1st Ave – Mojo-less

3/7/08 – 1st Ave – Baby Soda – Patrick, Jared, Debbie, David Langlois, Stefan, and Jesse.

Some times no matter what you do it’s just a lot of moving around and jivin’. We got to the mezzanine spot but it was taken by the saw lady and some documentary crew that was filming her pack up. Group Wayno – Music from the Andes was next… Banners, banners, banners.

I just want to be able to show up for work and be able to work. 6th ave. was taken by an old street buddy, Don Juarez from Brazil – great tambourine player in the Brazilian style. It had been years and it was good to see him but still no spot. Over to 1st ave.

We set up and started to play and the music was actually pretty happening but after 20 minutes the cops shut us down. It’s F$@#n frustrating. Jared said, “You kind have to count on the inconsistency of this kind of thing.” Wise temperate remarks that did not match my emotions a bit. Patrick: “It’s a mojo thing. And when you ain’t got the mojo you really ain’t got the mojo.” We have had pretty good luck till the last few times so I’m sure it will turn again at some point.

One very positive thing I can mention. I gave Stefan the “Bunk Johnson – 1944” album so he could check out how George Lewis sounds. He came back today getting much closer to the sound that I’m always hoping for. It’s great that he could latch on to it so easily. It sounds great and it is just so helpful to me, personally, as a trumpet player. With that much going on while I’m playing, I can play shorter phrases lower in the register. I can also stick closer to the melody and do small rhythmic variations without having the improvisations sound boring. I feel like with the clarinet going like that, my stamina increases almost two-fold.

We played a couple really great numbers and I am definitely latching on to “Bring it on down to my house, mamma.” I’ll be able to write oodles of good lyrics for that one! Ha ha.

• I got the tracking numbers from UPS today. The new disks are in the mail!