Sunday, January 26, 2014

Back to the bass

Well, I seem to have come full circle. I'm back playing bass with the Seventh Street Jazz Band - a community big-band based in Oregon City. I last played with them in August of 2005, and if you dig far enough back in this blog, you'll find some of my posts about the group.

I left the band back in 2005 for various reasons, but mostly because I was getting more involved with the small-group jazz and jam scene up in Portland, and didn't think I had enough energy to do both effectively. A couple of years ago, I quit playing bass because it was physically difficult for me to load equipment in and out, and arthritis was keeping me from playing at the high level needed to be competitive with the other fine players in Portland.

So, I switched to baritone uke, and have been having a ball playing it - no pressure or competition. I plan to continue with that instrument for the foreseeable future.

But I missed playing jazz, and when Pat, the director of the band, contacted me to see if I knew any bassists that could read charts, I decided to see if I could still hold my own in a large group. I auditioned a couple of weeks ago, and apparently did well enough to get the gig. I'll post more as the concert season gets closer.