It's been a really rough week..but tonite was jazz night, and you guys (well most of you) know how much I look forward to that every Thursday..There is just something about jazz. It never really finishes. There's no real pattern in real jazz. It just moves how it feels like moving, and you might think you know what it's going to do next, but it may do something completely different. Kind of like God in a way. Jazz is the God-music, and for some reason, even though we go to jazz night, which is in a bar, it's my devotion time every Thursday. It's relaxing and helps me to refocus.
Plus, the band is amazing. We have nicknames for each of them (I tend to give people nicknames once I get to see/know them frequently.)
Ian and I went tonite as in every single other week, so I think I'll "introduce you to the guys" who play..they are known as..The Collective.
This is Ace, the ultimate 80's Ladies Man..he looks like Bill Nye but with bigger hair. He's our heeeero. He plays bass..so naturally, we call him Ace of Bass. (His real name is Hans, by the way) One time I swear he was playing so fast that there was literally smoke flying up around his fingers. Occasionally, when he "bows" it, he'll spin the bow around and stick it back in its case like a swordsman would put his sword in his sheath. It's amazing, really.
There's also "Trumpet Man." He tends to drink a lot each week. It's amusing, because we can usually tell how many beers he has had based on how he plays. When he hasn't had any, he is very cautious with his trumpet playing. He plays a moderate tempo and rarely solos. When he's had between 3-6, he loosens up a bit. His tempo speeds up quite a bit and he lets out some daring sounds. (Usually in a good way.) Once he's topped the 6+ mark, however, he goes back downhill. He plays a bit too quickly for the rest of the band to keep up, and he wobbles on the stage. We are always afraid he's going to get too close to the edge and fall off. This is why we never sit at the tables right up next to the stage. I can't afford to be paralyzed by a drunk man with a trumpet.
The drummer is affectionately referred to as "The Animal." He is comparable to the character "Animal" from the muppets. He's craaaazy on the drums, but in a fun way. He sets the tone for the rest of the band, and he does it well. He can get away with doing percussive things no other jazz drummer would think of. A few weeks back, he actually ended one of his songs with a power drill ballad...Yes. A power drill. Apparently he found it backstage and though it'd be fun to "play" it. We had a lot of fun. We originally called him "The Animal," but the name has now evolved a bit. The night of the drill incident, Ian and I had watched The Animal, with Rob Schneider. (They both have the "animal" nickname.) We noticed a resemblence between the two once he got that drill out, and so, ever since then, he's been "Rob the Schneid Schneider."
Last, but certainly not least, is the piano player. David Ake. We don't have a nickname for him, because he doesn't need one. He's just "David Ake" and he's amazing. The amazing David Ake. Unfortunately, his amazingness wouldn't show up on film. Like a vampire. An amazing, piano-playing vampire.
