Music on the Holidays
By chance I have been playing a couple of “house-concerts”/parties this past week with Maggie Crandlemire and Erin McCullough. Now we are booked for New Years at a local Legion retirement-residence, and we’ve enjoyed the music enough to want to continue performing as a group.
The tell, for me, was during the first gathering (a house full of musicians and guests): Erin began the intro to Orange Blossom Special and I decided to run with it. It’s something I would do in any case, but as it happens Erin is capable of merciless rhythm. I locked eyes with her and we pegged it. If that’s not bragging-rights I don’t know what is. Meanwhile, Maggie and I have been friends for some time, and the process leading up to the release of her CD last Fall allowed us to become familar with each-other’s music. Whatever I may say about improvisation in general, I’ve come to believe that rapport and trust among players is the definitive test of the viability of a musical combo.
The second gathering was in a small industrial shop. I think I subconsciously decided to debut some of my piano playing there, although I still get an impostor complex about it some days. We had a pretty relaxed gathering, found some surprises in our repertoire and some more common ground in our playing styles. We ate great food, chatted about the world and life, and did things the way we wanted to. It is the kind of gig I may develop a preference for, and I have suspected this for a long time. Invited guests and those who accompany them – it’s a natural, friendly atmosphere which accommodates everyone, and we are free to make the show what we want it to be.
So, it’s official: I like playing House-Concerts.
