's been free for the entire semester. I wish I could take credit for that influence. We all know I try (see previous post's rants).

I'm really glad parking has been free. In previous semesters I was poor as fuck! Lots of fun managing my gas consumption and parking fee while on a limited income.

The Music

Some previous tunes, some new tunes, and...

some sleepy tunes.

Overall the charts are less demanding than previous semesters. I don't mind. There are always ways to make a song sound "better" or good. Simple is not always easy in music. Stay groovy or die.

The Instruments

I'm usually next to the trumpets. They like bass. They never complain about my volume. Today's brass blowing neighbor had a french... flugal horn with him... i forgot... same... or just a flugle horn? Not sure, but take a look.

One of out Sax players will also double on Clarinet again. I love Clarinet in a big band. If you ever notice a new smoother version of a melody in a big band tune from the old days, it's probably the clarinets.

The Bass Talk

Same Fender Jazz Bass Delux as before. Still dives and I still fight it. My goal is to fix the dive this semester. The entire school big band situation is perfect for experimentation. The least I can do is improve my main axe.

I tried to recruit another bass player, but lots of people a too busy for big band. Maybe they should be. I think rhythm focused conversation and note reading scares people away. Maybe I scare people away?

💀 Happy Halloween soon 🎃

This tuner will live longer than all of us.
It's unstoppable. It's older than some of our readers.

A good gig bag is essential. Bringing your own power cables because obvious when I was in garage bands as a kids. Do it.

Keep it tight. Save your back.

The Drummers

The Drummer situation is better. There’s a third guy. His feel is better. He communicates well and stays focused. The same two drummer‘s previous semester are there. Similar vibe, all good, we know what to expect.

The worst Drummer, transgender person said they’re not really a drummer at a recent rehearsal. They said they was more of a piano player. They has been putting us through this torture and causing 22 people to suffer for this fuct charade. This big band has been slave to that person and then tonight they says they's not really a drummer.

We were all relieved and flabbergasted at the same time.

Gender dysphoria or any other dysphoria doesn't entitle us to privileges when others are more qualified. (Why would anyone want this false gratification?)

I'm the bad guy? Stfu! Easy to call me a bias of some type because of the way I look and blah blah blah... Very few people know my musical work history AND the other drummer is a better feminine personality without even trying. LOL!!!