Last night’s Malibu concert – a great musical performance in front of many of the guys’ friends and family from LA -- was further highlighted by the fact that one of our trombonists, Wendell Kelly, got news that his wife, Renell, had just given birth to their first baby, a girl named Ceora Simone. The guys in the band chipped in and paid for him to take a taxi home (about 2 hours from here) so that he can spend this important night with his family. He’ll get a sub to play the gig in Chandler, AZ, and then he’ll join us in Alta, NM, after that. Congratulations, Wendell, Renell and Ceora!

Conversation on the bus today centered on the music biz rather than bad jokes, though there were a few of those thrown in as well (thanks, Gary ). For saxophonists who play jazz… the advice is: learn flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, bassoon… all your doubles! They told the story of Gene Cipriano (a fabled Hollywood session musician, originally from New Haven by the way), who played on “Kung Fu” sessions with TWELVE woodwind doubles, including bamboo flutes, etc.

The pay scale for all these instruments goes like this: first instrument, 100% scale, 2nd=50%, 3rd=25%, 4th=15%, 5th-12th, all at 10% … PLUS 20% paid into Union Pension fund! That’s a good pay day, no?

Makes me wish I didn’t give up my saxophone back in high school. Speaking of which, on a sad note, the band got the word about Michael Brecker’s death just as we were leaving a lunch stop. The groans were audible as we each processed the information in our own way. Calls were immediately made to Michael’s brother, Randy, from those of us who knew him. I met Michael in Japan when I was with Paquito, we had a nice breakfast together one morning at the hotel. The consensus of the band was: each day is a gift, live it to the fullest.

Ironic… this blog begins with a birth and ends with a death…

Running tight as a Swiss watch on the road, a typical day is something like this: anytime from 5am to 11am (depending) leave the hotel and drive to the next hotel (today I’m on the bus from 5:30 am till 3 pm); sleep, rest, shower, leave hotel to theater for 5pm sound check and set-up (all I have to carry in is my suit and bass); eat catered dinner there backstage (so far, excellent home-style meals: chicken, beef, salad, potatoes, vegetables, dessert, coffee, etc.); mini-rest period and change clothes (our suits and shirts are steamed and ironed before we go on!); performance at 8 pm usually (this is the really fun part); and return directly to hotel for a quick night’s sleep! It sounds exhausting, but if you conserve your energy and eat right (there are many snacks, fruit and drinks on the bus too) it’s really not too bad. You look forward to a day off mainly to rest and do laundry.
Driver Bob (not) asleep at the wheel...
Tour Manager, Pete, (not) workin' hard... :-)

Having fun despite LONG hours on the bus (8 hours yesterday and today – leavin’ the hotel at 6 am). VERY high level of professionalism in this band—all about getting the job done with precision and passion – both on and off the stage. Phenomenal trumpets: Winston Byrd, Mike Meza (who I played with at the Shubert in West Side Story, ’97); saxophones Gary Herbig (among other things he played the clarinet solo on Cheers), Eric Erhardt and Vito Chiavuzzo (NY jazz guys); drummer Ron Krasinski, formerly with Seals & Crofts, Dr. Dre, Pat Martino (and just about everybody else); trombones Mike Fahn and Wendell Kelly; piano and musical director, Steve Rawlins (wrote for Benny Goodman, Bette Midler, Super Bowl, the Acad. Awards, etc). And of course, the singer, a trouper and excellent forward passer (football) Steve March Tormé, who despite a nagging lingering cold, has stepped up to the plate each night and warmed the audiences with his great renditions of Sweet Ga. Brown, Street Where You Live, Just One of Those Things, Green Dolphin Street, Lulu’s Back In Town, Mountain Greenery, Ruby, Don’t Mean A Thing, etc. etc. Mel Tormé’s book, Marty Paich’s arrangements. I am in some fast company, and we are playing some ridiculous fast tempos!!!

After a 2-hour ride yesterday afternoon, we arrived in Palm Desert, CA, for our third concert of the tour. Halfway there we had realized the music, scores and parts, were left at the hotel!! A frantic series of phone calls resulted in hiring a car service to rush us the music, which arrived JUST before curtain! Much to the relief of our musical director, Steve Rawlins. It goes to show that even professionals forget things, like me, who left his cell phone charger at the same hotel this morning!

The long ride (7am to 4 pm, ably handled by our driver, Bob) took us into the San Joaquin Valley (flat! flat!) and eventually to the Pacific coastal enclave of Carmel (Clint Eastwood’s town). Along the way, the countryside changed dramatically from desert brown, through gentle green and finally, the sun setting over the ocean. Our bus ride was quite liberally entertained with jokes, one-liners and assorted wisecracks from everyone in the band. A non-stop barrage of very dubious humor, indeed. Among the ones that can be repeated were:

“Did you hear about the contortionist from the Phillipines? He was a real Manila folder!”

“Did you hear the invisible man and the invisible woman got married? Yeah, but their kids were nothing to look at!”

“Abalone, why conch ya clam up, ya shellfish little shrimp!”

etc., etc., etc., etc…….

So here we are in Carmel - such a wealthy town, it puts CT towns like Westport and West Hartford to shame. Clint didn’t come to our concert tonight (boo hoo)! But we had a nice semi-full house anyway. Carmel is … my gawd, the conspicuous wealth!

Here are a couple more photos.

Monday… another day off, but the last one for quite some time. Woke up early, did a load of laundry at the hotel, mailed home my paycheck, went shopping. Got a pillow for the bus ride – I just can’t see myself lifting one from the hotel.

So, anyway. Last night’s show in Torrance, CA, went very well. Everyone is feeling a little looser, digging in more to the music instead of reading the notes. I’m still trying to get my act together for the solo I have on It Don’t Mean A Thing. It’s at the very end of the show, and the tempo is blistering, so I haven’t yet gotten off a good solo. The best I did was at the dress rehearsal, and I’m still working on figuring out how to say something at that tempo that doesn’t bleed off all the energy in the band at the moment.

Definitely miss home, Pam and her family and the kitty kat… Many thanks to those (Danielle, Eddie, Judy, Pam and Paul) who are looking in on her.