Home » Jazz Articles » Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum » Bits and Bytes
Bits and Bytes
Do you really have to suffer to be a great artist, or is that just Hollywood BS?
—Pete L., Chicago
Dear Pete:
It's absolutely true, and that's why you should always seek out and play with the worst musicians possible.
Dear Mr. P.C.:
Some jazz players record all their gigs and listen studiously to the playbacks. Others can't stand to hear themselves and don't even listen to their own CDs. Who's right?
—Record-A-Me
Dear RAM:
It's not a matter of who's right; they're just in different stages of their artistic growth. Once the players who record all their gigs have heard enough, they'll mature into players who can't stand to hear themselves.
Eventually they'll evolve beyond recordings altogether and learn to despise their playing where the music really happens—on the bandstand, in the moment.
Dear Mr. P.C.:
Are small drums better for jazz than large drums? Does size really matter? Thanks.
—Jack
Dear Jack:
Size of drums is not nearly as much of an issue as their placement and set-up. Regardless of size, drums should be placed in a far corner of the stage, preferably still in their cases.
Dear Mr. P.C.:
We've all had people in the audience request a song that was already played, even in the same set. But last night someone asked if we knew a song while we were playing it! What were we supposed to say?
—Cover Band Dissed
Dear CBD:
If they questioned whether you knew the song, you should have promised to do better next time.
Have a question for Mr. P.C.? Ask him.
Get 'Benched!'
Benched, Bill Anschell's debut book of short stories / jazz humor. The stories are interspersed with the very best of Mr. P.C., hand-picked from the 400+ questions answered over the column's 16-year history. Benched is available on Amazon (paperback and Kindle) and most online booksellers.
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
