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So I was asked to play for Obama's inauguration party. Ok, cool, I'm a big Obama fan, of course I'd do it. In a second. One catch. None of the entertainment is getting paid, according to the person that wanted to hire us.

I'm still cool, I would do it. I'd feel like I was doing my part. Make sense? Still I'm kind of pissed. You mean bailout for the banks, for the auto industry for the real estate market.... but musicians play for free.

Hi all!

I love to use Youtube to get som background music while I am at work; quite a while ago I fund some Hang-players. Check this out, I just love it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyV73b25Ut0&feature=channel

Tony, I liked your gig story. I have one from almost 40 years back, when I was young and foolish. Once I had just become the proud owner of a sailing boat, and thought I could sail, not drive, to a gig. The gig location didn't look too far away, on the map. I thought it was feasible if I got an early start. But never trust the sea. Through the morning there was no wind at all, and I was making no headway. All of a sudden, in the early afternoon, a storm came from out of nowhere and hit bad. Panic on board.

Hi all!

Sorry I haven't been around these past...weeks! Finally today my life is back to normal!
I just finished the first session of a Residency called "Big Ears" with drummer/composer John Hollenbeck. http://bigearsphilly.com/

I had A LOT of fun anf I learned a lot of great things. We spent these last 5 days working together on a lot of skills that not only make you a better improviser but also a better musician. From rhythm excercises to spontaneous compositions, it was a week full of intense work and lots of fun!

Hey all at vibesworkshop,

I guess you probably noticed that I haven't been posting a lot lately...

well the thing is a litle too complicated to really get into but it comes down to this:

-I have been struggling with a landlord that wants to buy us out of our current home for about 6 years now...
- my father in law has been living with me and my girlfriend for a year
- we finally have a new home and also my father in law
- our new home is crappy and needs tons of work

Ok here's a gig story for you. Maybe get you going and get a few of you guys to try and top this one.

In order to pull off my rehearsals and gigs yesterday I had to:

Wake up at 4:30am
leave the house at 5

I got in Manhattan at 7:30

8:30 Unloaded my equipment at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Practiced by myself there for one hour.

Ran up and did a rehearsal at Machiko's Rehearsal Studio at 10 with Elio Villafranco

Got back to the Museum at 3 rehearsed with Joe Piscopo at 4

Played 6 to 9:30 then ran to the Zinc Bar with Elio and played 11 to 2 and drove back.

When it rains it pours. All us musicians trying to make a living get so angry when we get 3 calls for the same night. That means we lost 2 gigs!!

Things are slow here in Philly and just last week I got depressed about not having a bunch of gigs. Then it rained and then it poured.

Now I have about 15 tunes to learn, a bunch of site reading, a couple rehearsals, a few gigs and about maybe a thousand miles of driving.

did you check out that duet?

what do you think??

i'm swamped this week coming, but maybe the following monday?? you around?

cu
tony

So here's where I'm at:

Buy Charlie Haden CD. All folk songs. It blows me away. I can't stop listening to it. No #9s, no series of ii V's in a row. I'm dying it's so beautiful.

I think about Gary Burton growing up in the midwest. He must have checked all this out. He WAS into country music. He must know this tune Shenandoah. Oh man it's so beautiful.

Ok, I should try it. I bet Gary and Pat Methany have played this tune. It's American music, it's Aaron Copland. Methany is the Jazz Aaron Copland. So is Gary I think.

I had a great talk with Ed via email. We talked about whether the vibraphone was on it's last leg or not.

I won't go into our conversation yet, because I'd like to hear what you guys have to say first.

I waited for New Years day to post this. What's the future of the instrument? How do we save it? Can it be saved? Is it fine and I'm just trying to create hype? Is it truly a babe magnet???