Upright Bass, Pedal Steel, Drum set, Keyboards, Whistling, Maybe More…
John has a long history of working as a support musician across many different generas, ranging from upright bass in big bands to pedal steel in country dance bands and so many combinations in between.
As a professional musician, John has stood on stage with 100+ over the last 25 years filing a assortment of roles from substitute bass player to full-time clarinetist. From “full time band member” to “one-off substitute”, John brings his whole attention and skill set to every gig and rehearsal.
Over the years, many of these gigs were with minimal rehearsal- there is something magical about stepping onto a stage to play blues or country standards with a band you’ve never met before. So many possibilities for things to go wrong, but so many more ways for the music to become “right”. And beyond simply having a good ear and deep musical vocabulary (and being slightly psychic), performing off the cuff with a band and making everyone look great is a whole skill in itself- one John prides himself on having attained.
The practices around preparing for gigs never really change between instruments- writing charts, learning parts, being able to manage a rehearsal effectively transcend genera and position.
Being able read charts, fake books, notated parts or to improvise generically appropriate parts on the fly is simply table stakes for getting hired in a lot of places. John attempts to bring a wide musical vocabulary and deep historical knowledge to bear on his interactions.
While it might see like a person can’t get a good musical handle on so many different instruments, it is important to remember that a lot of these instruments are things John has worked on since childhood, when he performed on clarinet and cello. Over the decades a desire (that never really gets fulfilled) to master “music” in it’s most general form has led to thousands of hours of practicing with metronomes, method books, ear training, and lessons.
At the end of the day, the point of all these instruments are the relationships that John has been able to build between all these communities of musicians. It’s being able to hang in so many diverse contexts that makes all the practicing and study worthwhile.