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Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Disgruntled Masters

by Mr. P.C.
March 21, 2020

Dear Mr. P.C.: Is it okay to grunt or hum while playing the piano? I'm looking for a career in jazz but don't have any musical talent, but I'm pretty sure I could figure out a way to remaster the great tunes from the likes of Oscar and Erroll to exclude the annoying 'hum' ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Bits and Bytes

by Mr. P.C.
January 27, 2020

Dear Mr. P.C.: On the bandstand, in the middle of a tune, is it okay to move your lips while you're counting? —Patient Percussionist Dear PP: Of course--if you don't, you'll sound really strange. Dear Mr. P.C.: I saw someone post on Facebook, just ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Faking Bad

by Mr. P.C.
December 21, 2019

Dear Mr. P.C.: I'm in a band with a bassist who wants to rehearse every week. Considering that all we do when we have a gig is fake standards, isn't he being a little OCD? —Kevin A., Raleigh Dear Kevin: The hardest thing about faking standards is that ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Ouch!

by Mr. P.C.
October 16, 2019

Dear Mr. P.C.: Should jazz musicians marry one another? --J.S. Dear JS: Here's something that may surprise you: Tone deafness is a dominant gene, which means the ability to carry a tune is recessive. Since most jazz artists—when forced to—can carry a tune, the ability to play jazz ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Ba-dum-tss!

by Mr. P.C.
September 2, 2019

Dear Mr. P.C.: What is it with young horn players at jam sessions who take their solo on a song and don't even hang around to play the head out? --C.S. Dear C.S.: The youngsters are looking to you for guidance. If you yell “head out," what do ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Sucking While Blowing, Door Gig Blues

by Mr. P.C.
June 13, 2019

Sucking While Blowing Dear Mr. P.C.: Semantic inquiry: When someone has a ton of chops and still utterly sucks to play with, would his or her chops/suck ratio be convergent or divergent? --Getting Older And Testier, Gaming Out Tactics To Enervate Neophytes Dear GOAT GOTTEN: To answer your ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Drum and Drummer 2

by Mr. P.C.
March 31, 2019

Dear Mr. P.C.: If I can tell where a drummer is during his whole solo, does that mean he's good or bad? --Confused Bassist Dear Confused: Neither: it just means you're listening too closely. There's nothing inherently “wrong" with paying attention to the musicians around you, but ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Old Folks, Countdown

by Mr. P.C.
January 18, 2019

Old Folks Dear Mr. P.C.: When people in the audience are talking, it goes without saying they're not listening to the band. But for the rest of the audience, how do you know when they're actually listening as opposed to just thinking about something else altogether? --Unheard in Utah Dear ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Provocalists

by Mr. P.C.
December 21, 2018

Dear Mr. P.C.: I just played a gig with a vocalist who chose to open the set with “Misty." He announced it to the audience by saying “Here's a song that needs no introduction." My question is, how were we supposed to start it? --I Can't Get Started Dear ICGS: ...

Article: Mr. P.C.'s Guide to Jazz Etiquette and Bandstand Decorum

Going Solo

by Mr. P.C.
October 1, 2018

Dear Mr. P.C.: I'm a saxophonist, and someone just came up from the audience tonight and started talking to me while I was in the middle of soloing on a hard tune. I was having enough trouble just making the changes--what was I supposed to do? --Blown Blowing Dear ...