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I've been playing in an electric semi-original Blooze band for a few months now after playing weddings and events in a GB band for 4 years. I'm given a lot of space for improvisation, and go for it often.
I'm finding that I'm doing what I did in similar bands years ago: Each solo is the response to the last solo I played in the same song from the gig before. I have no desire to try to play the same solo again. My bandmates get a big kick out of it, and the groupies are starting to figure it out, but I wonder if I should be doing this or not.
I remember being on stage at foxwoods with this big "Luther V" style singer for a 3 night stint a few years ago. On the first night, he threw me a solo starting on the bridge of Unchained Melody. My tenor flew into the altissimo stratosphere during one of those rhythm section/sax meld moments you dream of. The solo was a true thing of beauty that led into his verse showing off his own high range. That song was the big hit of the night.
The following night, after working a full day at the dealership and driving two hours, I hopped on stage for night two. Halfway through the gig, the singer announced the song Unchained Melody. He said that he and the sax player were going to do something real special. He then looked at me and said: "Just like last night?" And I replied: "What did we do last night?" I scared the living pizza out of him. (He actually got pale!
)
I didn't leave him lacking, but it was a totally different solo that peaked a little higher than the last night. Later he said: "Don't scare me like that man, I almost sheat!"
I'm finding that I'm doing what I did in similar bands years ago: Each solo is the response to the last solo I played in the same song from the gig before. I have no desire to try to play the same solo again. My bandmates get a big kick out of it, and the groupies are starting to figure it out, but I wonder if I should be doing this or not.
I remember being on stage at foxwoods with this big "Luther V" style singer for a 3 night stint a few years ago. On the first night, he threw me a solo starting on the bridge of Unchained Melody. My tenor flew into the altissimo stratosphere during one of those rhythm section/sax meld moments you dream of. The solo was a true thing of beauty that led into his verse showing off his own high range. That song was the big hit of the night.
The following night, after working a full day at the dealership and driving two hours, I hopped on stage for night two. Halfway through the gig, the singer announced the song Unchained Melody. He said that he and the sax player were going to do something real special. He then looked at me and said: "Just like last night?" And I replied: "What did we do last night?" I scared the living pizza out of him. (He actually got pale!
I didn't leave him lacking, but it was a totally different solo that peaked a little higher than the last night. Later he said: "Don't scare me like that man, I almost sheat!"