[littlewailer]

http://www.youtube.com/user/seanwintersax?feature=mhee

First things I've put up on SOTW for maybe two years.

The videos I have loaded and am still in the process of loading are of me busking.
I'm gonna try and get some live performances as they come. Until then.....

enjoy!

Some videos are better than others..... Remember I'm busking...

Some good one's to Check out are Summertime, My Babe, Lester Leaps in, Georgia on my Mind and maybe My One and Only love (When I put that one up)

 

[Wade Cornell]

Government near Fort?

How do you play in winter? I hate having cold fingers and a sax just channels all that cold into them. You're putting out some high volume sound and a pretty good tone considering the circumstances. Interesting to hear you alternate between long tones and fast passages. Not positive about how this works for a walk by audience. Also not sure how important it is for you to reach or entertain these people.

What I generally hear is you playing the sax part to these "standards" as though the rest of the band was there backing you up. I think we've got to remember that as "Jazzers" we might know these tunes, but 95% of the people walking by don't. They just hear a sax playing, and playing well, but it probably sounds like random playing to them with long slow bits and then suddenly some fast passage. We can hear what they don't, so it makes sense to us.

I don't remember seeing anyone stop and listen (but of course it's cold and people are on their way to somewhere). I'd like to propose an experiment for the next time you busk.
1. Play tunes that are no more than 25 years old, so that it's more likely to be something that could be recognised.
2. You don't have a backing band, it's just you so you can't leave anything to anyone else's imagination.
3. Play softer so that you draw people to you rather than push them away with too big a sound. Use dynamics and invite them into a more personal experience. Ever notice how the louder the music the less people pay attention. People listen more intently when they first think they recognise something and think they have to listen harder. A trick for sure, but it works.
4. Play more lyrically than technically. This is not a paying audience who came to see you and want to know how good your chops are. The best you can do is to give them something that touches them so that they feel good about themselves and in turn feel good about encountering you.

None of this has anything to do with your playing ability (which is good), but more to do with playing to that specific audience. Capturing their attention and generating a positive feedback can warm even the coldest day and also help fill the case with dosh.

Let me know how it goes.

 

[Wilbur Weltklang]

Hi Littlewailer. Some good advice from Wade there...unless you are simply getting some practice out in the fresh air...I've watched several of your videos and only saw one person give you some money.
A few weeks back, I was advised of a decent busking spot between a huge shopping complex and a library. It was a fairly long drive there and I was miffed when getting out of the car I could hear somebody already there playing an alto sax.
I sat and listened for a while, whilst figuring out what to do next.
He was doing a similar thing to you, playing tunes and mixing it up with some jazz lines etc.
I decided that I'd approach him and gave him my card...saying that I did a similar thing to him.
He then suggested that I get my gear out of my car and have an impromptu jam session.
My act involves a heavy duty battery powered speaker running backing tracks that I've cobbled together.
I set it up and we played some basic bluesy stuff ...
He was quite a decent player and we had a great time trading choruses...the time seemed to fly by and we started attracting some
generous doners and complimentary remarks.
He rang me up later to say what a great time he had and that we should do it again.
He showed me another spot that he often busks at and we had a go together...and we decided to use his car. Unfortunately my battery expired and I'd
forgotten to bring my extra so he gave me a lift back to my car and then he had to leave.
He said he usually earns around the $20 mark for about an hour of playing whereas I usually get double that.
Other than that you are simply in an area populated by stingy people
cheers, Mark.

 

[littlewailer]

Much appreciated folks.

The little Sony Camera doesn't flatter at all. Listening again it's not terrible quality but it gets over blown at times.

Wade,

I do indeed need to practice with the dynamics a little more.
I had never considered the "it sounds like I'm playing to a backing track etc" concept. I'll take that to heart. But I will say that if I really stick to the melody on some of these tunes they'll end up only being a minute and a half or so. I'm sure maybe I can find a better balance and put in some of my fast runs and still play with dynamic intensity closer to the melody.

Wilbur,

I generally play for about three hours a day. Which gets me anywhere from 50 to 70 dollars (70 on a good day). For a chap like myself it's not too bad. I start playing around 10 o clock in the morning and end around 1 or so. I think if I was in a more populated area I could bring in some more dough. But there are only certain spots that I've found that I'm able to play/ allowed to play because neighboring businesses. The spot that I filmed this in was indeed Fort and Government and it has some very nice acoustics. But at 10 o clock it's a little dead.

I've got a good Christmas gig playing with a guitarist friend of mine. It's at Uptown mall right by where I live. Besides that I am playing 3 nights a week almost 100% consistently so I'm definitely not starving. Although who knows? When the baby comes along I might be.

Thanks!

 

[Jazz House]

So far I've only listened to My One and Only Love. Based on this, I can say the following.

1- I like your tone. There is a "core" to it that I find quite pleasing and sounds like you've worked on it. Nice tone.
2- I think that the cold might be affecting your intonation. This isn't something an average passer-by might pick up, but it's worth paying attention to.
3- Your approach to this tune is different to the way I would attempt it. Think about it this way. I will illustrate with extremes. There are two ways to do this tune.

Here is the more commercial approach.

And here is the more ballad styled approach.

Personally, I prefer the second approach. However, I think it's more difficult to play that way in a busking setting. It's hard to convey all of that for people who don't appreciate. Of course, these are extremes.

It was nice.

 

[littlewailer]

So far I've only listened to My One and Only Love. Based on this, I can say the following.

1- I like your tone. There is a "core" to it that I find quite pleasing and sounds like you've worked on it. Nice tone.
2- I think that the cold might be affecting your intonation. This isn't something an average passer-by might pick up, but it's worth paying attention to.
3- Your approach to this tune is different to the way I would attempt it. Think about it this way. I will illustrate with extremes. There are two ways to do this tune.

Here is the more commercial approach.

And here is the more ballad styled approach.

Personally, I prefer the second approach. However, I think it's more difficult to play that way in a busking setting. It's hard to convey all of that for people who don't appreciate. Of course, these are extremes.

It was nice.

A combination of the cold and getting used to a slightly larger tip opening. In the last couple of days I've really been noticing how I have to treat the upper register and my middle G of all things.

I first heard My One and only love on Frank Catalano's CD Bang!
I don't think I stole anything from it really but it did influence me in the way of "Oh? you can play ballads like THAT too?"

 

[Wilbur Weltklang]

I generally play for about three hours a day. Which gets me anywhere from 50 to 70 dollars (70 on a good day). For a chap like myself it's not too bad. I start playing around 10 o clock in the morning and end around 1 or so. I think if I was in a more populated area I could bring in some more dough. But there are only certain spots that I've found that I'm able to play/ allowed to play because neighboring businesses.

Hi littlewailer. I think you should be aiming for areas near supermarkets. Park yourself next to the trolley return area. Down here they are linked together and it requires a 1 or 2 dollar coin which you get back once you connect the chain of your trolley to the queue...why not donate it the the chap producing a mellifluous tone on his horn?
This may involve nearby businesses but you'll be doubling your take for the amount of time you are there.
cheers, Mark.

 

[littlewailer]

I've been kicked out of many many many spots over 10 years. I now know of only 4-5 spots that I can play without being shooed away. None of these spots are on private property.

My favorite spot used to be outside the market on yates. But the police started coming to kick me out because of complaints. So my best spot for years got taken away because someone who lives across the street didn't appreciate an hour of jazz.

Many similar stories of spots in the past over the years.

 

[Wade Cornell]

OK, here's some tough love: The suggestion was made that you try playing at low volume. Have you ever tried that? If you're playing at a volume that can penetrate double glazed windows you just might be a bit too loud.

Even the people who dropped money into your case didn't want to stick around. It's a good exercise to control your tone well at lower volume levels. Just might make you more $$ and less enemies as well.

You still seem to think that there's an audience out there who want to hear "standards". Try asking a few around if they have any idea what you are playing. If you aren't playing for an audience and not trying to give them something that communicates to them, what the heck are you doing? Big misconception that a lot of jazzers have thinking that everybody knows standards or, alternatively, that those were the "great tunes" so it's my job to preach them to a new audience. Well that's pretty similar to having someone tell you their religion is the only true and right one. Not something most want to be subjected to. What’s your job out there? To practice the music you like playing or entertain people? I know that you want to be a pro, so where are you eventually going in music, same place? Think about it.

 

[LiAm84]

Good advice here @ 1:47 from the master, Wynton Marsalis about the subject of playing at a softer volume while improvising:

The louder you play the more people will hear you but the softer you play the more people will actually listen to you.

 

[FawltyTenor]

Sean - I listened to a bit (Lester Leaps In and My One and Only Love)...enjoyed both. If you've been busking lately, I hope you're playing some holiday tunes.

I think there's a point to playing popular stuff... I've heard guys playing bits from movies in the spot they play at the airport... the emporer's theme from Star Wars, Disney tunes, etc. If I like what they're playing, I chip in when I have cash on me. I generally do stop for a little bit and listen, but a LOT of people will walk right on by...

For my part, I especially like it when they're playing some good jazz standards or something like Bird or Coltrane. Was a guitar player playing Lennon's Julia recently, at O'Hare airport. Very nice to hear that lovely tune. I stopped for several minutes to listen to him...

 

[CooolJazzz]

The louder you play the more people will hear you but the softer you play the more people will actually listen to you.

++1

 

[littlewailer]

Lower volume and more beauty in my playing definitely appeals to a wider audience for sure.
My time busking is sometimes the only time for weeks that I get to play so I'm certainly guilty of "practicing while I play" a little too much.

I have had people numerous times in the last week come up to me on the street and say "You've gotten sooooo much better in the last year"

Some of that is from regularly playing with people all lot of it is from doing whats in the clips.

My only real intention for this thread was to put some videos up of me playing some standards so y'all could see how I'm doing. The fact that it was while I was busking was kinda secondary and my only real option at the time.

I do appreciate all the comments. I take criticism well. Since starting this thread I've noticed my playing has gotten more lyrical.
I'll save the split tone altissimo for the bar.

Shawn, I am playing a few holiday tunes. Rudolph, Christmas time is Here, Silent night, Jingle bell rock, Santa Baby and some others.

My next thread I'm going to put up some videos of my Christmas gig that I got playing in the courtyard in front of the Walmart with a great Guitar player friend of mine.
I was really stoked to get a good paying two day gig right before Christmas.

I've also got a video of me playing Equinox in a big Tunnel by my house.

Soon to come.

 

[ismail]

Equinox is a great tune, I'd love to hear that.

I'd like to chime in on the loud/low-discussion going on here, without further reference to the OT:
In order to learn about dynamics, listening to classical music and talking to classical players will be very rewarding.

 

[dubrosa22]

Really liked your 'Well You Needn't'
Nice solo