Being located within a short distance of NYC has its obvious advantages for the working musician, the music enthusiast, and the sports fan - three groups of which I am a member. The weekend of Friday Sept 23rd through Sept 25th was one weekend where I took full (and almost non-stop) advantage of what the Big Apple has to offer, both professionally, and recreationally.
Friday Night Part I: After teaching my last lesson of the day at Let's Jam in Poughkeepsie, I (almost literally) jetted down to the Bronx to meet some friends and catch the Yankees in the first game of their final home stand of the season. In the bottom of the first inning, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano led off the game with back to back home runs, propelling the Yankees to an easy 5-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. All in all, it was a fun night at the "House that Ruth Built", but the night was just beginning...
Friday Night Part II: After not-so-patiently waiting for over an hour to get out of the parking garage next to Yankee Stadium, I headed down to Lower Manhattan and made it just in time to catch the Sam Kininger Band's midnight set at the Tribeca Rock Club. Sam is a jazz/funk/fusion sax player, and in addition to leading his own band, is a member of the amazing NYC funksters "Lettuce". I was hoping that Sam's Lettuce bandmate and monster drummer, Adam Deitch, would be on drums for Sam's gig. Deitch played on Sam's latest album, but I wasn't getting my hopes up, as Adam is very much in-demand in NYC and beyond. As I waited for the band to start, and to my delight, Adam rushed in with a cymbal backpack and his snare drum, and sat down at the rickety house drum kit at the Tribeca Rock Club.
For those of you who don't know, Adam Deitch, is one of the hottest drummers on the NYC funk/fusion scene, having been a member of the John Scofield Band, The Average White Band, and Lettuce. His drumming is quite original, daring and forward looking, and though his roots are firmly planted in the traditions of funk and jazz, he deftly incorporates elements of hip-hop, drum -n- bass, and other electronic musical styles into an exciting, original, and downright funky style. If you get a chance to see him, DO SO. He is not to be missed. You can visit his website at www.adamdeitch.com.The SKB was a four piece that night, consisting of sax, bass, drums, and my favorite instrument aside from drums, the Fender Rhodes. The band played mostly original compositions by Sam Kininger, but added some funk/fusion standards such as "Butterfly" by Herbie Hancock. Adam Deitch was really going for it, driving the funk with amazing improvisation and his trademark groove perfection. The fact that the crummy hardware on the house kit was giving him fits (bass drum creeping, ride cymbal stand slipping all over the place) didn't slow him down one bit, despite the need for constant adjustments in the middle of tunes. Having seen Deitch on more than a handful of occasions, he just seems to get better every time. I can go on all day about Adam, but I'll spare you...
Saturday Afternoon: Met a student at the Blue Note, for a Bernard Purdie Master Class. A lot can be said about Mr. Purdie, but one thing is for sure: this man can groove. The creator of the "Purdie (half) Shuffle" showed the audience why he is such a widely recorded drummer (Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, among others); namely, his soulful, tasteful and original grooves. My only disappointment was that Purdie spent more time speaking about how he met his musical partner, Rob Paparozzi, than he did playing or teaching, but he made the playing segments count. Overall, an enjoyable experience.
Saturday Night Scrambling: For a few months, I had a gig on the books with "The Roll" (an original rock band with which I've been playing since Feb.). As is often the case, I received an offer for another gig on the same night. Usually, I have to reluctantly turn down these opportunities, as it's impossible for me to be in two places at once. But this time, the stars were aligned, and through some shrewd scheduling and planning, I was able to accept BOTH gigs. How, you ask? The gig with "The Roll" was at the Continental in the East Village from 9:30pm-10pm. The other gig was with a band called "Tighty Whitey", on the Upper East Side from 11pm-3am.
The Plan: I didn't need my drums for the gig at the Continental; they provide the drums. I just needed my cymbals, snare and hardware. I did need my full kit for the Tighty Whitey gig, which was at Cabin Fever, on York Av, between 76th and 77th. So at about 7:45, I went to Cabin Fever and set up my drums, minus the hardware, snare, and cymbals. I then headed downtown to the Continental, loaded my stuff into the club, and circled around looking for parking - for 45 freakin' minutes!! As the start time approached, I reluctantly gave in and paid $20 to park in a garage for an HOUR! Grrrrrr!!!! The gig went smoothly, and somehow started and finished right on time! This paved the way for my swift exit, and trip back uptown to Cabin Fever. Upon arrival, I quickly threw my hardware and cymbals up with my kit, and within minutes, was counting off the first tune of the night... The band rocked and rolled until after 3am. Whew! I'm getting tired just writing about that night!
Anyway, if you've read this far, I give you a lot of credit. I just thought I'd share highlights of this very busy, yet fun and exciting weekend.
