A Redneck Can Too Play Jazz!

Thursday evening, that's 3 days ago, I was asked to play guitar for the social event of the year in our community. A fund raiser held each year to benefit the local theater group. I went into this thing, playing with people that I'd never played with, about a 30 song set of the type of music that I'd never played... with one practice. I was more than a little concerned that I'd either come off looking like a total fool or by some stroke of luck, I'd pull it off and have a blast.

I had a blast.

My musical background is rock and of late... country with tinges of bluegrass. To sit and play jazz, 40's big band tunes, 50's crooner and torch songs... oh holy crap. Top this off with I do not read music and I was sitting in with a group of semi-pro and professional musicians. I gotta hear a song through a couple times to get a handle on it usually. Chord charts help and give me a starting point if I'm totally lost... which I was on a few of these.

Got to see loads of friends and acquaintances that I hadn't seen for years, had great food... way too much liquor and the most beautiful woman there on my arm.





Martina, the gal that sings in my regular band was one of the vocalists last night, she was incredible! Steve, a highway patrolman by day does one of the most awesome jobs crooning out Sinatra and Dean Martin tunes that you've ever heard. Here's the two of 'em ripping through "Sway". The drummer, John and I had a hoot with this one, we got into the samba mentality and got the giggles pretty bad.





Martina and Sally cuddled up for an incredible shot of the two of 'em.





And some guy sitting back there with a Stratocaster, having the time of his life, doing a style of music that he'd never played. :-)





The dinner and music was held outside in a tent that covered the street for half a city block. It rained off and on and was a little chilly... but it sure didn't dampen the spirit any.

I wish we could do this once a week! Too much fun!




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